SHARING ALSTOM GRID INNOVATION & PRACTICES · PDF fileShARING ALSTOM GRId INNOvATION &...

hinkgridtSHARINGALSTOM GRIDINNOVATION & PRACTICES

#09

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SMART GRIDA step change in the electricity industry

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dATeS For your diAry

18 261

JAnUArY 18–22, 2012MuMBAi, indiAElecrama 2012

Elecrama is one of the world’s largest electrical t&d exhibitions. it offers an international framework for display, discussion and deliberation among the global t&d fraternity of business people, thought leaders and technologists from utilities, industry and academia. it includes a conference on Smart gridsplus technical tutorials, workshops and panel discussions.

24 236

JAnUArY 24–26, 2012 SAn AnTonio, uSAdistributECh

this annual conference and exhibition is claimed to be the power industry’s leading transmission and distribution event. in 2012, it will boast 13 conference tracks, over 300 speakers and some 350 exhibitors. the themes will include Smart grids, automation and control, energy effi ciency, renewable energy integration, t&d system operation and reliability, and more.

MArCh 6–8, 2012nureMBerG, GerMAnyCiPS 2012

this will be the 7th CiPS international conference on integrated power electronics systems. CiPS is an iEEE-sponsored technical and scientifi c forum for engineers involved in system and component development, reliability engineering and research. this year it will focus on mechatronic integration, hybrid system and ultra-high power density integration, and systems and components reliability.

FEBrUArY 1–3, 2012JyvÄSkyLÄn, FinLAndinternational Exhibition of Electricity, telecommunications, Light and Audio Visual

this is the largest and most traditional electrical industry exhibition in Finland. it will showcase a wide range of new products and services in all four sectors of the industry. it will also feature a series of lectures and seminars.

APriL 23–24, 2012BirMinGhAM, ukdPSP 2012

this, the 11th international conference on developments in power system protection, is aimed at academics, industry and business leaders to share knowledge on power systems protection and control systems. it includes technical presentations, workshops, power sessions and networking opportunities. the overriding theme this year is “Protecting the Smart grid”.

MArCh 26–29, 2012JohAnneSBurG, SouTh AFriCAPower & Electricity World Africa

the coming edition of Africa’s largest power & electricity conference and exhibition will focus on future trends, smart t&d and energy effi ciency, as well as the integration of new technology into the grid, with special attention to Africa’s power capacity. the exhibition is complemented by 50+ seminars and seven conferences (clean technology, bio-energy, etc.).

A view of Johannesburg, South Africa, at night from the Carlton tower

in central downtown Joburg. Christmas Market in Nuremberg, Germany.Night skyline of San Antonio, Texas, USA.

Contents #09 Winter 2011

Alstom Grid///Winter 2011 2

Smart products& services

A prize-winning breakthrough:by-pass switch for hVdC applications

Dr Richardcharnah,publisher

ShARING ALSTOM GRId INNOvATION & PRACTICES – Published by Alstom Grid 51 esplanade du Général de Gaulle - 92907 La défense Cedex - France. www.alstom.com/grid - Print run: 15,000 copies (Chinese, English, French, German, Spanish) - Publishers: Peter kirchesch, Richard Charnah - Editor in chief: véronique Chauvot - Editorial board: Philippe Ponchon, Milan Saravolac, François Gallon, Greg Manning - Concept and design: BythewayCreacom - 19 rue Galilée, 75116 Paris - France - Tel.: +33 (0)1 53 57 60 60 -www.bythewaycreacom.net - Editorial executive: henry Lewis Blount - Publication manager: Pauline Ouin - Contributors: henry Lewis Blount, ken kincaid, Patrick Love, Louis-Antoine Mallen – Copy editor: Ginny hill - Art director: didier Trayaud - Computer graphics artist: david Lory – Photo credits: Éric Lamperti/Alstom, Bouygues Immobilier, Port of Antwerp, Centre de Presse-Monaco 2010, Landsnet, Alamy/Photo 12, Graphic Obsession, Michel Tcherexkoff/Getty Images, Pavel Gaul/Getty Images, Roger Tully/Getty Images - Printing: Lecaux. ISSN: 2102-0175. A special thanks to the companies that kindly provided us with their illustrations.

hinkgridt Respecting the environmentSmart grid: A step change in the electricity industry

06How green is my factory?

Interview with Vincent Maret 08

Innovation & performance

A clean, flexible shore-to-ship power solution

Electricity Lore HVDC in the making

46

5 FOrEWOrd By Stéphan Lelaidier: R&D Vice-President, Alstom Grid

6 PAnOrAMA How green is my factory?

8 intErViEW With… Vincent Maret of the corporate Research & Innovation department ofBouygues,thediversified French industrial group

11 MAIN FEATURE Pushing the frontiers of electricity technology

12 Chapter i respecting the environment Smart Grid: a step change in the

electricity industry

23 Chapter ii innovation & performance Aclean,flexibleshore-to-ship power solution

33 Chapter iii Smart products & services A prize-winning breakthrough: by-pass switch for HVDC applications

44 CrOSS-PErSPECtiVES The market for electrical engineers

46 ELECtriCitY LOrE HVDC in the making

50 FUrthEr rEAding Books, newspapers, etc.

51 dAtES FOr YOUr diArY Don’t miss...

4 Alstom Grid///Winter 2011

Think Grid



Electrical networks need to be prepared to accommodate changes in generation mix and loadprofilesintermsofreliability,efficiency,sustainabilityandaffordability.Thisisnota new message; it will, however, remain valid for the future.

Today,wearewitnessingasignificantchangeinthegenerationmixinseveralregionsof the world. It is mainly driven by actions to reduce CO2 emissions, resulting in the introductionofmorerenewableenergysources.Theloadprofileswillalsoundergochanges, allowing the consumer to become a much more active participant than today.

The technological solution to cope with many of these changes is often called the “Smart Grid”.ASmartGridcanbedefinedasan“electricitynetworkthatcanintelligentlyintegratethe behaviour and actions of all users connected to it – generators, consumers and those thatdoboth–inordertoefficientlydeliversustainable,economicandsecureelectricitysupplies1.”

This issue of Think Grid will focus on the strategy and technological solutions to bring about Smart Grids as seen by Alstom.

Enjoy your reading.

1 Definition according to the “European Technology Platform for the Electricity Networks of the Future”.

FOREwORdBy Stéphan Lelaidier: R&D Vice-President, Alstom Grid

We are witnessing a significant change

in the power generation mix

S A L e S S n A p S h O T S

uSAEnergy market software solutionAlstom Grid will supply Southwest Power Pool Inc. (SPP) with its e-terramarket suite to launch SPP’s new Integrated Marketplace. The solution will enable SPP to optimise energy costs, share reserves within its territory and better manage the increase of renewable sources in the grid. The contract also includes e-terrasettlements to help manage the complex fi nancial calculations needed.

MALTAThe Malta-Sicily undersea linkIn partnership with Nexans, Alstom Grid has won a turnkey contract for an hvAC submarine interconnector between Malta and Sicily. At the Malta end, Alstom Grid will supply a compact 220/132 kv gas-insulated substation, including transformers, switchgear, protection and control kit, and civil works. At the Sicily end Alstom Grid will reinforce the existing substation to enable it to support the interconnection.

SweDenConnecting the “South West Link”The Swedish transmission system operator Svenska kraftnät has called on Alstom Grid to install a new 420 kv substation in Barkeryd in southern Sweden. It is to be the northern connection point for the hvdC “South west Link” transmission network by connecting the hvdC converter station to the Swedish backbone grid. The project is due for completion end 2013.

GeRMAnyPower quality and voltage stabilitywith a rapid increase of renewable energy from on- and offshore wind farms, the German energy landscape is changing. Transmission distances are expanding, and the additional load means the networks need reinforcing. Alstom Grid will deliver two 300 MvAr reactive power compensation systems for the 380 kv substation in Bürstadt, a turnkey solution using mechanically switched capacitor banks in conjunction with a damping network.

AuSTRALIATo meet increasing energy demandTransGrid, Australia’s largest electricity transmission provider, has ordered hv substations from Alstom Grid, to be delivered to New South wales in 2013. One project, in the centre of Sydney, includes three gas-insulated substations, three air-insulated substations and three air-cored series reactors. Further afi eld, another 132 kV air-insulated substation will support increasing energy demand, mainly due to mining activity.

China June 2011

how green is my factory?SEC Alstom (Wuhan) transformers Co., Ltd.,a joint venture of Alstom grid and the Shanghai Electric group (SEC), recently won the investment Association of China’s 2011 national investment Projects Excellence Award. this is the company’s second such success, after receiving a 2009 Leadership in Energy & Environmental design (LEEd) certifi cate from the US Green Building Council.

The Chinese award recognises the successful operationoftheworld’sfirst“green”transformer plant. Right from its inception, the Wuhan transformer factory aimed to be a benchmark in environmentally conscious plant design and management. The Wuhan plant’s green initiatives include the use of environmentallyfriendlymaterialsforofficeandfactory construction, solar energy for exterior lighting, and recycled waste steam for heating. Carbon emissions are minimised by the absence of boilers or diesel generators, and a rainwater harvesting system saves water.

The SEC Alstom Wuhan facility is one of the most advanced Ultra High Voltage transformer manufacturing sites in the world. It designs, manufactures and tests Ultra High Voltage Alternating Current (UHVAC) transformers up to 1,200 kV and High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) transformers up to 1,100 kV. In addition, in 2010, Alstom Grid transformers from Germany won the “green innovation” award at the Alstom “I Nove You” awards for their reduced noise levels and hermetically sealed tank using ester oil as insulator to replace mineral oil.

PAnorAMA



1,200

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Year1910 1930 1950 1970 1990 2010

1911 1952 1960 1965 1969 1985 1988 1993 2009 20121929 1932

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GERMANY

GERMANY

110 kVLauchhammer – Riesa

CANADA

735 kVMontreal – Manicouagan

CHINACHINACHINACHINA

1,100 kVJindongnan – Jingmen

INDIA

1,200 kVBina

USA

765 kVBroadford – Marquis

220 kVBrauweiler – Ludwigsburg

SWEDEN

USA

110 kVLauchhammer – Riesa

287 kVBoulder Dam – Los Angeles

380 kVHarsprånget – Halsberg

525 kVMoscow – Volgograd

“electric power transmission” means the transfer of electrical energy from the point of generation to the point of consumption. Elec-trical transmission systems are more complex and dynamic compared with other utility systems such as water or gas. The power flowisfromthegenerationplantthroughtransformers, substations, transmission and distribution lines to the end consumer.Since the early part of the last century, elec-tricity has been transmitted at high voltages

(110 kV and above). Throughout the 20th century the voltage levels used for electric power transmission continually increased, andtheyarecontinuingtodoso.Thefirstmodern commercial installation (three-phase alternating current power transmission) at 110 kV was commissioned in Germany around 1910. The 380 kV level was reached forthefirsttimeinSwedenin1952.Inthe1960s, an 800 kV level system was installed in North America. Since then some installa-

tions above 1,000 kV have been commis-sioned, but not operated at this voltage level. Since 2009 China has been operating a 1,100 kV pilot installation, and India is going to complete a short 1,200 kV line next year.Since the origins of high voltage power transmission, Alstom Grid and its parent companies have always played a leading role in this technology and have installed numer-ous pioneering systems and equipment across the globe.

TIMELINEAC VOLTAGE LEVELS

I n f I G u R e S

inTerview wiTh…

Energy will be an absolutely key industry in the coming years.



Mr Maret, can you first give us an overview of your company, Bouygues?vincent Maret: Created by Francis Bouygues in1952,Bouyguesisadiversifiedindustrialgroup that started out as a construction company – buildings, property develop-ment and road construction. Since then, the company has branched out into the media industry, with a majority stake in TF1, France’s leading TV channel, and has becomeanoperatorinmobile,fixed,TVand Internet telecommunications. Today, we have 133,000 employees in more than 80 countries. Our 2010 revenues were around €31 billion. We also have a 30.74% stake in Alstom (at June 30, 2011) with a view to forging industrial partnerships, for example in transport infrastructure or power plant construction. This has led us to become active in the energy sector, especially new energies.

Sunset over Paris.A typical Paris scene,

weather permitting!The Bouygues head office at Avenue Hoche in Paris.

Why is Bouygues interested in Smart grids?v.M.: We believe that energy will be an absolutely key industry in the coming years. In fact, we expect a revolution in energy not unlike that of telecoms and IT a decade or so ago. With the reduction in energy produced from fossil fuel and the global concern for sustainability, not only will the cost of energy rise dramatically, there willalsobeasignificantchangeinenergymix. Much of the new energy will come from renewable sources which, by their nature, are variable; hence the need for Smart Grids.Smart Grids will help curb costs and decrease consumption – and that will demand more efficientbuildingsandmoreefficientroads.It will also demand education through TV programmes, for example. So we view the advent of Smart Grids as a great source of business opportunities for Bouygues. And it

will impact Bouygues’ partner, Alstom, even more. So we have a huge interest in Smart Grids as we design, build and even operate the cities of tomorrow.

What is your definition of an eco-city?v.M.: First, it must be a great place to live; an environmentally friendly community or neighbourhood that is not a bunker but connected to its surrounding territory throughavarietyofflowssuchasenergy,water, transport, etc. It is sustainable in that it produces as much energy as it con-sumes. Like the city of tomorrow, it should attract citizens and businesses and contribute to the territory of which it is a part.

What will be the eco-city impact on future Smart grid architectures?v.M.: This is a chicken-and-egg question! The eco-city concept that we have imagined has seven key inputs to urban planning:

vincent Maret of the corporate Research & Innovation department of Bouygues, thediversifiedFrenchindustrialgroup. Mr Maret talks about the advent of eco-cities.


border of Bouygues’ current business units and will give birth to new businesses and services. For example, with eco-cities we couldfindourselveshandlingenergygen-eration, storage and consumption at the neighbourhood level. No company was doing this until Bouygues and Alstom joined forces to create EMBIX. So eco-cities will affect our company at all levels and open up completely new opportunities.

What will be the advantages of eco-cities to your customers?v.M.: There is no short answer to this ques-tion. It depends on which customers. For the citizens, the advantages will consist in amoreefficientandpleasantlivingandworking environment. There will be bio-diversity space, work telecentres to man-age mobility, and hopefully energy cost savings. Above all, eco-cities will represent a positive change in life style.For B2B companies, the main change will be a short-term financial advantage through the savings in energy costs.For the local authorities, the prime advan-

energy, water, biodiversity, transport, recycling, buildings and services. Energy is a major pillar of the project, and the objective is that the eco-cities be energy responsible. This means producing non-CO2-emitting energy and creating energy storage facilities. This will have the effect of decentralising energy generation and changing the energy mix, so that the grid will look more like the Internet than today’s hierarchical structure. These are big changes that will spread across the planet and that eco-cities are bringing about.

What new business opportunities does Bouygues expect from eco-cities?v.M.: They will be huge. First, we will need to re-engineer our current businesses to embrace the major changes we predict. This particularly concerns all aspects of our con-struction business – architectural, planning, building and services. We are already seeing new trends in regulations, whereby all new buildings will have to have an energy plan and an energy scorecard. We have to design and construct these buildings – and help operate them by managing the scorecards. Sowewillbeshiftingsignificantlyfromaproduct business to a services business, much the way IBM did 15 years ago. Sec-ond, we are moving into uncharted territory with eco-cities, territory that is beyond the

tage will be the sustainability aspect. They willbenefitfrommoreefficientbuildings,which will allow them to lower their rental rates and offer better conditions for com-panies to set up shop. At the same time, theenergyefficiencyoftheeco-citywillreduce utility bills.Sotherearebenefitsforallconcerned.

Will the new architecture require major regulatory changes?v.M.: That depends on the country. Some countries are ahead of the pack. France, for example, has introduced regulations forthethermalefficiencyofbuildings.Also,France has a single incumbent utility, EDF, with a well-managed, centralised grid and a dominant source of energy, i.e. nuclear power. It will need to adapt to a more decentralised Smart Grid approach. In contrast, the USA has 3,000 utilities with different regulations, status and manage-ment systems. So while there is a huge demandforefficiency,theroadtoSmartGrids in the USA might be longer but needs are more pressing. Other countries, like China and India, have production issues to overcome, which have a considerable impact on energy prices. They therefore firsthavetoaddressthedemand/responsechallenge. Without Smart Grids, energy prices cannot be brought down to an acceptable level.

inTerview wiTh…

The SMART cITy

Eco-cities will represent a positive change in life style.

A mini-wind turbine farm

Urban lighting A dSO interface betweenthe power transmission grid operator and the distribution grid operator

integrated energy and transport systems

Biomass cogeneration (biomass with CO2 capture)

Solar panel farms

ProsumersEnergy management cockpit

Energy-positive buildings

Local energy storage

Source: Bouygues immobilier


Pushing the frontiers of electricity technology

12 Chapter I Respecting the environment

23 Chapter II Innovation and performance

33 Chapter III Smart products and services

MAin FeATure


Respecting the environmentthe environmentThe Smart Grid represents a major investment in technology, infrastructure and standards definition.Itisalsoahugeopportunity,notonlyfortheindustryandconsumers,butforplanetEarth. Eco-design is now looking at complete systems – not just individual products – to ascertain whereinthenetworkdesignimprovementscanbringthegreatestbenefits.Designinghighvoltage power equipment to meet stringent seismic requirements helps to assure safety and reliable service.

MAin FeATure ChAPTER I RESEARCh wITh AN EyE ON ThE FuTuRE



Smart GridA step change in the electricity industry

Around 50 billion devices of various kinds could potentially be connected to each other worldwide by 2020 according to one estimate.Eventhisfiguremayprovetobetoo conservative, given the 6 billion mobile phones in the world today. Electricity grids will be the foundation of this “constellation of microgrids”, supplying power to practi-cally all the other components in one form or another, but also exploiting the new possibilities that state-of-the-art informa-tion and communication technologies (ICT) offer. The sum of these possibilities is often called a “Smart Grid”, to manage the sys-tem-wide energy optimum through the coordinationofmicrogridoptima.Defini-tions vary, but broadly the term is used to describe electricity networks having bi-directionalcommunicationandpowerflow

capability from generation – conventional and renewable – to point of end-use: com-mercial, industrial and residential.The Smart Grid is both a driver and a prerequisite of the energy sector that is evolving in response to a number of forces.

In the traditional electricity industry, most energy is produced centrally by large gen-erators powered by fossil fuels and sent to customers who pay a single time-averaged

Future energy flows and communication will be bi-directional

– and a wide range of distributed generation types and sources will

feed energy into the transmission and

distribution network.

eneRGy ecOSySTeM fOR A SMART GRID

Smart Grids are key to transforming electricity grids to cope with growing demand, renewable intermittent and distributed generation, and environmental pressures. But there are challenges as well as opportunities.

retail price. Communication has always been a one-way process, with consumption forecastandreconciledfinanciallythroughmeter readings – done manually and indi-vidually – months after delivery. Today's means of energy production operate with an excessively high CO2 footprint. Under current trends, for example, annual CO2 emissions will grow from around 30 Gt at present to nearly 43 Gt in 2035, by which date global oil production may have peaked too. So the stakes are high.

Driving changeWith the Smart Grid, communication becomes multi-dimensional,withinformationflowingamong numerous devices, stakeholders and consumption points in real time. This will enable the entire system to operate

The Smart Grid is both a driver and a prerequisite of the energy sector.



more flexibly and facilitate thepenetration of low-carbon technologies such as electric vehicles. Smart Grids are also likely to drive deregu-lation forward, bringing electricity users advantages similar to those experienced in other areas such as communications. The priceofelectricityisalsolikelytofluctuatehour by hour or even minute by minute according to the availability of energy into the system.Renewables are part of the solution. Wind, solar, geothermal, tide and wave energy together will grow faster than any other source worldwide, at 7.2 percent per year to 2030. But the integration of renewables presents its own challenges, as Laurent Schmitt, Alstom Grid Vice-President for Smart Grid Solutions, outlines: “Solutions

for Smart Grids need to ensure reliability of supply whilst accommodating intermittence issues. Renewables have to be integrated in a consistent energy management system, whose role is to balance the entire trans-mission and distribution network through real-time, small-scale, distributed energy generation and storage facilities such as roof-top solar installations or plug-in elec-tric vehicles.”Smart Grids will improve the utilisation of network resources by giving customers the incentive to shift consumption to high energy-availability periods (off-peak or renewable peak periods). Improved network efficiencywillalsoreducetheneedfornewinfrastructure, especially in congested areas where costs – and public opposition – are escalating. Here, power electronics will help

Smart Grids are likely to drive deregulation forward.


increaseenergyflowdensityoverexistingcapacity. Smart Grids will also improve broadersystemefficiencybyfacilitatingincreased integration of networks across regions or countries. For regions covering different time zones and climates, Smart Grids will dramatically improve the balance between energy consumption and

renewable generation, thusenhancingnetworkefficiency.Similaropportunities exist in North America where most grid infrastructure is regionalised. Apartfromeconomicbenefits,SmartGridswill facilitate the development of large-scale zero-carbon networks. Although electricity consumption represents only 17 percent of finalenergyusetoday,itleadsto40percentof global CO2 emissions, largely because almost 70 percent of electricity is produced from fossil fuels. Smart Grids will help to

halve this contribution, directly through improved efficiency of the grid system, and indirectly through support for electric vehicles and renewables.

Investment in technologiesSignificantinvestmentsare

requiredtofullybenefitfrom these technolo-gies. A fully functional Smart Grid in the US would require $338 to

$476 billion according to the Electric Power

Research Institute (EPRI). EPRIestimatesthebenefitsat$1.3

to $2 trillion. However, the sector has seen relatively low and falling R&D expenditure in recent years.The good news is that the technologies that will ultimately compose the Smart Grid do not all have to be deployed at the same time; the Smart Grid can be gradually rolled out over a period of years, even decades, with distributed renewable and electric vehicles providing the long-term momentum. Moreover, several technological components

of the Smart Grid already exist, so as Schmitt explains, “Alstom Grid’s approach is to identify and develop synergies between these critical component technologies. We have defined15criticalsmartsolutioninitiativescovering grid control rooms, digital substation solutions, and power electronics.”Alstom's Smart Grid activities cover tech-nologies across the value chain: power electronics including HVDC systems, FACTS, converters for renewables, static VAr com-pensators, and STATCOMs (substation automation solutions covering all protection and control for transmission and distribution applications, as well as control room IT).“Our aim is to provide smart solutions across a whole range of geographical scales, from substations, eco-districts and microgrids through smart cities to regional and

STAndArdiSATion in The uSA

In the United States, Alstom Grid's leading role is recognised in contributing to definingstandardsandapplying them. Dr Lawrence E. Jones, Alstom Grid’s Director of Regulatory Affairs, Policy and Industry Relations for North America, was appointed by the US Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to a three-year term on the newly formed Smart Grid Federal Advisory Committee (SGFAC) in 2010.

NIST supports one of the key roles in the development of the Smart Grid – bringing together utilities, regulators, manufacturers, consumers, energy providers and regulators to develop standards for interoperability. The NIST framework process is led by the Smart Grid Interoperability Panel (SGIP). The SGFAC provides guidance to NIST leadership for its present and future Smart Grid work, including the SGIP processes. In July 2011, the SGIP made thefirstsixentriesintoitsCatalog of Standards, a guide for all involved with

Smart Grid-related technology. In August 2011, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) decided it would not set a rule on Smart Grid standards but instead encourage the stakeholders to participate in the NIST interoperability framework process, which is now the basis for development of interoperability standards. With this FERC encouragement, greater utility participation in the SGIP activities will help obtain the appropriate level of “consensus” necessary for standards to be adapted and implemented by the industry.

M O R eDr Lawrence Jones

The Smart Grid can be gradually rolled out.



international networks.” In future, cities, renewable distributed energies and electric vehicles will have to be integrated through virtual energy communities to ensure energy is used as close as possible to where it is produced – avoiding congestion in upstream transmission grids. The Smart Grid will also become a backbone for integrating future electric transport systems to allow bi-directionalflowsofenergiesbetweenpub-lic transport infrastructure and utility grids.The new Alstom integrated Distribution Mana-gement System (iDMS) is a key IT platform tooptimiseenergyflowsattheheartofacity’sdistribution grid. “We offer connecting stations to the transmission grid, which may evolve to Voltage Source Converter (VSC)-based DC linkstomaximisegridflowdensityincriticalcorridors around large cities.”These examples illustrate the fact that the Smart Grid is not just about smart meters but much more about upstream communication, automation and energy management IT.

Standards: a vital elementIn addition, standards are crucial in integrating so many different types of equipment and uses across various grid-connecting entities – consumers, vehicles, buildings, renewable farms. They are also essential in achieving technology return on investment for utilities. “A common set of standards to ensure inte-roperability across the Smart Grid infrastruc-turewillunderpinmarketconfidenceinthesenew applications and stimulate utility invest-ment. Timing is a dilemma. If standardisation is premature, it could inhibit the adoption of later technologies; if it occurs too late, the costs of transition to the new standard would prevent the large-scale spread of technology.”

Moving forwardsSmart Grid solutions have been deployed in transmission grids over the past few years and are being expanded towards new distribution applications. The next steps – large-scale, end-to-end projects – will involve all energy operators and stakeholders. Alstom Grid has been developing a number of demonstration projects worldwide in part nership with govern-ments, utilities and industries. For example, the Fenix project is considered by the European Commissiontohavebeenafirstkeystepin

Standards are essential in achieving technology ROI.

Alstom Grid has been playing an active role in IEC standards developments, promoting a harmonised data model in line with IEC TC57 standards – 61850 and CIM. “A lot of work hasgoneintoIECstandardfieldadoption;it’simportant to complement them with new Smart Grid usage and accelerate the transition.” However, interoperability will bring new dif-ficulties.Whilegridcontrolsystemshavehistorically been isolated from public IT infra-structure, new customer connecting points will open new risks for cyber intrusion. Cyber-security is therefore a critical application for future Smart Grid systems.


In the coming decades, the car will no longer be just a means of transport, but will become a signifi cant element of energy storage in the Smart Grid scenario. Today, all car manufacturers are investing in electric vehicles – Citroën included. Here is Citroën's fi rst-generation C0 model.

this area. The TWENTIES project will pro-totype on-line stability management tools from Alstom Psymetrix and demonstrate critical technologies required to establish a pan-European hybrid DC and AC transmis-sion grid able to respond to the increasing shareofrenewablesby2020.ThePacificNorthwest Smart Grid demonstration project

in the US tests new-generation control room technologies to optimise grid infrastructure performance down to residential end-users. Here, Alstom Grid provides control tech-nologies allowing situational awareness, visualisation of renewable resources and real-time pricing information.Smart Grids will also affect how we trans-act energy when real-time interactions happen from all actors across the value chain. Schmitt concludes: “Smart Grids willbringenvironmentalbenefitsandgridefficiency,andstimulatetheintroductionof new electricity applications while main-taining grid reliability and resiliency. That's important for industry, customers and citizens alike.”

STAndArdiSATion For SMArT GridS

Alstom is active in several Smart Grid standardisation groups that are reviewing the mix of legacy and new technologies to be integrated into a common Smart Grid architecture.The IEC set up a Smart Grid Strategic Group in 2008. It has produced a roadmap and a list of some 100 relevant existing IEC standards including IEC61970 (CIM), IEC61850 (Substation Automation) and IEC/ TS 62351 (Security).The US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has issued a framework and roadmap for Smart Grid interoperability standards. IEEE has been working closely with NIST to develop a standards roadmap andconformancetesting/certificationframework for the Smart Grid. The European Commission has recognised the importance of Smart Grid development to Europe's economic future. It has established a Smart Grids Task Force and issued several mandates to European standards organisations. The European Telecommunication Standards Institute (ETSI) and the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardisation (CEN/CENELEC) are working together on Mandate M490 to cover Smart Grid needs for all industries. AfirstsetofSmartGridstandardsanda reference architecture will be available end 2012.

M O R eLaurent Schmitt

A fi rst set of Smart Grid standards will be available in 2012.



Eco-design has been around for a number of years. It was formalised by the World Busi-ness Council for Sustainable Development at the Rio summit in 1992. Eco-design means the integration of environmental considerations into product design and development with the aim of improving environmental performance throughout its whole life cycle: raw materials, manufac-ture, distribution, use, disposal – and all stages between, including transport.

eco-design A systems approach Eco-design has focused primarily on individual products to help improve their environmental performance. Alstom Grid has launched a “systems approach” aimed at minimising the ecological impact of entire electricity transmission systems.

destruction

raw material production

End of life

Use

recycling

SySTeM/pRODucT LIfe cycLe cOncepT


extension of the product approach, leading to a reduction in environmental impact of the whole system.”

A real caseA Life Cycle Assessment was carried out on an existing 765 kV AC transmission network in Venezuela to pinpoint the various sources of environmental burden (and subsequently to develop solutions to reduce them). “The big challenge in doing a transmission system LCA,” explainsHuet, “is collecting all the data from the equipment suppliers. The Venezuelan sys-tem was chosen because most of the major components came from Alstom Grid. So most of the data were easily gathered.”The results of the LCA show that for most indicators, the use phase (as opposed to the other phases: raw materials, manu-facturing, etc.) causes the greatest environ-mental impact. For example, this phase accounts for around 56 percent of the global warming potential and around 76 percent of the ozone depletion potential. “Analysis of the data also revealed that the energy losses in the transmission lines represent the dominating environ-mental burden during the use phase,” Huet

stresses. “This is 10 times the losses in the substations, and the conductors are the biggest culprits.”Though much smaller, energy losses in substationsarestillsignificantandemanatemostly from power transformers (61.9 percent of substations’ use phase) and shunt reactors (30.6percent).“Butwehavealsoidentifiedlosses (around 3 percent) in busbars and current transformers,” adds Huet. In addi-tion, circuit breaker SF6 emissions, even if only small, have a calculable global warm-ing impact.

Leveraging the information for eco-designThe availability of these data is the starting point for improving the ecological design of the system by eco-designing its compo-nent parts. This, in turn, involves attention

to the stages both downstream (end of life) and upstream of the use phase – namely materials production and manufacturing, as well as transport. Alstom Grid has already started this re-evalua-tion and redesign on a number of the products

in the transmission system to reduce the environmental impact highlighted by the LCA. “This effort is part of the company’s

A key component of eco-design is the Life

Cycle Assessment (LCA), which establishesanenvironmentalprofile

LCA produces an upfront evaluation of the potential ecological impact of a product or service. It has been applied to numerous products, within and beyond the energy sector. But, as Alstom Grid Research Engi-neer Isabelle Huet points out, “A single product alone cannot deliver electricity to users – the transmission system does that.” But the transmission system consists of a huge number of products. “That’s why a systems approach is needed, embracing theenvironmentalprofilesofallthediffer-ent components,” Huet says. “The eco-design of electrical systems is the natural

A systems approach embraces the environmental profi les of all components.

Alstom manufacture

new eco-designed gL 312 air-insulated switchgear.



eco-design policy,” Huet notes. “One of its purposes is to reinforce and improve the environmental performance of our products through an eco-design approach.”For example, the G-range of power trans-formers has been redesigned to be more compact. This reduces the need for mate-rials, packaging and transport. It also facilitates end-of-life dismantling. Surface treatments have also been eliminated, particularly hazardous substances such as cadmium and hexavalent chromium. Per-hapsmoresignificantly,oilconsumptionhas been reduced and, in particular, energy consumption improved.Similar efforts have been applied to theGL 312 circuit breaker. The energy needed to operate the device has been more than halved – from 3,500 Joules to 1,450 Joules, which decreased the consumption of elec-trical energy in the use phase and allows utilities to reduce the size of batteries for

the power supply. In addition, materials, weight and packaging have been reduced. Special attention has been paid to the global warming indicator, with the result that SF6 tightness has been enhanced to achieve optimum tightness of all pole columns with full SF6 pressure.Such redesign processes continue apace on other transmission system equipment. So also does the assessment work. “The substations in the Venezuelan network are air-insulated switchgear,” Isabelle Huet says. “Meanwhile, we have performed a comparative LCA on a 400 kV GIS to deter-mine which has the least environmental impact. And further investigation is pro-grammed to focus on the ecological effect of integrating state-of-the-art technology such as FACTS or to examine whether UHV transmission improves a system’s environmentalprofile.”Clearly,thereisplenty of opportunity for further improve-ment. The journey’s just begun.

An eXhAuSTive TooLBoX

“Alstom Grid’s ARC research centre in France has completed other complex assessments,” says Research Engineer Isabelle Huet. “For example, at the request of Swiss utility AXPO, we carried out an environmental comparison of three substation technologies for the planned Rüthi 380/220 kV substation. The alternatives were an AIS with Live Tank circuit breakers (AIS LT), an AIS with Dead Tank circuit breakers (AIS DT), and a GIS.” The study was performed according to the LCA method. Mostly because of energy losses, the power transformer of the Rüthi substation is dominant on most of the environmental issues. So in this case, differences of environmental impact are mainly explained by the SF6 content (advantage for AIS), by Joule losses in the busbar (advantage for GIS) and by the GIS building (advantage for AIS). Alstom Grid is continuing this work for customers or for its own divisions.“ARC is Alstom Grid’s eco-design competence centre and coordinates all eco-design activities within Alstom Grid. It focuses eco-design skills and provides a whole range of tools. This includes an eco-design roadmap, lists of prohibited substances, LCA tools, a detailedproductenvironmentalprofilemodel, a handbook, and an end-of-life manualofspecifications.Italsoembraces support services such as standards expertise, benchmarks, audits and much, much more.”

Dr Isabelle Huet

M O R e

LcA ReSuLTS Of A TOTAL TRAnSMISSIOn SySTeM

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EnVirOnMEntAL iMPACt indiCAtOrS the systems and products are evaluated against a selection of environmental impact indicators.the main indicators are:- global warming- Air acidifi cation- Ozone depletion- Air toxicity- Water toxicity- raw material

depletion- Energy depletion

- hazardous waste production

- Water depletion- Weight- Volume - Packaging - Joules effect losses

transport is part of the eco-design. Alstom grid new shipment cradles for gas-insulated busducts are re-usable and recyclable.


“Seismicqualificationofelectricalequipmentcan never be over-emphasised, since the consequences of failure of the structure and/or equipment due to a seis-mic event can be dramatic,” says Dr Xian Lu, Senior Research Technologist and Alstom Grid Expert. Failures may lead to problems such as the collapse of the equip-ment or damage to the whole electrical system. Alstom Grid builds and installs equipment and products all over the world, and many

countries, like Japan, China and parts of the United States, are less fortunate than Northern

Europe in terms of earth-quake activity. “Therefore, designing our products – particularly high voltage power equipment – to meet stringent seismic requirements is extremely important to ensure the equipment’s overall safety and continued functional-ity. But it is important not

to over-design, which would mean a waste of resources and impact on the environment.”

Depending on the seismic risk and the nature of the equipment, various solutions are possible to enhance seismic resilience and performance, such as specially stiffened orflexibledesigns,theuseofdampers,andso on. However, due to the complexity of electrical equipment and the interrelations that may arise between vibrational phe-nomena,carefulevaluationandverificationare necessary.

Is it safe?Seismic qualification is the process of demonstrating that the equipment functions safely and the robustness of the

A balancing act Seismic qualification of electrical equipment To qualify electrical equipment against stringent seismic standards, Alstom uses a mix of shake-table tests and simulations. The goal is to ensure that the equipment operates within allowable strengths and operational restrictions, without over-designing.

Meeting stringent seismic requirements is extremely important.

SeISMIc TeSTInG Of ThyRISTOR vALve MODuLeS



structure is maintained when – and after – they are subjected to a specified earthquake excitation. This process requires close co-operation between electrical and mechanical engineers. In general, seismic qualificationiscarriedoutbytestingonanearthquake shake table or by analysis of computer simulations. With advanced com-puting technologies, plus experience gained over the past decades, computer simulation using Finite Element Analysis (FEA) has become more and more widespread, par-ticularly for large or complex equipment and structuresthataredifficultandcostly–oreven impossible – to test on a shake table.Seismic loads all originate from ground motion, and the vibration energy is trans-ferred throughout the whole structure and equipment via the supports and connec-tions.“Soseismicqualificationinadesignprocess involves assessing the seismic requirement which describes the loads on the equipment, the structural characteristics of the equipment and the reaction of the equipmentunderthespecifiedseismicload-ing,” explains Lu. Seismic events are not regular; they are random, and they are all unique. However, the seismic requirement is generally described by the peak ground accelerations (PGA) and response spectra, which are usually defined in regional or international standards.

Static or dynamicWiththespecifiedseismicrequirement,the performance of the structure or equip-ment under seismic excitations can be evaluated by computer simulation. Differ-

ent approaches can be applied depending on the characteristics of the particular equipment or structure to be evaluated: static analysis, response spectrum dynamic analysis and time domain dynamic analy-sis. The choice between dynamic and static analysis methods depends on several fac-tors. Seismic vibrations are most damag-ing in the frequency range between 1 and 10 Hz, since they often match the natural frequencies of many structures and equip-ment. In this case, damping becomes the dominant factor of the structural responses, so the dynamic analysis method is neces-sary so that the damping can be effectively accounted for. On the other hand, the static coefficient method can be used for the analysis of a seismic-resistant design with natural frequencies well outside the 1-10 Hz range; it is easier and more economical to perform, but generally more conservative. “Ultimately, the reactions of the equipment in terms of stresses, strains or displace-ments are assessed to make sure they are within the allowable strengths and opera-tional limits,” concludes Lu. “Seismic qualificationanalysiswillalsoprovideinputfor redesign or improvement if any non-complianceisidentified.”

ShAke-TABLe TeST And CoMPuTer SiMuLATionoF The h400 vALve ModuLe

Over the past several years, Alstom Grid Research & Technology (ART) has beeninvolvedinseismicqualificationanalysis of power electronics systems for many projects, including the Ningdong-Shandong HVDC valvesfor China and the North Sea Wind FarmVSCstation.Onesignificantproject was the LingBao II thyristor valve composed of multiple H400 modules.Theseismicqualificationstudies started with exploratory sine sweep tests at the BEELAB Earthquake and Engineering Laboratory on an individual H400 thyristorvalvemoduletofindthemost damaging responses of the structure.Resultswereusedtorefinean FE model of the single-tier H400 module. The complete eight-tier valve was then fully modelled using the refinedFEmodeltoperformafrequency domain spectrum analysis applyingthespecifiedseismicresponse spectrum. From these analyses, input data were created to determine the required response spectra (RRS). The H400 module was then hard mounted on the shake table and underwent tri-axial seismic testing to 140 percent of the RRS. Both computer simulations and shake-table testing showed compliance to the IEEE 693-2000 standard.

Dr Xian Lu

M O R e

Seismic events are not regular; they are random and unique.

Valves Surge arrestors

ReQuIReD ReSpOnSe SpecTRuM AnALySIS fOR DISpLAceMenTS AnD STReSSeS


MAin FeATure ChAPTER II AhEAd OF OuR TIME

An innovative application of Alstom Grid technology is the powering of ships in harbour. It is economical and eminently ecological. Fault current limiters offer a number of advantages in energy transfer, voltage stability and design of transmission equipment. They are self regulating and fail-safe, too. Multiphysics simulation helps to develop and test virtual prototypes that would be expensive and time-consuming to build for real; it can test how a system will react to different forces acting simultaneously.

Innovation and performance



Air pollution from shipping is serious and growing. Many ships are powered by fuel that is over 3,000 times dirtier than car petrol, releasing oxides of sulphur, nitrogen and carbon as well as particulate matter. The EU requires vessels sailing in all inter-national waters to lower the sulphur con-tent of their fuel to 0.5 percent by 2020. In the low emission zones of the Baltic and North Seas the deadline is 20151.

There is a way of slashing emissions to zero – at least for some hours and days – through a practice known as alternative marine power (AMP), shore power, or cold ironing2. It involves powering docked ships from the local grid. Even today, most ves-sels at berth keep their engines running to operate lights, heating, refrigeration, etc., which causes considerable pollution. California’s Air Resource Board estimates

that ships at berth account for 70 percent of the total ambient air toxic risk. With shore power they generate neither emis-sions nor noise, because they shut down their engines – when in dock they receive all the power they need from a heavy plug-in extension cable running from a specially designed grid-connected transformer on the wharf into the ship’s onboard system. It is estimated that cold ironing could

A clean, fl exible shore-to-ship power solution

The fl exibility of Alstom Grid’s high voltage

solution for powering harboured

ships from onshore power sources will help ship owners

and harbours to cut emissions and fuel costs.

MV switchgear

Step-down transformer

Static frequencyconverter

Circuitbreaker andprotection

cubicleTransformer allowing

adaptation to the ship voltage level

Circuit breaker Cubicle Connection systemTransformer TransformerConverter

Ship connection system

Queen MARy 2



eliminate over 454 kg of a typical container ship’s NOx emissions, 32 kg of SO2, and 7 kg of particulate matter in a single 24-hour port call, as well as reducing its carbon emissions by 26 percent. Cold iron-ing also brings clear business advantages. Estimates show the kilowatt-hour cost of shore power to be 50 percent that of on-board diesel generators. Add to that the impending sulphur legislation and likely

A clean, fl exible shore-to-ship power solution

shore power tax incentives, and cold iron-ing looks very attractive.

Little infrastructure, few standardsHowever, as Alstom Grid’s SPS R&D Direc-tor Joel Devautour points out, a number of factors must be in place. “First,” he says, “the infrastructure has to be there. It is in many ports in the US and in some Euro-pean countries like Sweden and Germany.

But most harbours don’t have the infra-structure. Building it calls for heavy invest-ment.”Theusualfiguresarebetween$1and$3million,whileretrofittingshipscanrange from $300,000 to $2 million. What’s more, to make shore power installations viable, ships need to be regular callers or make long stays in port. The whole picture is compounded by the delay of the IEC/IEEE/ISO common

MV switchgear

Step-down transformer

Static frequencyconverter

Circuitbreaker andprotection

cubicleTransformer allowing

adaptation to the ship voltage level

Circuit breaker Cubicle Connection systemTransformer TransformerConverter

Ship connection system

Cold ironing could eliminate over 454 kg of a typical container ship’s nOx emissions, 32 kg of SO2, and 7 kg of particulate matter in a single 24-hour port call, as well as reducing its carbon emissions by

26%


standard’s release governing ship connection systems, while ships have different standard voltage and/or frequency require-ments. Some use 50 Hz, others use 60 Hz. Primary distribution voltage ranges from 440 V to 11 kV and vessel load requirements vary widely – from ferries at a few hundred kilowatts to megawatts for cruise ships.“Another issue,” adds Devautour, “is the market situation. In the last six months we’ve received invitations to tender not just from harbours but from utilities.” Alstom Grid originally designed its plug-in high voltage shore connection (HVSC) solution for load requirements below 20 MW. The wide-ranging demand prompted it to develop a modular solution with granularity typically

of around 1 MW. So, if a customer requests a solution with a capacity of, say, 12 MW, the solution would supply just that – not 11 or 13 MW. “The problem,” says Devautour, “is that delivering 1 MW granularity for high capacity solutions comes at a cost. We’re now working on a separate, centralised solu-tion for utilities’ high capacity needs. It relies on a single central converter rather than a system of parallel, redundant converters.”

Flexibility for a fluid marketAlstom Grid’s SPS R&D team began work on the modular HVSC solution in mid-May 2010. They did not start from scratch but designed their solution from an in-house power electronics building block (PEBB)

that Devautour describes as a sort of “back-to-back converter”. The digital control plat-form was an off-the-shelf solution. At the heart of the system lies the power converter, which Devautour considers the single most important component. “Frequency conver-sion is vital as a large part of the vessels use 60 Hz frequency. But most harbours – except in the US – use 50 Hz. Our converter also converts voltages, mitigates harmon-ics and performs power factor correction.”The current HVSC solution has a system of parallel converters to ensure redundancy, so that if one converter fails, another kicks in. “That ensures continuity of service,” stresses Devautour. “Our converters are not in phase, but interlaced, which improves

© Centre de presse-Monaco 2010

pORT Of AnTweRpMOnAcO hARbOuR



filter harmonics and reduces filter size. Altogether, the modular design and redun-dancyadduptoflexibility.Alliedtopowerquality, that gives the solution an extra edge.” In addition, plug-and-socket sets enable vessels to be connected to onshore power supplies in a matter of minutes – a requirement to which both port operators and ship owners are sensitive. The core architecture of the solution is in place.Itsstrengthisitsflexibility.Eachhar-bour is unique, and not a lot of room is avai-lable in general. Alstom's solution responds to this problem thanks to the modularity of its architecture – it is very easy to adapt the layouttotheconfigurationoftheharbour.“With the same technology, we can also

offer energy supply and storage from solar and wind power sources. Both ship owners and harbours are very interested in renew-able energies,” says Devautour. The plan is also to be ready for the Smart Grid, which will enable customers to leverage this enhanced renewables firming capacity. Many harbours don’t have installed capa-city for vessels that use them intermittently. Smart Grids supplying stored renewable power will enable them to power ships in berth without adding capacity.

1Source: Transport and Environment.2 Cold ironing is a term that harks back to the days of coal-firedengines.Whenavesselwasatanchorinaharbour,itsfireswerenolongerstokedanditsironboilers would therefore cool down.

CruiSe ShiPSModern cruise ships can accommodate up to6,300passengersand2,000officersandcrew. At the time of her construction in 2003 the Queen Mary 2 was the longest, widest and tallest passenger ship ever built. Her on-board power plant is based on a combined diesel electric and gas (CODLAG) system and delivers 126 MW, of which 86 MW are needed to bring the ship to a speed of about 30 knots (55 km/h). The remaining 40 MW can be used to run air conditioning, lights, electronics, galleys, water treatment plant and all its other systems. Part of this energy is also needed in harbour. When the ship is in port, it needs about 10 MW1 to operate its electrical systems. So for a 12-hour stay it must produce around 120 MWh. One kilogram of diesel fuel can be converted into 3.5 kWh. A shore-to-ship connection would therefore save 35 tonnes of diesel in just half a day at berth.Thefirstshore-to-shipinstallationsarealready in place. A pioneer is the Port of Los Angeles, the busiest in the USA. In 2004 the port opened its West Basin ContainerTerminalatBerth100–thefirstcontainer terminal in the world to use shore-to-ship power. The port has been gradually equipping all its berths with high voltage shore power so that both cruise ships and container vessels can shut down their engines and shut off NOx and SOx emissions.

1 This is an estimation. The actual consumption depends on multiple factors.

Joel Devautour M O R e

Ship ownersand harbours are very interested in renewable energies.

A shore-to-ship connection would save

35tonnesof diesel in just half a day at berth.

© Port of Antwerp


FCL Limiting costs as well as fault currents

Today’s switchgear may be unable to cope with generation capacity increases needed to meet future demand. however, replacing installed equipment

is often impractical and expensive. Fault current limiters could avoid high costs and over-dimensioning of equipment.

Electricity systems worldwide will have to be expanded and upgraded to cope with projected net electricity generation increase. Network interconnections will intensify and transmission line voltages will increase, but this could create new problems. As generation capacity is added to the grid, potentially higher fault currents

may exceed the ratings of circuit breakers. Larger fault currents may also adversely influencethesynchronisationofgenera-tors, shorten the life of electric machines, or even cause other equipment failure.Circuitbreakersinsectorsatsignificantriskof fault can be replaced with higher rated devices, but replacing them all is impracti-

cal for several reasons. Apart from the high cost, system reliability would be compro-mised unacceptably during the long periods of construction needed to dismantle the old equipment and install new devices. As well as that, the new devices themselves may have to be replaced at a later stage, too. One solution would be to install a fault current limiting device that offers a low impedance to load current but high impe-dance to fault current. Such a device would have to operate faster and be able to keep fault current magnitudes lower than existing switchgear ratings. In many cases, the current limiter would also have to recover rapidly from system transients under normal and fault conditions.

The multiple benefits of FCL devicesFor Dr Jean-Louis Rasolonjanahary, Principal Research Technologist at Alstom Grid, there are significant potential benefits of FCL devices: “These include, but are not limited to,

Shielded inductor fault current limiter.



advantages in energy transfer and voltage stability, and avoidance of over-design of power transmission equipment.” Super-conducting-type fault current limiters (SFCL) would offer the extra benefits of being self-regulating in the event of a fault. They are fail-safe too, since a loss of super-conductivity would automatically introduce a high impedance into the system.The SFCL designs attracting the most inte-rest at present are the resistive, saturated inductive, and shielded inductive types. For Dr Rasolonjanahary and his colleagues, shielded inductive SFCL is the most pro-mising of the three with regard to high voltage operation, low heat absorption in the cryostat during normal and fault ope-ration, and fast recovery time following a current limiting action.The shielded inductive SFCL is basically a transformer comprising a primary winding coupled with a high temperature supercon-ducting ring (secondary winding) housed in a cryostat and inserted in series with the circuit being protected. In normal steady state operation, the shielding effect of the superconducting ring prevents magnetic fluxproducedbytheprimarywindingfromentering the iron core, thus resulting in a low impedance device. In a fault current scenario, the large increase in induced current, due to the current in the primary winding, exceeds the critical current of the superconductor. The shielding effect is

arrestedasfluxenterstheironcore,resul-ting in the insertion of a large impedance into the line to be protected.

Testing, testingA test system has been created as a model in Simulink to study the potential effect of the integration of a fault current limi-ter. Results suggest that the FCL limits the fault current to a manageable level within the protection sensitivity. Fault current limiters are now being tested at distribution voltage levels and deployment at transmission levels is expected soon. However, as Dr Rasolonjanahary points out, “This technology will pose a new challenge for all types of protection because most relay techniques rely on high fault current to signal the presence of a fault. Limiting the fault current to a much lower value in less than a cycle requires a different type of approach.” Bringing the fault current down to near the same level as load will have a very positive impact on the life of primary plant assets, but detecting and isolating faults will be more challenging. Dr Rasolonja-nahary is optimistic though. “Some balance in the choice of the level of fault current limitation would help in achieving all our objectives. In this regard, an SFCL designed to meet fault protection, detec-tion and isolation criteria would be the way forward.”

Load

CB

Primary winding

CryostatSuperconductingsecondary winding

Supply

Fault current limiters (FCLs) ideally should have minimum impact on protection as the intention is to limit the current generally to the same level as before any busbar coupling or meshing of the system was done. "This goal cannot always be achieved because of the size of the fault current limiter required and its characteristics," explains Harmeet Kang, Programme Manager Network Solutions & Smart Grids. "Generally, the introduction of FCLs can influenceovercurrentprotection,relayco-ordination with cold load pickup, impedance/directional protection, and co-ordination of backup protection at the generator bus."ForDefiniteTime(DT)orInverseDefiniteMinimum Time (IDMT) overcurrent protection, the overall effect depends on where the FCL is introduced and the relative contribution of the various sources to the fault."Impact of FCLs on impedance-based relays can be more pronounced as the characteristics of the FCL can have a big impact on directionality as well as reach of the protection."FCLs can also have a positive impacton protection as the additional impedance can have a damping effect on any oscillations set up by the fault and consequently can allow for a more secure backup high set protection."

Joel Devautour M O R e

FCL ProTeCTion SCheMeS

fcL In cIRcuIT

September 2011: we have lost a highly talented and inspirational colleague.

Dr Harmeet Kang


Simulation and multiphysics systems

designing equipment for electricity networks means solving problems involving interacting phenomena. Simulation

software saves time and money by allowing engineers to carry out virtual experiments on new designs.

Einstein is reported to have said that he hoped somebody would explain quantum theory to him before he died, and that God would be able to explain turbulence to him afterwards. Like many scientists, he recognised thatthecalculationoffluidflowsisoneofthemostdifficultproblemsinmathematics.Imagine, then, the complexity of a problem thatcombinescomputationalfluiddynamicswith other complex physical phenomena. This is the domain of multiphysics simulation.The term covers a number of meanings. Multi-field denotes the simultaneous exci-tationofasystembymultiplephysicalfieldsand the response of the system to them. Multi-domain refers to the interaction of systems with drastically different properties such as a fluid with a structure through sharable boundaries. A multi-scale system

Understanding multiphysics systems involves solving coupled systems of partial differential equations.



implies different length scales, for example a manufacturing process that includes nano andmicroscales.Combiningfield,domainand scale offers further possibilities. In other words, multiphysics systems are coupled systems. In fact, physical phenom-ena are usually coupled, as for instance when a power line is transmitting a current, which generates heat that in turn affects the properties of the cable, such as strength and length. The first coupled-field phenomena were observed for electricity in thermoelectricity experiments by Seebeck in 1821. A few decades later Maxwellgaveafullydevelopedmulti-fieldformulation of a coupled field system, based on the assumption that a continuum called “aether” occupied the space between conductors and insulators.

(A popular multiphysics programme for electromagneticfieldsimulationisnamedafter Maxwell.)

Breakthrough thanks to ITUnderstanding multiphysics systems involves solving coupled systems of partial differential equations (PDE). The beauty of PDE is that they can describe a vast range of physical phenomena,notleastelectromagneticfieldsand fluid flows. Although mathematical understanding of the systems progressed over the 20th century, practical applications were limited because the simultaneous solu-tion of the equations is highly computation-ally intensive, since it involves space-time integration of the coupled systems of PDE. A combination of theoretical understanding and technological progress changed that.

The development of powerful computers allowed engineers to use finite element analysis to solve real-world problems. (In everyday life we see illustrations of this from automotive or aeronautical engineering, when a mesh of grid points isusedtorepresentairflowaroundacaror aircraft.) It also emerged that because finiteelementanalysisusesPDE,

Multiphysics simulation systems allow us to do ‘what-if’ experiments.

Computer graphics of the distribution of compression on the surface of an airplane.

Understanding multiphysics systems involves solving coupled systems of partial differential equations.



it could potentially be employed to translate a wide range of physical phenomena into digital format for com-puterised manipulation.

Into the realm of practical applicationsThat meant that multiphysics approaches could move away from theory to practical applications in product design and be applied to the development of complex products that have to perform critical mis-sions in complex environments. For Dr Donghui Xu, Senior R&D Manager at Alstom Grid’s China Technology Centre in Shanghai, the main attraction of multiphysics simula-tion is reduced time to market. “Multiphys-ics simulation systems allow us to do ‘what-if’ experiments and develop and test virtual prototypes that would be expensive and time-consuming to build for real. One of the main advantages is that we can test how a component or system will react to

various forces acting simultaneously. We don't have to do one test for each aspect then try to combine the results and add a margin of error before designing the final product. This doesn't just save time and effort – it means we avoid over-engineering components as well.”Alstom Grid uses simulation in a variety of ways: to understand electric fields or the temperature distribution within a trans-former, for instance, or to calculate the pressure for internal arc faults in switchgear. These techniques can also be used to simu-late extreme conditions, such as the effect of seismic activity.The simulation systems themselves have their origins in codes developed for research purposes, but although these codes may

Multiphysics methods simulate the actual working conditions.

incorporate the latest algorithms and meth-odologiesandbeverypowerfulforaspecific

problem, they tend not to be suited to the practical day-to-day needs of product design and testing. A number of commer-cial suites have there-fore been developed, which may not be

optimisedforspecificcasesbutwhichareflexibleandpowerfulenoughtoaddressa wide variety of demands and are much more user-friendly. For Dr Xu, the simulator of the future will not be a radical break from the present, but thanks to improved computing power and greater software compatibility, “will be much more powerful than those we use today and combine the advantages of different approaches”.

Most power loss from transformers is due to the magnetic effect in the core and the current in the windings. There are also losses in the structural components due to the eddy currents, which may give rise to local overheating.Theselossesareverydifficulttoeliminate, partly because so many factors are interacting with each other simultaneously.Transformer designers are dealing with a probleminvolvingfluiddynamics(becauseof the oil cooling ) as well as heat and electromagnetic forces. They have to understand and predict the physical consequences of how these factors interact.Traditionally, engineers would study the mechanical, electromagnetic and thermal

performance one by one, but in reality, equipment is subjected to all of these at the same time. Multiphysics methods simulate the actual working conditions. Forexample,theelectromagneticfiniteelement method (FEM) result can be used as an input of the thermal calculation, while the thermal FEM can itself be coupledtothecomputationalfluiddynamics (CFD) calculation to analyse the cooling-medium circulation and how it affects the thermal performance.By providing more realistic pictures of how multipleinfluencesinteract,multiphysicssimulation helps produce products with higherefficiencyinamoreefficientway.

M O R e

MuLTiPhySiCS SiMuLATion in ACTion Dr Donghui Xu

Electric fi eld of optimised giS insulator.

Calculated temperature fi eld inside an arcing chamber.

Calculated temperature fi eld along a cone insulator.

MAin FeATure ChAPTER III MAkING ENERGy AvAILABLE TO ALL, TOdAy ANd TOMORROw

Alstom Grid’s innovative single-chamber HVDC by-pass switch solution will minimise unplanned power losses and make the whole transmission scheme more reliable. Working on the Alpha Ventus North Sea offshore wind farm project has allowed Alstom Grid to make great strides in the protection and operation of power transformers under challenging environmental conditions. Mode Power Path is a novel means for early identification of the major sources of grid oscillations – and therefore enables a rapid response to them.

Smart products and services



A prize-winning breakthrough By-pass switch for hvdC applications

Alstom’s ARC technology centre in villeurbanne, France, in cooperation with the hv circuit breaker

manufacturing unit on the same site, has developed a by-pass switch specially designed for hvdC converter stations. Comprising an

interrupting chamber in which a moving contact and an arc blast nozzle are actuated independently,

this innovative design delivers real technical advantages.


rECOgnitiOn

Villeurbanne’s manufacturing site won the 2010 Alstom innovation Award for this invention in the Products and Systems category. “this prize rewards the outstanding teamwork where everyone – experts, engineers, technicians – contributed: Engineering and design, Quality Control, the ArC materials research group and circuit-breaker experts, without whom we could not have succeeded,” said Arnaud hubert, Project Manager, on receiving the prize at the award ceremony in Paris.


ASSeMbLInG The hvDc by-pASS SwITch

HVDC’s favourable economics and greater controllability of long-distance bulk-power transmission make it an interesting alter-native or complement to AC transmission, especially when carrying power beyond 50 km (high voltage cables) or 700 km (overhead lines). Transforming AC power to DC (and vice versa) requires converter stations based on large power electronic systems connected in series. “Even though very reliable, these HVDC converters used for long-distance transmission need to be split into smaller components connected in series, each equipped with a by-pass switch in parallel,” explains Dr Wolfgang Grieshaber, Research Engineer at ARC. “As

a result, if maintenance is performed on only a part or if a fault occurs in a part of the converters, it can be short-circuited, letting the system continue as normal and circumventing the fault area until it is repaired at the next maintenance period. In this way, the overall reliability of the HVDC system is enhanced.”

Designed from scratchWhile AC by-pass switches already exist, AlstomGridneededtofillagapinitsprod-

uct line-up to satisfy specifically HVDC applications and constraints. Taking a root-

and-branch approach, ARC designed the new product starting from scratch. Indeed, to fulfil the specific requirements imposed by the use of DC, ARC

came up with an innovative switch design that led to important breakthroughs. The new by-pass switch design comprises an interrupting chamber in which a moving contact and an arc blast nozzle are actuated independently. “One of the issues was to modify the interrupting chamber

Overall reliability of the HVDC system is enhanced.



the hVdC by-pass switch undergoing tests.

since existing designs did not meet the technical requirements of safe opera-tion under HVDC,” says Grieshaber. “Our objective was also to offer a truly novel solution and take the lead in innovation in thisfield.”TheresultisanHVDCby-passswitch that assures Alstom Grid a sig-nificantadvantage.

Two specific functions in ultra-high voltageUnlike a circuit breaker, which has to open very quickly and can close more slowly, a by-pass switch has to close fast. Also, as it has to withstand very high DC voltages of 400 and 800 kV between the electrodes and to ground respectively, it needs a spe-cial solution for the arcing chamber where the electrodes close and open to break the current. The result was a “hybrid” product between circuit breaker and disconnec-tor to respond to both needs. It com-bines many of the essential functions ofbothproducts:anarcconfine-ment during breaking operation (even if the switch receives an undue trip order), and a switching gap area that con-tains no solid insulation at the moment when the high stresses of the high DC volt-age have to be withstood – only gaseous insulators such as SF6. In circuit breakers, the mobile contact and the solid insulating nozzle that ensures arcconfinementusuallymovesynchronously. “A critical point of our product is that it makes the nozzle retract out of the gap (i.e. into a safe ‘haven’ where it is no longer stressed by the DC voltage) independently from the electric contacts, using a specially designed pneumatically driven mecha-nism.” Alstom Grid has patented this solu-tion, which “combines the best of both worlds, allowing us to perform the function of a by-pass switch in a single chamber”. The presence of an insulator across the switching gap only when it is required is


100 mm x 900 mm rings on top and bottom fl anges.

dieLeCTriC And LonG-TerM TeSTS: A CoMPLeTe SuCCeSS uP To 920 kv

Dielectric tests were performed at the Kassel High Voltage laboratory to test the insulation of the HVDC by-pass switches. “To simulate service conditions in the open position of the switch, the new equipment was exposed to long-term tests with DC voltage of 444 kV for 14 days, 24 hours a day, for each polarity – positive and negative – of the voltage,” explains Hans-Reinhard Zemke, Manager of the High Voltage lab. Highly sensitive amperemeters measured the leakage currents through the insulating material caused by the DC voltage. The test was a complete success as no dielectric breakdown across the insulation occurred, and the leakage currents did not exceed critical values. “The 14-day duration was well above the usual requirements of standard dielectric tests, which generally last about one hour and are always controlled by an operator.” An impulse voltage check up to 920 kV was also done after power switching tests to demonstrate that the insulating property of the open switching unit was still in the same condition as it was before the test. Series of 15 impulses up to 920 kV (each of positive and negative polarity) were applied, without any breakdown of the insulation.

Hans-Reinhard Zemke

M O R e

The nozzle retracts out of the gap and into a ‘safe haven’. a major advantage over conventional switches, as it suppresses the stresses on the nozzle and allows for safer and more reliable operation under HVDC voltage. Anotherbenefitisthefactthattheswitch“uses only one vertical chamber, instead of two in a conventional horizontal ‘T’ configuration”.Theriskofcontinuouspol-lution deposits is therefore curtailed, increasing the switch’s reliability and

minimising maintenance.

Long-term testsDielectric and long-term high

voltage exposure tests have been carried out on proto-types in Alstom Grid’s Kassel Laboratory in Germany. They demon-strated the HVDC by-pass switch’s ability to withstand high voltage in a wide range of operating conditions (see side-bar). “We have now broadened our range

of HVDC transmission solutions with a device

that will minimise unplan–ned power losses and make

the whole transmission scheme more reliable for clients,”

concludes Grieshaber.



According to the Global Wind Energy Coun-cil, wind power increased from a cumulative global installed capacity of 6,100 MW in 1996 to 194,390 MW by 2010. That year also saw a record increase in the development of offshore wind farms in Europe, which now boast over 3,000 MW of capacity. Driving that increase are the higher wind speeds at sea and the fact that the power available is directly proportional to the cube of wind speed – for example, an average wind speed of 26 km/h can produce 50 percent more elec-tricity than 22 km/h1. An added factor is the ever more limited space for building onshore

when the German Alpha

ventus wind farm project

began in 2007, there was scant prior knowledge to

build on. Two years of experience and innovative

design features for offshore power

transformers have paved the way for the fast-

growing industry.

facilities, which are often too near population centres, generate noise, and may be regarded by some as eyesores. The rush to install offshore wind farm facilities has forced the industry into a steep learningcurve.Withthefirstwindfarmprojects starting only in the mid 2000s, every new project and installation is an opportunity for gaining new understanding. One such project was the Alpha Ventus wind farm in the German North Sea, which, says Tobias Stirl, “ushered in a whole new era for the protection and operation of high voltage equipment under challenging con-

Effective protection of various parts against the elements at sea.

German north Sea wind project ushers in new era


ditions”. Stirl is the Mechanical Design Manager with Alstom Grid Power Trans-formers Germany who designed and built the power transformer for Alpha Ventus. The project got under way in 2007 and the installation was commissioned in August 2009 when the wind turbines sent electricity flowingintotheGermanpowergrid.Theproject team had – almost literally – to navigate in uncharted waters. “Worldwide, expertise in this area was limited,” says Stirl. “Luckily, we could draw on the expe-rience from the Barrow Offshore Wind ProjectintheIrishSea,whichwasthefirstwind farm to require an offshore substa-tion.” Alstom Grid engineered and built the Barrow 90 MW transformer platform. By the time it was commissioned in 2006, it had yielded invaluable experience in painting systems, materials selection and

mechanical design that were to stand the Alpha Ventus project in good stead. Simi-larly, Alpha Ventus has paved the way for a new self-floating, self-installing AC substation platform.

Sealing off corrosionThe biggest challenge the Alpha Ventus project team faced was the twin issue of corrosion and ageing, as the power trans-former platform stands in the open exposed to the elements. “Initially, our thinking was along the lines of open containers,” says Stirl. “But to prevent corrosion from sea spray and ensure low maintenance, we had to rethink.” The result was the her-metically sealed transformer, a design patented by Alstom Grid. As well as oil, the transformer uses cellulose asinsulation.Itagessignificantlyfaster

when exposed to the air and moisture. The result?Significantlyhighermaintenanceand costs in offshore installations. One way to seal the insulating system was with a rubber bag mounted in the oil conserva-tor as an airtight separator. However, it had to be protected by a breather to prevent moisture seeping in and needed mainte-nance and even replacement. Much

75 MVA 115/31 kV hermetic transformer

with vacuum tap changer.

Every new project is an opportunity for gaining new understanding.



Cathodic dip coating (CDC) wasoneofthefewbeneficialoffshoots of the 2008-09 economic downturn. Alstom Grid’s attention had been caught by a corrosion protection called cathodic dip coating used by automakers – a smooth, uniform protectivefilmthatwasalsoscratch- and shock-proof. Alstom approached the industry, which was open to new avenues of growth at a time of slack business.Alstom Grid decided to

perform tests on a segment of radiator. It was coated with CDC protection, then painted with priming and top coats. It was tested for 25 weeks, with test pieces undergoing three days of exposure to UV/condensation, three days to salt spray, and one day to temperatures of minus 20 °C. Tobias Stirl comments: “The CDC-coated radiator parts passed the tests with no sign of corrosion even on heavily scratched parts. Nor did several

thousand pressure cycles noticeably impair the quality of the CDC coat.”Other parts such as cable boxes and pipes could now be treated. Subsequent trials of CDC protection on a complete 120 MVA transformer tank were also conclusive. Clearly, CDC technology has great potential for improved long-term corrosion protection at vulnerable pointslikedomesandflangesas well as for the complete outer casing of transformer tanks.

M O R e

CdC SeeS oFF CorroSionTobias Stirl

more effective was to dispense with the conservator and use specially designed radiators to control oil expansion and retraction. That also meant no rubber bag and no breathers, which tied in with alesson from Barrow: the fewer auxiliary parts, the less maintenance.“We further lowered maintenance needs with an innovative new feature,” explains Stirl. This was the introduction of load tapchangersfittedwithvacuumcontactchambers. Arc extinction takes place in chambers, not in the tap changer oil. With no decomposition or contamination of tap changer oil, service interval has been more than doubled to over 15 years.The Alpha Ventus project team closed off all inroads to cor-rosion. It can eat away 80 to 200 µm of unprotected steel in offshore conditions overthefirstyear,comparedtobetween25 and 50 µm on shore. “We rounded edges, smoothed weldings, and introduced corrosion-proof solutions like high-grade steelfittingsandwelds,”saysStirl.Theteam was also careful in the choice of com-

binations of materials, as some combinations can cause electromechanical currents that areconducivetocorrosion.Mostsignifi-cantly, perhaps, was the use of a special corrosion protection coat for radiators and tanks, produced by a process known as cathodic dipping (see sidebar). “The results have been compelling,” says Stirl.

Good vibrationAnother area where the Alpha Ventus team was very much in the dark was vibration, or mechanical stress. Stirl again: “We had noidea.Weusedfiniteelementcalculation

to enable us to design it to withstand the stress we thought it would undergo when transported by road, rail and sea, when in movement at sea,

and when a boat knocked against the installation.” The team designed the whole transformer to withstand stress conditions roughly comparable to earthquakes.The experience gained from Barrow and Alpha Ventus has enabled Alstom Grid to develop a self-floating, self-installing platform that is towed to the site and lifts

automaticallyintooperatingconfiguration.The design cuts offshore installation time from three weeks to two days. What’s more, installation and dismantling are environmentally friendly and do not disrupt or harm marine life. Development work has now been completed on the Baltic 2 platform.Thelearningcurveisflattening.

1 OCS Alternative Energy and Alternate Use Program-matic EIS Information Center.

The results of cathodic dipping have been compelling.

Alpha Ventus, paving the way for future substation platforms.


The task of maintaining power system security is one of the vital concerns facing transmission system operators. In highly competitive and deregulated electricity markets, transmission companies also have to ensure system reliability and high trans-mission performance levels. Higher system loads, greater interconnection of networks and increasingly diverse generation sources are all factors that combine to create a higher potential for system instability; this may in turn limit the power transfer

“Mode Power Path” is a new means of identifying major contributions to grid oscillations. As part of the Psymetrix PhasorPoint wide area monitoring solutions, this tool enables interconnected utilities to coordinate their real-time and planning response to poorly damped or unstable oscillations.

it is important to manage dynamic performance and stability of interconnected transmission networks.

identifying sources of oscillations in interconnected power systems


below the rated capacity of the line andrestricttheeconomicbenefitsofinter-connected electricity systems. Examples abound around the world. “In the Central American network, for example, which is geographically very long and connected by a relatively weak trans-mission network, dynamic performance and stability are significant issues that must be effectively managed to ensure that equipment is not damaged through the stresses created by instability; on the other hand, the interconnection should not be over-constrained, leading to unnecessary lossofeconomicandreliabilitybenefits,”explains Dr Douglas H. Wilson, Chief Tech-nology Officer at Psymetrix, a business specialising in Smart Grid applications that was recently acquired by Alstom Grid.

The paths and regions contributing to oscillationsCauses of poorly damped oscillations are not always obvious, and resolving a damp-ing problem that does not appear in current modelsorpre-definedguidelinescanbevery challenging. One solution is to address the problem through a measurement-based approach that can be used to identify the contribution of a region or a generator to the oscillations. Alstom Grid has adopted such an approach for its clients; it is based on the Mode Power Path (MPP) method, developed by Psymetrix, which allows the oscillations observed in a transmission system to be analysed. “The MPP approach uses the principle that rotor speed oscil-lations in generators give rise to power oscillations in the network, and the mag-nitude and phase relationships between the power and speed oscillations can be used to determine the paths and regions contributing to the oscillation,” says Wilson.

PhasorPoint MPP can make a significant improvement in grid operation and reliability.

hydro turbine hall in Colombia.

the Landsnet controlcentre in iceland.



PSYMEtriX, A SMArt grid APPLiCAtiOnS EXPErt

A long-standing strategic technology partnership was formalised in February 2011 when Alstom grid acquired Psymetrix, a Uk-based Smart grid applications expert. Under this partnership, Psymetrix retains its existing operation and brand, and becomes Alstom grid’s centre of excellence in phasor–based applications and Wide Area Monitoring Systems (WAMS) for the Smart grid. Psymetrix oscillation monitoring systems have been in use for operational

decision-making since 1995.

Using this tool, and without extensive analytical studies, the operators can identify the location of contributions at an intercon-nectionleveltofindout,forexample,thatone oscillation mode is an inter-area mode with opposing phase angle oscillations between two areas in the grid. The tool tracks the path of the oscillating energy through the network (the Mode Power Path), showing where the greatest contri-butions arise. An operational dispatch response is likely to be most effective where the contributions are greatest, such that the power through corridor indicated by MPP

M O R eidenTiFyinG And CorreCTinG oSCiLLATion SourCeS

is reduced. The MPP approach can also reveal generation plants that participated in the mode and contributed to its energy; either re-dispatch or controller tuning at these plants could improve stability of the mode. So targeted responses are made possible, either in real-time by dispatch changes, or in planning and damping controller tuning (see sidebar).

early warning, managing, optimising, training Using synchrophasor measurement infra-structure and data sharing, new operational

Dr Douglas Wilson

In 2008, the Colombian power system experienced several occurrences of large low-frequency oscillations, one of them lasting over an hour. In some cases, these oscillations tripped the low-frequency supplementary protection scheme, causing up to 1,100 MW of load to be disconnected from the network,

affecting millions of users and threatening plant damage and a widespread system collapse. These oscillations had a frequency of around 0.06 Hz, which is typically associated with turbine and speed governing system dynamics. Such instability is rather uncommon, and the dynamic models used to analyse the system did not represent its behaviour, makingitdifficulttoidentifythemain contributing factors. A WAMS system was therefore implemented, with four Phasor Measurement Units (PMU) at the country’s main hydro power plants and another two in strategic parts of the system, giving a system-wide view of dynamics. With the help of Psymetrix’s MPP

(Colombiawastheveryfirstapplication of this new method), it was found that the mode stabilitywasstronglyinfluencedby the San Carlos hydro plant operating in power & speed control mode1. In parallel with a modelling enhancement process, a series of tests were then carried out to identify the sensitivity of the mode amplitude and damping to the plant’s control parameters. The most striking result of this parametric study was that reducing the time constant (Ti) of the governor controller dramatically decreases the stability of the plant and the wider system. An increased value of Ti was consequently applied, and the system and the plant dynamic

behaviour were then observed over a six-week period. The improvement in performance was significant,asillustratedinthefigureabove:thecloudofpoints(red to blue) moving towards the origin after the governor change clearly demonstrates that the system was much more stable. Nevertheless, the 0.06 Hz mode must continue to be observed to ensure that subsequent changes in the grid do not result in this mode or any others becoming destabilised again.

1 The issue was not due to a fault at San Carlos; the problem was that there was a dynamic interaction between the plant and the system, following grid reinforcements.

and analysis tools such as Psymetrix MPP can provide help to manage the dynamics ofaninterconnectionandmakeasignificantimprovement in grid operation and reliability. The MPP tool not only provides an early warning of instability, but also reveals where action can be taken, which is key information for operational management of the problem. In addition to delivering real-time information for operational response, MPP also allows for historical playback of events, to aid in operator training and analysis for targeted improvements in dynamic performance.

0

50

45

40

35

30

25

20

15

10

5

105 15 20

Before Governor TuningAfter Governor Tuning

Mod

e Am

plitu

de (m

Hz)

Mode Decay Time Constant (sec)

OScILLATIOn AnALySIS Of fReQuency


CroSS-PerSPeCTiveS

three views on the shortage of electrical engineers and how to resolve it.

the marketfor electrical engineers

It is often said that there is a shortage of engineers, especially electrical, coming through from universities. Is this the case in your experience?This is the real situation in my experience, especially electrical engineers from top universities. In recent years, top universities in China have been paying more attention

to general education. This broadens stu-dents’ knowledge but gives them less grounding in electrical engineering itself compared with the graduates of 10 or 20 years ago.

how has the situation evolved in recent years with respect to both supply and demand of electrical engineers?The electrical power industry in China is undergoing major change, fuelled by unprecedented economic development. StudentsmajoringinEEcaneasilyfindjobs because of increasing demand in the industry. However, the top universities are recruiting a relatively stable number of EE students, so the shortage is likely to continue.

what is currently being done to change the supply position? With a smaller number of middle-school graduates caused by the long-term “one-family-one-child” family plan policy, uni-versities will not raise recruitment of EE students, meaning the situation could worsen.

how do you expect the future demand for engineers to change?Headhunting for EE students is active in many industries, so many EE students end up working in industries not relevant to energy because of salary, location and working environment. There is a trend towards reducing the salary differential across industries due to salary pressure in government-owned industry. This should make job competition fairer and improve the natural distribution of EE students.

“the electrical engineer

shortage is likely to continue.”

Prof. Yan Zheng


ELiA, the Belgian network operatorProfessor ronnie Belmans, honorary Chairman

Alstom grid Mark Steadman, VP hr Western Europe & Africa

Shanghai Jiao tong University, ChinaProfessor Yan Zheng, Chairman of the department of Electrical Engineering

“ the demandfor engineers

will continueto intensify.”

In your experience, is there a shortage of engineers, especially electrical, coming through from universities? I have been responsible for recruiting graduate engineers over the past three years. We have received several hundred applicationsoverthisperiod,soatfirstsight the supply of graduates seems to be healthy. However, on closer examination, for employers who want to be selective, the pipeline is much narrower. In the past, we in the UK have sourced graduates from China, India, Malaysia and other non-EU countries. This is less of an option now because of recent political decisions. This has refocused our graduate sourcing.

how has the supply and demand of electrical engineers evolved in recent years?The supply/demand gap is growing. The last three years have seen strong growth for AlstomGrid.Thishasintensifiedourdemandfor specialist electrical engineers and, at more senior levels, there is undoubtedly a shortage of top talents. In a global context, supply of engineers appears to be increasing, but they are mostly newly qualified and therefore relatively inexperienced engineers.

what is currently being done to change the supply position? Itisdifficulttochangethesupplyof“expe-rienced” engineers. So we have focused on such activities as knowledge sharing, inter-nal development and “growing our own” engineers. In addition, as market segments such as HVDC and renewables become increasingly important, we will increase our dialogue with universities to align our pro-jected requirements with their syllabuses.

how do you expect the future demand for engineers to change, and what is likely to drive it? We anticipate that the demand for engi-neers will continue to intensify. This is driven by the industrial growth in countries such as China and India but also by the rapid technological advances. There is no doubt that we will rely more and more on the skills of our engineers. In an environ-ment where change is constant, our skill sets must satisfy current and future needs.

“it is a fascinating market to attract

new engineers.”

In your experience, is it true that there is a shortage of electrical engineers coming from the universities?Definitely.Indeed,amajorshortage.Allthekeyplayersarefightingforthefewgoodgraduates coming out of the faculties.

Mark Steadman

Prof. ronnie Belmans

ELIA recently became a partner in the offshore Atlantic Wind Connection project in the USA, andwearedesperatetofindyoungengi-neers to join the project. If anything could inhibit the growth of the energy market, it’s the lack of engineers.

how has the situation evolved in recent years?We are facing a dual problem. First, the work-force is aging, and the industry needs new blood to replace the retirees. Second, before liberalisation, the universities practically stop-ped teaching electrical engineering; energy was less prestigious than ICT. Then, with unbundling, the advent of renewable and offshore wind farms, suddenly there were too fewpeopleinthemarkettofillthenewjobs.

what is currently being done to change the situation? Clearly not enough. The University of Leuven has merged its thermodynamics and power engineering departments to create a Masters curriculum and attract new students. But Leuven is on its own. The other universities have not yet adapted to the new demand. This inertia is univer-sal. It is time for the faculties to overcome their parochial issues and be more proactive.

how do you expect future demand for engineers to change?It will intensify. The industry is changing and becoming more exciting – new plants, new intelligent grids, new applications, renewables, energy storage, electric vehi-cles. It is a fascinating market to attract new engineers. But we have to do it together – industry and academia.

eLeCTriCiTy Lore


2007:Suspended h400 quadrivalve for the konti-Skan Pole 1 replacement project.

1972:One of the kingsnorth valve halls showing the english electric ARAG/4 4-anode Mercury Arc valves in service.


1972:internal

structureof a h100

thyristor valve.

hvdC has been in use in commercialpower systems for almost 60 years, improving and evolving all the time. In the past few years, HVDC activity has seensignificantgrowth.Soit’sagoodtimetolookbackatthedevelopment of HVDC from its inception to the present day.

Around this time, the ARAG/4 Mercury Arc valve was installed in the Kingsnorth HVDC schemeinEngland,whichwasalsothefirstto use the Phase-Locked Oscillator control system developed by English Electric.

changing technology, changing marketJust as mercury arc technology was reach-ing maturity, the semiconductor industry was surging into the power electronics arena. Thyristors came onto the market in the early 1970s and over the next 10 years were increasingly used in HVDC products. EE (by this stage called GEC) developed a thyristor-based HVDC product using forced-air cooling. Meanwhile, in the USA, GE had developed its own air-cooledsystem known as the “red box”

hvdC in the making

1989:h300 valves in valve group Vg13 of the nelson river Scheme.

Early power generation and transmission systemsusedDC,andthefirstcommercialscheme was introduced in 1882. However, AC became the dominant form of genera-tion and transmission as a result of the easier transformation to higher voltages for transmission over long distances. It was in 1962 that English Electric (EE) in Stafford (an Alstom Grid ancestor company) officiallybeganitsHVDCtransmissionactiv-ity through an initial collaboration with ASEA (now ABB) on what was then brand new mercury arc technology. English Electric delivered the original two converter stations with mercury arc valves for the Sardinia-Corsica-Italy link and then the Nelson River Bipole 1 system with its state-of-the-art ARBJ/6 150 kV Mercury Arc valve, the high-est rating valve ever installed at the time.


eLeCTriCiTy Lore

1882First commercial dC scheme introduced

1905rené thury trial hVdC system

1924Development of the Highfield-Calverley transverter, a mechanical rectifier for high voltage dC applications

1950ASEA and Vattenfall build the trollhätten mercury arc laboratory

1954First commercial hVdC system installed by ASEA connecting gotland to the Swedish mainland using a 100 kV mercury arc valve converter

1957invention of the thyristor

1961Collaboration between English Electric and ASEA 1962EE creates dC transmission department

1967Sardinia-mainland italy dC link using mercury arc rectifier valves

1971First commercial operation of a thyristor valve for hVdC transmission

1972Phase-Locked Oscillator Control System, an Alstom grid innovation

The french converter station, Les Mandarins, close to calais.

valve. France’s Cegelec signed a deal with GE to use its product on HVDC systems outside the USA. The mercury arc valves originally installed by EE on the Sardinia-Corsica-Italy link were replaced by Cegelec/GE “red-box” valves in the early 1990s, including the addition of a third terminal,thefirstmulti-terminalHVDCsystem in the world. Eventually, the GE HVDC expertise was absorbed by Cegelec to become the Alstom Grid SVC/FACTS unit in Philadelphia.

The cross-channel link, a watershed projectOneofthemoresignificantAlstomGridHVDC projects was the UK-France inter-connection.EEinstalleditsfirstthyristorvalve, the H100 oil-cooled valve, on the firstlinkin1972.TheH100valveswerefollowed by the H200 air-cooled valves, which were installed at the UK end of the


A h300 valve module.


on IGBT transistors and developed its “HVDC Light” product. In 2008, Alstom Grid began the development of its own VSC “HVDC MaxSine” and in 2011 signed itsfirstcontracttodeliveraVSCconverterfor the Tres Amigas installation in New Mexico, USA, in the form of a back-to-back installation linking the western and east-ern US networks.Today, around the world, there is unprec-edented interest in HVDC. Indeed, many of the emerging renewable energy initia-tives will generate energy on a scale where the more mature thyristor-based Line-Commutated Converter (LCC ) HVDC is the best solution to transport it over the long distances to the load centres, and the newer Voltage Source Converter (VSC) systemsofferadditionalflexibilityformoreintegrated, multi-terminal power networks. So HVDC is now experiencing a promising upsurge.

1972kingsnorth hVdC scheme commissioned, the fi rst HVDC scheme embedded in an existing AC system 1986

Cross-Channel Link (later named iFA 2000) using the h200 thyristor valve range

1989Mcneill back-to-back converter station in Canada, the fi rst commercial application of the h300 water-cooled thyristor valve

2002h400 thyristor valve launched

Air-cooled thyristor valves for Les Mandarins converter station.

Power eLeCTroniCS riSinGAdrian Lancaster joined English Electric in Stafford in 1965.“I have been with the company ever since, working in a variety of functions, but primarily focused on power electronics.”In 2008, he was appointed project engineer in charge of developing a new design of IGBT voltage source converter for HVDC applications. This type of converter, using voltage-source technology, is rapidly replacing conventional thyristor HVDC converters with power ratings up to 1,000 MW because of its much reduced footprint and flexibility.Itisparticularlysuitablefor offshore wind energy recovery and network interconnection.“Throughout my career, advancesin semiconductor technology have brought about many changes.I witnessed the end of mercury arc technology in the 1970s andits replacement by thyristors.Over the past 20 years, bipolar transistors, GTOs and IGBTs have replaced these in many applications resulting in much simpler converter designs with improved features.The future holds similar prospects with the emergence of new semiconductor materials and possibly new device structures. These will provide interesting challenges for the new generation of engineers.”

M O R eAdrian Lancaster

2007the Lévis de-icer, Canada, the world’s fi rst HVDC-based combination of a de-icing system and voltage controller

2010gCCiA interconnection project, the fi rst HVDC scheme in the Middle East, the fi rst use of Dynamic Reserve Power Sharing, and the highest-ambient-temperature hVdC station

the ArBJ/6 Mercury Arc valves for the nelson river project.

second – this time much larger – UK-France submarine cable scheme rated at 2,000 MW. It is still the largest-capacity submarine cable HVDC scheme in the world. GEC went on to develop the H300 water-cooledthyristorvalve.Thiswasfirstsuccessfully installed in 1989 at the McNeill, Canada, converter station, fol-lowed by several projects in Canada, South Korea, Uruguay and India in the 1990s.

A competitive environmentDuring this period ABB was formed, AEG was merged into GEC Alsthom and Sie-mens became a strong investor in HVDC technology. In the early 2000s, Alstom Grid developed the H400 valve, designed pri-marily for a suspended arrangement. Launched in 2002, this remains the main product delivered on HVDC projects today. During this period, ABB saw the potential in Voltage Source Converters (VSC) based



FurTher reAdinG

network Protection and Automation guide: Protective relays, Measurement & ControlPublisher: Alstom Grid

grid Converters for Photovoltaic and Wind Power SystemsAuthors: Remus Teodorescu, Marco Liserre, Pedro Rodriguez Publisher: Wiley

Fundamentals of Computational Fluid dynamics

Authors: H. Lomax, Thomas H. Pulliam, David W. Zingg

Publisher: Springer

niSt Special Publication 1108NIST Framework and Roadmap

for Smart Grid Interoperability Standards, Release 1.0

(from http://www.nist.gov/smartgrid/upload/FinalSGDoc2010019-

corr010411-2.pdf)

You may wish to read up on some of the subjects covered in this issue of Think Grid. The documents shown here will help you.

The London-based Institute of engineering and Technology (IeT) is one of the world’s leading professional societies for the engineering and technology community.

Formed in March 2006 by the Institution of Electrical Engineers and the Institution of Incorporated Engineers, it boasts over 150,000 members worldwide.

It provides a global knowledge network to ease the exchange of ideas and promote the role of science and engineering,focusingonfivekeysectors: built environment, design & production, energy, information & communications, and transport.

The IET has a huge collection of digital and printed documents available to its members. It has also developed a programme of awards and scholarships open to undergraduate and postgraduate engineers, and organises hundreds of industry events and training sessions each year.

See ALSo…

hTTp://www.TheIeT.ORG/AbOuT/

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

18 261

JANUARY 18–22, 2012MUMBAI, INDIAElecrama 2012

Elecrama is one of the world’s largest electrical T&D exhibitions. It offers an international framework for display, discussion and deliberation among the global T&D fraternity of business people, thought leaders and technologists from utilities, industry and academia. It includes a conference on Smart Gridsplus technical tutorials, workshops and panel discussions.

24 236

JANUARY 24–26, 2012 SAN ANTONIO, USADistribuTECH

This annual conference and exhibition is claimed to be the power industry’s leading transmission and distribution event. In 2012, it will boast 13 conference tracks, over 300 speakers and some 350 exhibitors. The themes will include Smart Grids, automation and control, energy effi ciency, renewable energy integration, T&D system operation and reliability, and more.

MARCH 6–8, 2012NUREMBERG, GERMANYCIPS 2012

This will be the 7th CIPS international conference on integrated power electronics systems. CIPS is an IEEE-sponsored technical and scientifi c forum for engineers involved in system and component development, reliability engineering and research. This year it will focus on mechatronic integration, hybrid system and ultra-high power density integration, and systems and components reliability.

FEBRUARY 1–3, 2012JYVÄSKYLÄN, FINLANDInternational Exhibition of Electricity, Telecommunications, Light and Audio Visual

This is the largest and most traditional electrical industry exhibition in Finland. It will showcase a wide range of new products and services in all four sectors of the industry. It will also feature a series of lectures and seminars.

APRIL 23–24, 2012BIRMINGHAM, UKDPSP 2012

This, the 11th international conference on developments in power system protection, is aimed at academics, industry and business leaders to share knowledge on power systems protection and control systems. It includes technical presentations, workshops, power sessions and networking opportunities. The overriding theme this year is “Protecting the Smart Grid”.

MARCH 26–29, 2012JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICAPower & Electricity World Africa

The coming edition of Africa’s largest power & electricity conference and exhibition will focus on future trends, smart T&D and energy effi ciency, as well as the integration of new technology into the grid, with special attention to Africa’s power capacity. The exhibition is complemented by 50+ seminars and seven conferences (clean technology, bio-energy, etc.).

A view of Johannesburg, South Africa, at night from the Carlton tower

in central downtown Joburg. Christmas Market in Nuremberg, Germany.Night skyline of San Antonio, Texas, USA.

Contents #09 Winter 2011


Smart products& services

A prize-winning breakthrough:by-pass switch for HVDC applications

Dr RichardCharnah,Publisher

SHARING ALSTOM GRID INNOVATION & PRACTICES – Published by Alstom Grid 51 esplanade du Général de Gaulle - 92907 La Défense Cedex - France. www.alstom.com/grid - Print run: 15,000 copies (Chinese, English, French, German, Spanish) - Publishers: Peter Kirchesch, Richard Charnah - Editor in chief: Véronique Chauvot - Editorial board: Philippe Ponchon, Milan Saravolac, François Gallon, Greg Manning - Concept and Design: BythewayCreacom - 19 rue Galilée, 75116 Paris - France - Tel.: +33 (0)1 53 57 60 60 -www.bythewaycreacom.net - Editorial executive: Henry Lewis Blount - Publication manager: Pauline Ouin - Contributors: Henry Lewis Blount, Ken Kincaid, Patrick Love, Louis-Antoine Mallen – Copy editor: Ginny Hill - Art director: Didier Trayaud - Computer graphics artist: David Lory – Photo credits: Éric Lamperti/Alstom, Bouygues Immobilier, Port of Antwerp, Centre de Presse-Monaco 2010, Landsnet, Alamy/Photo 12, Graphic Obsession, Michel Tcherexkoff/Getty Images, Pavel Gaul/Getty Images, Roger Tully/Getty Images - Printing: Lecaux. ISSN: 2102-0175. A special thanks to the companies that kindly provided us with their illustrations.

HINKGRIDT Respecting the environmentSmart Grid: A step change in the electricity industry

06How green is my factory?

Interview with Vincent Maret 08

hinkgridtSHARINGALSTOM GRIDINNOVATION & PRACTICES

#09

Alstom GridImmeuble Le Galilée51 esplanade du Général de Gaulle92907 La Défense CedexFrance

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