Numerical Analysis of DC Current Distribution in AC Power System Near HVDC System

When dc current is injected into the earth through the grounding electrodes of an HVDC system, transformers in an ac system may be under dc bias if the dc currents flowing through the transformers are large enough. In this paper, a circuit model is presented to calculate the dc current distribution in an ac power system caused by the ground return current of a dc system. A complex image method is used to calculate the ground potential rise of each substation in multilayer earth. An indirect boundary element method is used to take into account the effects of mountains, rivers, and sea. The circuit equations are used to take into account the effects of the transmission lines. By using the method, the dc current distribution and the effectiveness of restraining measure in an ac power system are analyzed. The method and the results are not only useful for analyzing the influence of the ground return current from an HVDC ground electrode on ac power systems, but also useful for analyzing the effectiveness of the restraining measure.