Unified Power Flow Model for Bipolar HVDC Grids in Unbalanced Operation

Abstract: In the near future, point-to-point High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) systems are expected to evolve into multi-terminal and meshed HVDC grids, predominantly adopting a bipolar HVDC configuration. Normally, bipolar HVDC systems operate in balanced mode, i.e., near zero current flows through metallic or ground return. However, bipolar HVDC systems can also be operated in an unbalanced mode in case of a single converter pole or line conductor outage. A steady-state analysis of the unbalanced DC network requires solving a power flow problem including various converter control modes, as the steady-state behavior of the converters is governed by their control modes. This paper presents a comprehensive and unified power flow model for the balanced and unbalanced operation of bipolar HVDC grids, including various converter control modes on the AC and DC sides of the converter, in a hybrid AC/DC system. It extends the basic control modes, developed for monopolar HVDC grids, to support the balanced as well as unbalanced operation of bipolar HVDC grids. Additionally, an AC-droop control, which defines a droop relationship between voltage magnitude and reactive power at the AC side of the converter, is incorporated into the modeling of bipolar HVDC systems. The functionality of the proposed model is demonstrated through a test case, and the power flow results are validated using PSCAD simulations. The impact of converter control modes on post-contingency system states is also investigated for single-pole contingencies. The proposed model is implemented as an open-source tool in the Julia/JuMP framework, where larger test cases demonstrate the robustness of the model and tool.