Typical Approach & Practical Case Studies

of DC Insulator Dimensioning for

AC to DC Line Conversion

ANDREAS DERNFALK
 Typical Approach & Practical Case
Studies of DC Insulator Dimensioning for
AC to DC Line Conversion

Andreas Dernfalk Jan Lundquist Igor Gutman

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 Very few data available
12 STRI involved projects / 3 published (2007-2015)

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Recent CIGRE TB 583

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 Introduction
+ Potential major gain in capacity (no stability
constraints and comparatively high voltage levels)
+ Short lead times compared to building new lines
+ Support of AC system from VSCs

- Cost of converter stations

- Requirements on DC insulators in polluted areas

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 Case examples 1(3)
Parameter Line A Line B Line C Line D Line E
Voltage 132 kV 220 kV 220 kV 400 kV 400 kV
Phase conductor
26,7 mm 36,2 mm 21,6 mm 32,9 mm 31,7 mm
diameter
Number of
1 1 2 3 2 or 3
subconductors
Subconductor
- - 450 mm 450 mm 450 mm
spacing
Phase spacing 5,2 m 10,0 m 6,85 m 9,1 m 9,0 m
Insulator type 10xU80 10xU160BLP 12xU120 21xU160BS 16xU210
Insulation length 1,300 m 1,700 m 1,752 m 3,066 m 2,720 m
Maximum conductor
40 °C 40 °C 70 °C 80 °C 50 °C
temperature

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 Case examples 2(3)

Line A, 132 kV Line B, 220 kV Line C, 220 kV

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 Case examples 3(3)

Line D, 400 kV Line E, 400 kV

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Evaluation of conversion options
• Maximum thermal power capacity
• Maximum DC voltage determined by
• Required insulator length
• Required conductor clearance to ground
• Recommended corona and field effect limits
• Maximum DC current determined by
• Maximum allowed conductor temperature
• Required conductor clearance to ground

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 Insulator dimensioning
• Replacement of existing cap&pin insulators
• Corrosion under DC voltage
• Ion migration
• Pollution flashover performance
• Optimal use of available space
• Statistical method for dimensioning
• Composite insulators
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 Statistical dimensioning
Environment
Insulator Selection Tool - IST
Insulator type
Number of insulators

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Pollution severity along line routes
• ESDD under AC estimated based on
• Environmental descriptions – IEC 60815
• Design of existing AC lines – IEC 60815
• Statistical evaluation of existing AC lines (IST)
• ESDD under DC estimated according to Cigré TB
518 (based on ESDD under AC)

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 Required DC insulator length
• Length calculated for using IST
• Estimated ESDD under DC
• NSDD = 0,1 mg/cm2
• No. of pollution events
• No. of insulators in parallel
• Acceptable MTBF = 20 years/pole
Required insulator length, (m/100 kV DC)
Insulator type Type A Type B Type C Type D Type E
132 kV 220 kV 220 kV 400 kV 400 kV
Cigré DC
1,41 0,85 0,83 0,83 0,82
composite
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 Corona and field effects
• Audible noise
• Highest levels in fair weather
• Maximum recommended 50% level is 40 dBA
• Calculated 50% level in fair weather using the BPA formula
• Electric field and ion current
• No induction effects (not harmful but annoying)
• Maximum recommended levels 25-40 kV/m / 100 nA/m²
• Calculated 10% levels in fair weather and no-wind conditions using the
AnyPole program
• Radio interference
• Corona loss
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 Optimal line configurations for
conversion to DC
• Constraints on DC voltage and current:
• Maximum allowable conductor temperature
• Required insulator length
• Required ground clearance
• Recommended limits on corona and field effects (audible noise,
E-field and ion current density…)
• Calculation of maximum DC power capacity under the above
constraints
• Comparison with thermal capacity of existing AC lines
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 Attainable capacities
Maximum
Conductor Total
Voltage level power
Line Operation temperature capacity
(kV) capacity
(°C) increase (%)
(MW)
AC 135 40 150
A 93
DC ±140 80 290
AC 230 40 390
B 144
DC ±300 80 950
AC 230 70 390
C 62
DC ±250 80 630
AC 410 80 2090
D 9
DC ±350 80 2270
AC 410 50 600
E, twin bundle 142
DC ±350 80 1450
AC 410 50 900
E, tripple bundle 176
DC ±400 80 2480

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 Cost per tower
Estimates based on modification of 1000 towers
Labour cost Equipment cost Material cost Total cost
Tower type
(EUR) (EUR) (EUR) (EUR)
Line A 2000 750 5780 8530
Line B 6000 670 7550 14220
Line C 2000 760 7440 10200
Line D 2000 220 1670 3890
Line E 6000 670 15220 21890

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 Summary
• The potential gain in thermal capacity may vary significantly
• The design finally selected for conversion is influenced by a set of
boundary conditions including amongst others: original OHL design
and allowed degree of altering, pollution level and associated
performance requirements, thermal rating, losses, costs of
conversion etc.
• Feasibility of potential conversion project has to be studied
case by case

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