Reduced DC circuit breaker requirement on mixed converter HVDC networks

Recently proposed meshed HVDC networks include both converters and DC circuit breakers, and the fault currents experienced and therefore the capacity requirement of circuit breakers are dependent on the topology of converters used on the network. This paper analyses the difference in fault currents seen in various network configurations utilising fault-feeding and fault-blocking converters. Results are presented showing the reduced fault currents seen in the regions of the DC network where fault current limiting converters have been implemented, which could have an impact on the topology, current rating and therefore size and cost of the circuit breaker.