| Abstract |
Power Electronics has evolved over the past 20
years to be the main method of power conversion in terms of
equipment volume, efficiency and cost. In power
transmission and distribution systems power electronics
does not compare in efficiency and cost and only provides
support where conventional technology is not incapable of
performing the task. With the promise of Silicon Carbide
(SiC) based IGBTs rated at 10kV to be realised within the
next year the paper examines what effect this might have on
the role of Power Electronics within Power Transmission.
In particular values of efficiency, weight and size are
developed for 300MW PWM based HVDC converter
equipment operating with both a 50Hz transformer and at
1kHz and 20kHz and concludes that with Silicon Carbide
devices the cost of VSC-HVDC stations will reduce by about
30%. Changing to high frequency conversion using
frequencies of up to 20kHz will result in comparable
efficiencies and volumes with Si based VSC-HVDC stations,
however the overall cost will increase by about 30%. |
