General Electric Technology Gmbh

Alstom Technology Limited

Alstom

Other

Scott Bader Company Limited

Robert Stephen Whitehouse

Carl David Barker

Andrzej Adamczyk

Robin Gupta

David Reginald Trainer

Colin Charnock Davidson

Ruchira Withanage

John Desmond Ainsworth

John Lewis Outram

Colin Donald Murray Oates

Timothy James Stott

Rosemary King

Jonathan Charles Clare

Andrew Cross

Adrian Keitley

Georgios Fintzos

Lorenzo Bottacchiari

Francisco Javier Chivite-Zabalza

Hassan Taghizadeh

Ghirmazion Ghebreyesus

Matteo Tomasini

Sunita Khilar

Andrzej Adamcyzk

A circuit interruption device including first and second terminals for connection, to a respective electrical circuit or network, a current-conductive branch including first, second, and third current-conductive branch portions successively connected in series between the first and second terminals, the first current-conductive branch portion including a first switching element, the second current-conductive branch portion including a second switching element, the third current-conductive branch portion including a third switching element, each switching element configured to be switchable to selectively permit and block a flow of current in the respective current-conductive branch portion, first and second current bypass paths, the first current bypass path connected across the first and second current-conductive branch portions, the second current bypass path connected across the second and third current-conductive branch portions, and a controller configured to selectively control the switching of the switching elements to control a flow of current between the first and second terminals.

Circuit interruption device

There is provided an apparatus () for monitoring a condition of an electrical power transmission medium (), the apparatus () comprising: a signal source () for transmitting a signal () to travel along the electrical power transmission medium (); and a monitoring device () configured to detect one or more reflected signals () in the electrical power transmission medium (), wherein the monitoring device () is configured to use the or each detected reflected signal () to determine a change in capacitance of the electrical power transmission medium ().

Apparatus for monitoring a condition of an electrical power transmission medium

There is provided a current control circuit () for connection between a first electrical network () and a converter, the current control circuit () comprising:

Current control circuit

An electronic valve apparatus for a high voltage direct current, HVDC, power transmission system. The electronic valve apparatus includes a first device chain including a number of first devices connected in series between an input node and an output node. Each of the first devices has an asymmetric transfer function configured substantially to block current flow through the device in a first direction, and the first devices are connected such that they all block current flow in the same direction. The electronic valve apparatus also includes a second device chain including a number of second devices connected in series between the input node and the output node. Each of the second devices has an asymmetric transfer function configured substantially to block current flow through the device in a first direction, and the second devices are connected such that they all block current flow in the same direction.

Electronic valve apparatus

There is provided an electrical assembly for use in a power transmission network. The electrical assembly includes a converter including terminals for connection to an electrical network, where the first terminal is a DC terminal. The assembly also includes a DC power transmission medium connected to the DC terminal, and a circuit interruption device including switching element(s) and an energy absorption element, each switching element being switchable to divert a flow of current in the DC power transmission medium through the energy absorption element in order to reduce the flow of current in the DC power transmission medium; The assembly also includes a converter control unit programmed to operate the converter to control a DC voltage at the DC terminal in a leakage current reduction mode to control a voltage across the energy absorption element.

Electrical assembly for a power transmission network

In the field of line commutated converters, for use in high voltage direct current (HVDC) power transmission, a line commutated converter comprises a plurality of converter limbs that extend between first and second DC terminals. Each converter limb includes first and second limb portions which are separated by an AC terminal. The first limb portions together define a first limb portion group and the second limb portions together define a second limb portion group. Each limb portion includes at least one switching element that is configured to turn on and conduct current when it is forward biased and it receives a turn on signal and to naturally turn off and no longer conduct current when it is reverse biased and the current flowing through it falls to zero. The converter also includes a control unit.

Line commutated converters

In the field of high voltage direct current (HVDC) power transmission there is provided a power converter assembly () comprising a line-commutated power converter () that is configured to transfer power from a DC network () to a corresponding receiving AC network (). The power converter assembly () also includes a control unit which is operatively associated with the line-commutated power converter () and is programmed, in response to the receiving AC network () exhibiting a reduced AC voltage (V, V, V), to cause a reduction in the operating DC voltage (V) of the line-commutated power converter () by the DC network ().

Power transmission networks

A method and apparatus for controlling a fault blocking voltage source converter apparatus which is, in use, connected to an AC system and a DC system for power transmission, in the event of a DC side interruption operating the voltage source converter apparatus after identification of a need for a DC side interruption based on a voltage order, so as to extract at least some electrical energy stored in the connected DC system to the voltage source converter apparatus.

Control of voltage source converters

A DC electrical network comprising DC terminals operatively connectable to a converter; and DC transmission paths arranged to interconnect the DC terminals, and including a DC power transmission medium and a switching apparatus. The DC network further including: an active power electronic device connected in at the DC transmission paths, the active power electronic device; a detector configured to detect faults in the DC transmission paths; and a control unit programmed to operate the active power electronic device to vary an apparent impedance of a faulty DC transmission path to force a current flowing in the faulty DC transmission path to reduce to a target current level, and operate the switching apparatus to block current from flowing in the faulty DC transmission path when the current flowing in the faulty corresponding DC transmission path is reduced to the target current level.

DC electrical network

A modular power converter includes first and second terminals to connect to electrical networks and at least one module connected between the first and second terminals, the module(s) including at least one switching element and at least one energy storage device, the switching element(s) and the energy storage device(s) combining to selectively provide a voltage source, the switching element(s) being switchable to transfer power between the first and second terminals. The converter further includes a control unit configured to selectively control switching of the switching element(s) to store energy from or release energy to either or both of the first and second terminals so as to decouple respective power flows at the first and second terminals and thereby inhibit a modulation of power flow at one of the first and second terminals from modifying a power flow at the other of the first and second terminals.

Power converter

A bipolar DC power transmission scheme comprises: DC poles, each including a respective power transmission medium extending between two ends; a plurality of converters, wherein each end of the power transmission medium of the first pole is respectively operatively connected to a converter, and each end of the power transmission medium of the second pole is respectively operatively connected to a converters; a controller programmed to block one or more of the converters in response to a fault occurring on either of the first and second poles; and a monitoring device configured to identify the faulty poles on which the fault has occurred, wherein the controller is further programmed to deblock the or each blocked converter connected to the other of the poles after the monitoring device has identified the faulty one of the poles on which the fault has occurred.

Bipolar DC power transmission scheme

A bipolar DC power transmission scheme including first and second DC poles, each including a respective DC power transmission medium extending between first and second ends; a plurality of converters wherein each end of the transmission medium of each of the poles is operatively connected to at least one of the converters to form a rectifier and an inverter at opposite ends of the DC power transmission media; and a controller to operate at least one converter of one of the rectifier and inverter in a control mode and at least one converter of the other of the rectifier and inverter in a second control mode in response to a fault occurring on either of the poles. Additionally, the first control mode decreases and the second control mode increases the operating DC voltage of the or each corresponding converter from a normal operating voltage value.

A power transmission network including: a variable power source; an AC transmission link for AC power transmission from the variable power source to at least one source side converter; at least one source side converter including: an AC connecting point operably connected to the AC transmission link; and a DC connecting point for connection to a DC transmission link; and a control system configured to operate the source side converter or at least one of the source side converters in a frequency damping mode to control an AC voltage at its AC connecting point and thereby damp at least one frequency component at its AC connecting point and/or in the AC transmission link.

Power transmission network

A power transmission network, for interconnecting a variable power source and a AC electrical network including: a DC transmission link for power transmission between a network side converter and a source side converter; a AC transmission link for power transmission from the respective variable power source to a source side converter; a source side converter including: a DC connecting point operably connected to the respective transmission link; and an AC connecting point operably connected to the respective transmission link; a network side converter including: an AC connecting point for connection to the respective electrical network; and a DC connecting point operably connected to the respective transmission link; and a control system, where a network side converter is designated as a first converter, and the control system is configured to operate each first converter as a DC slack bus to vary a DC voltage at its DC connecting point.

A method and apparatus for start-up of a voltage source converter (VSC) which is connected to an energized DC link (DC+, DC&#x2212;). The VSC is connected to a first AC network via a first transformer and an AC isolation switch, the AC isolation switch being coupled between the first transformer and the AC network. The method involves using an auxiliary AC power supply to generate an AC supply to energize the first transformer with the AC isolation switch open. The VSC is then started, with a VSC controller using the AC supply generated by the auxiliary AC power supply as a reference for controlling the VSC. The auxiliary AC power supply may also be used to supply power to at least one VSC load, such as the controller and/or an auxiliary load such as a cooling system. Once the VSC is started the isolation switchcan be closed.

Growing community of inventors

Stafford, United Kingdom

Robert Stephen Whitehouse