Friday 17 February 2017, 14:00 – 15:30
NG16, Gisbert Kapp Building
University of Birmingham

The Challenge of Overhead Line Faults with MMC Transmission
Dennis Woodford, President of Electranix Corporation

Application of VSC transmission with overhead transmission lines is a relatively recent application, particularly with MMC converters. An overhead transmission line is prone to faults caused by environmental activity such as lightning which can be cleared and restarted. There are different configurations for MMC converters which include various monopole and bipole arrangements that can be with half bridge or full bridge submodules. The DC transmission line will invariably be connected through one or more cable sections as well. The issues associated with rapid restart following a lightning fault will be discussed. There is also the possibility that the overhead DC transmission line will be coupled to a AC line, either on the same tower or the same way-leave. The impact such fundamental coupling has on the VSC system performance and ways to minimize adverse impacts will be presented.

Biography
Dennis Woodford was Special Studies Engineer in Transmission Planning of Manitoba Hydro, where he worked on the Winnipeg –Twin Cities 500 kV interconnection and the Nelson River HVDC project. He is the original developer of the PSCAD/EMTDC simulation software, which he started in 1974 while at Manitoba Hydro.

He joined the Manitoba HVDC Research Centre as Executive Director in 1986 – 2001, and is now President of Electranix Corporation, a consulting company based in Winnipeg. He is a registered Professional Engineer with the Province of Manitoba, and a former Adjunct Professor at the University of Manitoba.  He is the recipient of the IEEE Power Engineering Society Uno Lamm Award and a Life Fellow of the IEEE.  He is Past-Chairman of the IEEE Subcommittee on HVDC and FACTS, and is active in CIGRE as convener of Working Group B4.69: Minimizing Loss of Transmitted Power By VSC During Overhead Line Fault.

Registration: http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/energy/events/Challenge-of-Overhead-Line-Faults-with-MMC-Transmission.aspx