Exploring the Potentials of an All DC (ADC) Bulk Power System

Washington University, Saint Louis MO

Investigators

Abstract

0114937 Zaborszky It is proposed to compute in the Control Center, virtually instantly, the desired steady state condition of each building block and then subtract it from the existing state in each building block. This difference is the excess or transient energy within each building block. Then in each block utilize the series and shunt controls to eliminate this difference in voltage and current at the controlled end of each line. If this is accomplished then the transient energy of the block is drained into or out of the capacitors available for this purpose. If accomplished this would mean that the desired system state is realized virtually instantaneously at all times without transients, in a distributed manner. This idealized situation may be acceptably approximated provided the control process i is virtually instantaneous compared to the rate of variation of the desired state. Observe that the question asked here is not how to utilize newly developing technology and its tools to improve existing practice, but the converse: how to utilize existing and developing technology to solve the existing problems in the most favorable way. This then raises the question of how a transition can be found. Given the present riches of power electronics, computing and communication equipment and facilities, the question of how the total power system could be constructed for the best reliability, security, efficiency and other features. Of course, to be practical, it would be expected that current facilities such as transmission lines, generators, transformers capacitor bank etc. would be used, sometimes in novel roles. The innovation would involve a new structuring of the system e.g. an all DC bulk power system and a novel approach to controlling the restructured system.