Series Compensation (SC)

Description: Series compensation is defined as insertion of reactive power elements into

transmission lines and provides the following benefits:

Reduces line voltage drops Limits load-dependent voltage drops Influences load flow in parallel transmission lines Increases transfer capability Reduces transmission angle Increases system stability For these tasks, Siemens offers various solutions that have already been proven in numerous applications. Applications are the Fixed Series Capacitor (FSC), the Thyristor Controlled Series Capacitor (TCSC) and the Thyristor - Protected Series Capacitor (TPSC).

Details :
The task of series compensation is to reduce the transmission lines inductivity. This means, that the line length is "virtually" shortened. As a consequence, the transmission angle is reduced and thus the power transfer can be increased without reduction of the system stability.

In the table the impact on the short-circuit level, the transmission phase angle and the voltage after load rejection are shown. Applications for each type of series compensation are included.

Applications
Series compensation makes use of capacitors, reactors or power electronic devices offering high flexibilty. Depending on the application three different types of Series Compensation are provided. The most common application is the Fixed Series Capacitor (FSC). Thyristor-Valve Controlled Systems (TCSC) and Thyristor-Valve Protected Systems (TPSC) may also be installed.

Fixed Series Capacitor (FSC)

The simplest and most cost-effective type of series compensation is provided by Fixed Series Capacitors (FSCs). FSC installations are protected against overvoltages using MOVs and self/forced triggered gaps. Due to its benefits like Increase in transmission capacity and Reduction in transmission angle Fixed series compensation is a proven solution to optimize power transmission. FSCs comprise the actual capacitor banks and parallel arresters (metal oxide varistors, MOVs), spark gaps, and a bypass switch. Surge arresters, spark gaps and bypass switch have a protecting function in a Fixed Series Capacitor bank installation. The bypass switch protects the spark gap which defends the arrester from excessive energy absorption. The surge arresters in turn protect the capacitor from overvoltages during and after transmission system failures. Three highvoltage switches serve to integrate the FSC into and isolate it from the transmission line (e.g., for maintenance purposes). A damping circuit is connected in series with the triggered spark gap and is not always stressed by the ac-line current. In parallel to the spark gap the bypass-breaker is located to provide current commutation for times when the current capability of the Spark gap or MOV is exceeded.During internal faults (faults occuring on the HV-line to which the capacitor bank is connected to) the spark gap and the bypass-breaker are allowed to operate and to protect capacitor and MOV from overload. In some cases a MOV only protection scheme is used (i.e. no spark gap) however this usually requries a much higher MOV energy which is more costly than a Spark Gap Solution. A typical single line diagram for a FSC is shown below.

Thyristor Controlled Series Capacitor (TCSC)

Reactive power compensation by means of TCSCs can be adapted not only to brand-new installations but also be implemented in a wide range of existing systems. The TCSC provides, in addition to the conveniences of a conventional Fixed Series Compensation, some further benefits. It also controls the current and thus the load flow in parallel transmission lines, which simultaneously improves system stability. Further applications for TCSC include power oscillation damping and mitigation of subsynchronous resonance (SSR), which is a crucial issue in case of large thermal generators. Local mitigation of subsynchronous resonance (SSR) permits higher levels of compensation in networks where interactions with turbine-generator torsional vibrations or with other control or measuring systems are of concern. Damping of electromechanical (0.5-2 Hz) power oscillations often arises between areas in a large interconnected power network. These oscillations are due to the dynamics of interarea power transfer and often exhibit poor damping when the aggregate power transer over a corridor is high relative to the transmission strength. A typical single line diagram of a TCSC is shown in the figure below.

Thyristor Protected Series Capacitor (TPSC)

When direct-light-triggered thyristors are used, there is no need to install conventional spark gaps or surge arresters. Due to the very short cooling times of the light-triggered thyristor valves, thyristor protected series capacitors can be quickly returned to service after a failure, allowing the transmission lines to be utilized to their maximum capacity. TPSCs are the first choice whenever transmission lines must be returned to maximum carrying capacity as quickly as possible after a failure.

Static Var Compensator (SVC "Classic")

Description: A SVC (Static Var Compensator) is a high voltage system that controls
dynamically the network voltage at its coupling point. Its main task is to keep the network voltage constantly at a set reference value.

Some other control features are: voltage control reactive power control damping of power oscillations unbalance control The design and layout of a SVC system is always tailored to the specific project requirements.

Details:
The picture above shows the principle topology of a SVC coupled to the network via a high voltage transformer. On the secondary side there is an arrangement of usually 2 or more parallel branches. The following 3 principle branch types are available:

TCR : Thyristor Controlled Reactor for linear injection of inductive reactive power

TSC : Thyristor Switched Capacitor for stepwise injection of inductive reactive power Filter: Tuned filter capacitor for fixed capacitive reactive power and harmonic filtering Number and type of selected branches depend on the specific application and are project tailored. The most simple configuration is a TCR/Filter combination. The reactive power is changed by switching or controlling these reactive power elements connected to the secondary side of the transformer. Thyristor valves act as extremely fast switches. Each capacitor bank is switched ON and OFF by thyristor valves (TSC). Reactors can be either switched (TSR) or controlled (TCR) by means of thyristor valves. The system ratings of SVCs are: Typical voltage levels: approx. 33 < kV < 800 Typical overall ratings: approx. 40 < MVAr < 800

SVC PLUS (VSC Technology)

Description:

Fundamental changes are affecting the power industry. Markets are being deregulated and liberalized, urbanization is continuing around the world accompanied by a constantly growing demand for energy, and renewable energy sources are playing an increasingly important role. One of Siemens solutions to cope with these new challenges and to improve dynamic stability and power quality of power systems in a new, highly economical manner is SVC PLUS (Static Var Compensation) for Reactive Power Compensation.

Details: The SVC PLUS is an advanced STATCOM (Static Synchronous Compensator).

By using the Voltage-Sourced Converter (VSC) technology based on the Siemens Modular

Multilevel Converter (MMC) design (refer to Converter) it offers high economical and technical flexibility by its modular and containerized design.

Compact and adaptable, an ideal solution when space is limited and costly. Due to the MMC technology, the degree of harmonic generation emission is quite small. High frequency noise is absorbed by small standardized high-frequency blocking filters, resulting in an SVC design which is practically independent from individual network impedances. It provides operational advantages like minimized maintenance and service requirements, network stabilization, excellent undervoltage performance and high dynamic performance by a very fast response time. It reaches a very high level of system availability, thanks to the redundancy of power modules. From 25 MVAr to 50 MVAr, all of the main equipment, including the IGBT converter, the control and protection system and the converter cooling system of the SVC PLUS, is installed in a containerized solution and factory pretested, ready for grid connection at site. For indoor installations, converter modules with 100 MVAr are available. Parallel operation of converter modules is also possible, resulting in higher ratings. The footprint of an SVC PLUS installation is smaller than a conventional SVC installation of the same rating, up to 50% .

SVC PLUS offers a multitude of benefits:

Improved dynamic stability of transmission systems Increased power quality; reduction in risk of voltage collapse and blackout Highly efficient flicker reduction in industrial applications Low harmonic generation and low noise emissions, thanks to the use of MMC (Modular Multilevel Converter) technology Minimized engineering efforts due to standardized component design Fast, efficient, modular, and cost-effective solution

Applications:

Power producers and system operators all over the world are faced with increasing demands for bulk power transmission, low cost power delivery, and high system security. At the same time, congestion and bottlenecks cause limitations in power transmission.

SVC PLUS provides a solution to such problems whenever they occur. SVC PLUS can be customized to individual reactive power demands: Three standardized pre-engineered configurations covering SVC PLUS S (+/-25 MVAr), SVC PLUS M (+/-35 MVAr), or SVC PLUS L (+/-50 MVAr) are available as containerized solutions, and up to four of these units can be configured as a system operating in a fully parallel manner. Transformerless solutions are available up to 36 kV. For higher system voltages, standard AC transformers are used. This modular concept makes SVC PLUS uniquely adaptive without compromising on performance, construction time, and cost-effectiveness. For indoor installations, converter modules with approximately 100 MVAr are available. In addition, hybrid solutions with mechanically switched capacitors (MSC) or reactors (MSR) are available, to expand the power range further. It can be either used for utility applications, grid access, mobility applications and industrial applications.