Security-Constrained AC/DC Grid Optimal Power Flow Considering Asymmetrical HVDC Grid Operation using Sparse Tableau Formulation

TL;DR

This paper develops a security-constrained optimal power flow model for HVDC grids that optimizes asymmetrical converter operation to reduce costs, while managing neutral voltage offsets with a neutral line switching strategy.

Contribution

It introduces a novel SCOPF model for asymmetrical HVDC operation considering post-contingency conditions and proposes a neutral line switching method to control voltage offsets.

Findings

Increasing asymmetrical stations lowers operational costs.

Higher asymmetry causes larger neutral voltage offsets.

Neutral line switching effectively mitigates voltage issues.

Abstract

This paper presents a security-constrained optimal power flow (SCOPF) model for HVDC grids that optimizes the asymmetrical operation of bipolar converter stations, i.e., different current injections of the positive and negative converter poles, to minimize operational costs under post-contingency conditions caused by single converter pole outages. The optimization model allows the selection of the number of converter stations that operate asymmetrically. The results indicate that increasing the number of asymmetrical stations lowers operational costs. The analysis also provides insight into the sensitivity of these costs to the level of asymmetrical operation. However, increased asymmetrical operation leads to higher DC neutral voltage offsets that can rise to undesired levels. Imposing limits on these offsets can, in turn, increase operational costs. To mitigate these effects, a neutral line switching (NLS) strategy is proposed for the post-contingency state.