$11m for high voltage HVDC research

Four projects in the US are to share $11m for research projects on new high voltage DC t(HVDC) technologies using AI.

The awards are part of the Innovative DEsigns for high-performAnce Low-cost HVDC Converters (IDEAL HVDC) scheme to affordably integrate more renewable energy generation on land or far from shore onto the grid, reduce transmission system costs by 35 percent by 2035, and promote widespread technology adoption.

The IDEAL projects are intended to help reinvent the power grid using HVDC over long distances.

The Swanson School of Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh will lead a $3.3m project using artificial intelligence to optimize an HVDC converter design for increased power density and lower cost.

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“By utilizing our unique Electric Power Technologies Lab (EPTL) at the Energy Innovation Center (EIC) in Pittsburgh’s Lower Hill District, our goal is to design, build, and test a 13.8kVac to 25kVdc power converter necessary for this transmission technology,” said Brandon Grainger, associate professor, Eaton Faculty Fellow, and PI of the program at the Swanson School.

“This grant presents a great opportunity for us to explore and apply the modern HVDC R&D approach, with artificial intelligence-assisted design, to achieve the most demanding performance metrics while reducing costs,” said YuAnn Li, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at Pitt and a Pitt Co-PI. “AI provides excellent computing capability to flash forward on innovative power converter topologies and control, that previously would not be able to be achieved.”

GE Vernova Advanced Research is to develop a low-cost HVDC transmission access point substation to reduce HVDC life cycle costs by >30%. The $3.3m TAPS project aims to provide access to affordable renewable energy to underserved and underrepresented communities.

Sandia National Laboratories is looking to increase the power density and reduce cost of HVDC converter stations by 10% by developing a technology of smaller 1.7 kilovolt (kV) switches that can be operated as a single 10 kV switch in a converter.

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University is looking at new circuit technologies to upgrade the existing HVDC converter design to reduce direct material technology costs by 15-20%.

Many renewable resources are in remote locations on land or planned far from shore (e.g. offshore wind), and HVDC transmission provides a cost-effective solution for renewable integration onto the grid. And high-voltage transmission can more capably transfer power between different regions of the country without disrupting the frequency of either system, also helping to reduce delivery costs.

“This represents another step forward in our mission to modernize the nation’s electric grid,” said Gene Rodrigues, Assistant Secretary for Electricity at the US Department of Energy. “By investing $11 million in innovative HVDC transmission projects, we’re accelerating adoption of an innovative technology that can create pathways to integrate more low- cost renewable energy onto the power grid. This ensures that reliable, resilient, secure and affordable clean energy is available and accessible to all Americans.”