Power electronics applications in bulk power transmission over long distances

The transmission of bulk power over long distances is a very current topic. In fact, it allows the connection of remote power plants to the electrical system, a common situation in countries of continental dimensions - such as China, Russia, Brazil and Canada and also some regions in Europe and Asia - where hydroelectricity and other renewable energy resources are often far away from the large consumer areas. Another benefit by means of long transmission power corridors is the possibility of adding electrical and energetic benefits for the two interconnected power systems. Regarding solutions to transmitting bulk power over long distances, the High Voltage DC Transmission System (HVDC) and the Half-Wave Length Transmission System have been shown as adequate solutions, depending on the length of the transmission trunk. However, both HVDC and half-wave length transmission systems have some restrictions to derive fractional amount of power along the main power corridor, since they are intrinsically point-to-point transmission systems. In this sense, the paper presents some solutions to overcome this problem in HVDC systems, as well as in half-wavelength transmission systems by means of HVDC and HVAC tapping. Moreover, a FACTS device is presented as an alternative to provide fast response, active power flow control in the half-wavelength transmission system.