Title:

Reactive Power Planning of a Voltage Source Converter in the Manitoba Hydro System

Date:

Tuesday, October 22, 2013 at 12:00 noon.

Location:

Holiday Inn South, 1330 Pembina Highway, Winnipeg

Speaker:

Ioni Fernando, PhD, PEng

Abstract:

Manitoba hydro has committed to considering Voltage Source Converters (VSC) for the Bipole III application. Bipole III transmission project calls for a leap in the voltage and power ratings of the VSC technology. However, VSC technology offers many advantages. Its appeal for MH is in the reactive power support that in turn reduces the breaker ratings at the Dorsey bus due to the elimination of the synchronous condensers.

Although the VSCs can provide reactive power capability, techniques and methods of optimally sizing it are not well understood. Manitoba Hydro’s unique system with weak inertia and weak short circuit capacity brings additional challenges.

An optimally designed VSC in the Manitoba Hydro system should be able to aid the multi infeed system through all transients without compromising its own power delivery at full capacity. It should also not result in any violations in voltage and frequency during transient events and it should limit the short circuit levels at the Dorsey bus to the industry maximum for outdoor circuit breakers.

Determining the optimal reactive power capability of a VSC that would meet these stringent requirements of the Manitoba Hydro system is a complex engineering task. This presentation will summarize the studies carried out to assess the reactive power requirements of the VSC in the Bipole III application. In addition, a novel approach to determining the reactive power rating of the VSC, based on maintaining an acceptable MIESCR (Multi-infeed Interactive Effective Short Circuit Ratio) at the Line Commutated Converters of the Manitoba Hydro three-bipole multi infeed HVdc system will be presented.

Speaker Bio:

Dr. Ioni Fernando is currently a planner in the HVdc section of the System Planning Department, in Manitoba Hydro. Over the last ten years she has been a contributor to the planning process of the Bipole III project through specialized studies.

Dr Fernando has been a working group member of numerous international professional groups including the B4-41 that completed a comprehensive Planning Guide for Multi-Infeed HVdc systems. Currently she is a member of the Cigre working group B4-64 “Impact of AC System Characteristics on the Performance of HVdc Schemes”. She has also contributed to the latest release of the EPRI HVdc handbook.

Ioni holds a B.Sc (Eng) Degree with first class honours from the University of Moratuwa in Sri Lanka and Ph.D. from the University of Manitoba, Canada. She is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Manitoba and a Professional Engineer in the province of Manitoba.

Cost and Registration:

  • Cash bar available at Noon.
  • Lunch served at 12:15 PM.
  • Meeting concluded at 1:30 PM.
  • Cost of the meal (payable at the door).

Early Registration (On or before May 24, 2013)

  • IEEE Members – $16.00
  • Non-Members – $20.00

Late Registration (After May 24, 2013)

  • IEEE Members – $18.00
  • Non-Members – $22.00

The IEEE PES Winnipeg Chapter must guarantee a minimum attendance to the hotel, so please take a moment to register early by RSVP to Kang Liu by Friday Noon, October 18th, 2013, in one of the following ways: