High voltage direct current transmission - A review, part I

Major milestones in the development of high voltage direct current (HVDC) technologies and concepts were achieved in 1950s. Thanks to the high power thyristor switches (1960-70s), the HVDC technologies reached a significant degree of maturity in 1980s. The classical HVDC uses thyristor-based current-sourced line-commutated converter (LCC) technology. The advent of power semiconductor switches in 1980-90s, with turn on-off capabilities especially the IGBTs and IGCTs, and the on-going progress in this field, have introduced the conventional (two-level) voltage-source converter (VSC) technology and its variety of configurations, multi-level and multi-module VSCs, also as viable converter technologies for power system applications. The DC system is experiencing significant degree of re-emergence due to its potential to either directly address, or to facilitate resolving a large number of existing and anticipated interconnected AC power system steady-state and dynamic issues. HVDC technology made possible to transfer bulk power over long distances. In part I of this two-parts paper, comparative evaluations, studies, and review of HVDC versus HVAC transmission systems, are presented. Applications, different schemes of HVDC systems are also outlined.