Minimization of steady-state losses in meshed networks using VSC HVDC

The scene of electric power systems has changed drastically and will continue to do so in the years to come. Causes of this evolution are the liberalization of the electricity markets and the increased use of intermittent renewable energy. Uncertainty in the transmitted power and congestion of the lines raise the need for new technologies. High voltage direct current (HVDC) is one of these emerging technologies that may have a major impact, and more specifically voltage source converter (VSC) HVDC. The main part of this paper is to verify the feasibility, technical as well as economic, of VSC HVDC on loss minimization in meshed networks. The losses of the different components of a VSC HVDC link are studied and the impact of the installation on overall system losses in meshed networks is verified through simulations. Simulations are performed on two networks: the small IEEE 14 bus network and the larger IEEE 118 bus network. The networks are investigated in their original state and in a state of increased loading. Finally, an economic analysis is performed to investigate the economic feasibility of VSC HVDC on loss reduction in meshed networks.