A DC controller for continuous variable series reactors (CVSRs)

Continuous variable series reactors (CVSRs), as a cost effective alternative to flexible AC transmission system (FACTS) series compensators, have been proposed to continuously vary the line reactance and control the power flow. The development of the power electronics based dc controller (DCC) is essential and unique to meet the need of CVSR in utility transmission grid applications. In addition to supplying the needed dc current to the CVSR dc winding, the DCC has to deal with the interaction from the ac winding. CVSR, together with DCC, will be installed outdoor in a substation, so the operation environment could be extremely harsh. The detailed design and implementation of the DCC are presented, along with simulations demonstrating the close relationship between the load profile of dc winding and converter output impedance. A 1000 A, 20 kW field prototype has been constructed and tested with a 115 kV, 1500 A CVSR to experimentally verify the performance of the whole CVSR system.