The US National Committee of CIGRE, among others, will be sponsoring a colloquium on HVDC and power electronic systems from March 7-9 in San Francisco, California.

High Voltage DC (HVDC) systems and power electronic applications for AC systems, so-called Flexible AC Transmission Systems or FACTS, have found early application in power systems in the Western regions of the United States. The latest development of a DC link using extruded dielectric submarine cables and voltage source converters has recently been put into operation in the San Francisco area. It is expected that more such systems will be needed to transfer large amounts of wind, solar and power from other remote sources, some off-shore, to load centers.

This colloquium is intended for engineers involved with power transmission issues, regulators and other with an interest in electric energy generation and transmission. It should be of high interest to those involved with issues related to how to transfer power effi ciently and economically over long distances from remote locations to load centers.

The Colloquium will cover a range of topics encompassing the challenges transmission networks are presently facing or are likely to face in the future, and the role HVDC and power electronics will play in meeting those challenges. The colloquium program will cover the following topics:

HVDC Conversion Systems

Advances in voltage source converter (VSC) technologies

• Multi-modular converter (MMC) designs

• Pulse width modulation (PWM) converter designs

• Efficiency of MMC and PWM converter systems

Overhead versus underground power transmission using VSC systems – system design considerations

VSC for conversion of AC lines to DC – multi-terminal and tapping aspects

AC Applications

Power electronic systems for AC line applications

Wind power from remotely located wind power plants using series compensated ac systems

Overhead Lines

Electrical Performance of existing DC Lines

Thermal loading of lines; limiting factors

Maximizing utilization of existing lines

Techniques for improving power fl ow distribution – Cost v. Benefit

Conversion of AC lines to DC – Pros & Cons

Regulatory barriers to increasing power fl ow on exiting lines

Cable Applications

Long distance underground transmission DC cables

Applications for HVDC cable systems

• Connection to load centers

• Submarine cable installations

• DC land cables

• Dual AC/DC cable designs

AC or DC connections to off-shore renewable energy power plants or other platforms

DC High Temperature Superconducting Cable (HTSC) technologies

Technical Visit

Technical Visit arranged by Siemens on Friday March 9, 2012 to the San Francisco converter station terminal of the Trans Bay Cable Project

DC Grid Tutorial: HVDC Grid Fundamentals

HVDC Grids are discussed as the need for transmitting more power increases. The Tutorial will inform about the work that has been done by the Working Group B4-52 performing an HVDC grid feasibility study. The state of the art regarding the technology of HVDC grids will be presented