Seismic Response Analysis of Interlayer-Hinged Suspended Converter Valve Towers

To investigate the seismic performance of interlayer-hinged suspended valve towers under high-intensity earthquake actions, the valve hall and valve towers of a ±800 kV ultra high voltage(UHV) converter station are selected as the research objects. A finite element model is created for dynamic analysis, comparing the seismic responses between interlayer-hinged and interlayer-rigid connected converter valves. The earthquake ground motions from different site types are inputted for calculation and statistical analysis. The results indicate that, compared to the interlayer-rigid connected configuration, the interlayer-hinged connection can reduce the axial tension in the suspended insulators of the valve tower, but it increases the horizontal acceleration response at the top of the tower. The axial tension in the suspended insulators significantly increases under seismic actions and may generate compressive forces under certain conditions. The “swinging” phenomenon of the tower causes asynchronous compression in the insulators. As the suspended insulators are slender components, it is necessary to perform buckling stability verification during seismic design.