UNIVERSITY OF AKRON: NEW AWARD VISION OPEN 2024, CONTROL# 3387-2650 PROJECT TITLE: (DOUBLE) DOUBLE AC OVERHEAD CIRCUIT UTILIZATION WITH BLENDED DC TRANSMISSION LINE EDGING THE ''DOUBLE'' PROJECT PROPOSES AN INNOVATIVE APPROACH TO ENHANCE THE ENERGY TRANSMISSION CAPACITY OF CURRENT AC TRANSMISSION LINES BY INTEGRATING DC ENERGY SOURCES. TRADITIONAL AC TRANSMISSION LINES UTILIZE DOUBLE CIRCUITS ON THE SAME TRANSMISSION TOWER TO MEET GROWING ENERGY DEMANDS. HOWEVER, THESE SYSTEMS FACE LIMITATIONS IN CAPACITY AND EFFICIENCY. THE DOUBLE CONCEPT INTRODUCES A BLENDED TRANSMISSION STRUCTURE WHERE A HIGH-VOLTAGE DC NETWORK IS INTEGRATED BETWEEN THE PHASES OF EXISTING DOUBLE AC CIRCUITS THROUGH AN INNOVATIVE APPROACH THAT UTILIZES DC AND AC COUPLING ALONG WITH DECOUPLING CIRCUITRY. THIS INTEGRATION IS DESIGNED TO ENSURE MINIMAL IMPACT ON AC LINE VOLTAGES AND MAINTAIN THE RELIABILITY OF THE AC TRANSMISSION LINES. KEY TO THE DOUBLE APPROACH IS THE INDEPENDENT OPERATION OF AC AND DC RESOURCES. BY BLENDING THE DC NETWORK INTO AC INFRASTRUCTURES, THE TRANSMISSION EFFICIENCY IS MAXIMIZED WITHOUT MUTUAL INTERFERENCE BETWEEN AC AND DC CURRENTS. AC CURRENTS PREDOMINANTLY USE THE SURFACE OF THE CONDUCTOR DUE TO THE SKIN EFFECT, WHILE DC CURRENTS CONCENTRATE IN THE CENTER. THIS NATURAL PARTITIONING OPTIMIZES CONDUCTOR UTILIZATION AND ENHANCES OVERALL TRANSMISSION CAPACITY WITHOUT ADDING EXTRA THERMAL STRESS. FURTHERMORE, FOR APPLICATIONS SUCH AS WIND ENERGY AND ELECTRIC VEHICLE (EV) CHARGING, VARIABLE RENEWABLE ENERGY AND ADJUSTABLE LOADS CAN BE INTERFACED OVER DC CURRENT WITHOUT AFFECTING AC SYSTEM DYNAMICS. THIS CAPABILITY OFFERS SIGNIFICANT FLEXIBILITY IN MANAGING DYNAMIC RESOURCES, SOMETHING THAT TRADITIONAL AC GRIDS CANNOT ACHIEVE. AS A RESULT, THE ''DOUBLE'' PROJECT AIMS NOT ONLY TO DOUBLE ENERGY TRANSMISSION CAPACITY BUT ALSO TO MEET THE SUSTAINABILITY AND RESILIENCE REQUIREMENTS OF FUTURE GRIDS.