7631 FFWD Sum04.qxd - ABB

Rail visibilitynewsINTERNATIONAL NEWSSWITZERLANDRecreating the Big BangCERN, the world’s largest particle physicslaboratory, has chosen ABB FACTStechnology to stabilise the voltagesupplying its super proton synchotron(SPS) accelerator. Here, sub-nuclearparticles are accelerated almost to thespeed of light in an attempt to recreate theBig Bang. The SPS accelerator requiresrapid reactive power for voltage filteringand strong filtering to reduce theharmonics to a very low level.CHINALatest long line connectionA major power transmission contract worthUS$390 million has been won by ABB.Working with local manufacturers, ABB willbuild a 1,100km long, 3,000MW highvoltage direct current (HVDC) transmissionlink connecting the The Three Gorgeshydro plant in central China to the coastalcity of Shanghai. The project will becompleted in just three years. This is thelatest of a number of contracts won byABB connected with The Three Gorgespower plant.Almost 10,000 visitors from 50 countries visited Railtex in 2002.ABB is exhibiting at several rail industryevents during 2004. The company willbe showing its expertise in reliable and highperformancepower equipment and powersupply systems for railway applications.In the UK, the major event at which the companyis exhibiting is Railtex 2004 which takes place at theNational Exhibition Centre, Birmingham, from 2ndto 4th November 2004.In September ABB will also participate in theinternational rail exhibition, InnoTrans, which willbe held in Berlin.Recently the company took part in the RailEngineering 2004 conference and exhibition. ThisIan Funnell, a wellknown face in ABB, hasbeen appointed sales andmarketing manager of its UKPower Technologiesbusiness. Immediately priorto this appointment, Ian wasin charge of ABB PowerTechnologies’ productsbusiness working closely withcustomers and looking afterthe entire portfolio of ABBpower products in the UK.event was staged at the Commonwealth Institute inearly July.ABB has enjoyed considerable success insupplying power distribution equipment includingsubstations, transformers and static var compensators,among others, for the West Coast main line, theLondon Underground and the Channel Tunnel RailLink.New sales and marketing managerIan joined ABB from Scottish &Southern Energy in 1999, bringingwith him a wealth of experience ingeneral management andoperations management in theelectrical industry.He is a graduate of AberdeenUniversity with a BSc (Hons) inengineering science. He is alsoa chartered engineer (CEng) andmember of the Institution ofElectrical Engineers (MIEE).UNITED STATESMore power to HollywoodThe top studios in Hollywood, moviecapital of the world, are benefiting fromreliable power upgrades thanks to ABB.Burbank Water and Power, the local utilityhas installed four compact ABB gasinsulated (GIS) substations to supply theneeds of the Disney Studios, Warner Brosand Universal, and the town of Burbank,California. ABB completed the orders upto two months ahead of schedule. A fifthsubstation will be installed in October,further upgrading the studios’ powersystems.POLANDSeamless connectionThe Gdansk I substation in Poland is themost important in the Polish grid network.Built in 1959, it was in need ofreplacement, a task that had to beundertaken without any disruption to thepower supplied to Poland’s industrialheartland. ABB was chosen to supply aturnkey replacement substation. The newgas insulated substation was installed injust 21 months. The compact hybriddesign leaves room for a power capacityupgrade, if and when it is needed.SUDANPower contract for Sudan tractioncomponentsABB has been awarded a $16 millioncontract to design, manufacture, supplyand commission a complete secondaryelectrical system for seven newsubstations on Sudan’s power grid. Theorder includes substation automation,control, protection, substation design anda complete telecommunication system.The project connects the Merowehydroelectric power station to the nation’ssupply.Summer 2004 >> FFWD 05

R&DGeorg Schett, head of technology for ABB Power Technologies,outlines ABB’s global R&D programme.A powerful vision for the futureThe design and manufacture of solid, liquid andgaseous insulation systems is a key element inABB’s R&D programme.As the recognised global leaderin power technologies, ABB iscommitted to major ongoinginvestment in research and developmentto ensure that we continue to meet theever-changing challenges of availability,safety and reliability for power networks.In 2003, we ploughed back aroundfive percent of our revenues, some£500 million, into R&D and order-relateddevelopments.Our R&D programmes operate on a trulyinternational basis, with a focus on eightresearch centres in Finland, Germany, India,Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the USA and,in the near future, we plan to open a centre inChina. We employ some 6,000 of our ownscience and technology experts and also haveactive links with around 70 leading universitiesand research establishments – in the UK theseinclude Cambridge University and ImperialCollege, London.The thrust of ABB’s R&D is to develop afocused range of products, systems and servicesfor power transmission, distribution and powerplant control. We are working on electrical06 FFWD >> Summer 2004

R&Dinsulation, current interruption and the systemaspects of complete power grids to enhancereliability and interconnectivity and reduce theirenvironmental impact. We are also focusingresearch on improving manufacturing processesfor products such as transformers and switchgearto improve quality and shorten delivery times.Here are some highlights of our R&Dprogramme:THE TRANSFORMER OF TOMORROWABB’s range of power transformers is beinggiven a complete facelift to introduce a newstylish look and feel across the whole family.Intelligent electronics, such as the TEC(Trafostar Electronic Control) system, are alsobeing integrated within the design to enable thetransformer to be linked into a larger controlsystem for easy monitoring and maintenance.And soon, it will even be possible for anindividual transformer to have its own homepage on the web so that the operator can checkits status remotely.NANOTECHNOLOGYThe gradual implementation ofnanotechnology, a set of technologies thatenable individual molecules or atoms to bemanipulated, is paving the way for thedevelopment of new custom designed materials.Nano-designed dielectrics can be engineered toan exact specification with animproved responseto changing electric fields. This opens up thepossibilities for cables, bushings, surge arrestersand insulating materials. At the same time ABBis perfecting a nano-structured sliding bearingthat works in MV and HV switchgear withoutoil, offering lower operating costs and lessenvironmental impact.DRYHED CAPACITORSABB’s revolutionary DryHED capacitors –short for dry high energy density – can storetwice the energy in half the space ofconventional capacitors as well as beingcompletely oil-free. They are already in use forHVDC Light systems and are in developmentfor HVAC applications.QUIET CIRCUIT BREAKERSTraditional circuit breakers use spring,hydraulic or pneumatic systems to separate thebreaker contacts. These are noisy and easilyworn out. So ABB is taking a totally differentapproach with a new generation of modularisedbreaker that is the very first to use a motordrive. Not only is it much quieter, making itideal for urban substations, it’s also morereliable, operating up to three times longerbefore needing maintenance.Further developments in circuit breakers willsee them integrate functions such as measuring,disconnection and control within a single,compact highly-sophisticated device that willcommunicate over a high-speed linkto a web-based operator,creating a newgeneration of‘E-breaker’.Dry HED capacitors – twice the capacity inhalf the space.LOWERING ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTNetwork components will continue to shrinkover time and there will be a trend towardssmaller substations as current and voltagesensors are increasingly integrated. Furtherimprovements in power electronics and motordrives will support this trend.We have already seen indoor and undergroundsubstations. And we expect more powertransmission to go underground, with overheadtransmission and distribution lines disappearingand being replaced by cable systems.WIDE-AREA GRID MONITORINGABB is developing a wide-area monitoringsystem (WAMS) for large power distributiongrids that can substantially improve transmissioncapacity. For the first time, it gives operatorsaccurate early warning signals by providing realtimeinformation about any developinginstability, even when the grid is operating athigh loads.The dynamic monitoring system will enablegrids to run closer to full capacity. The hardwarecomes in compact units that can be deployedaround the grid in substations and linked to acentral PC for online monitoring.We are combining the WAMS system withFACTS (Flexible AC Transmission Systems)technology to create a large-scale warning andcontrol system to help operators identify andcorrect problems across an entire powernetwork.The transformer of the future will even have its own home page on the web.THE OUTLOOKAdvanced simulation techniques are enablingABB to challenge the barriers of seeminglymature power technologies. By combining newmaterials with process research and enhancedconnectivity, we are confident that we aredeveloping a powerful vision for the future.Summer 2004 >> FFWD 07

cablesDeep below the streets of London, ABB is installing Europe’slongest 400kV XLPE underground cableMaking The London ConnectionABB’s three-year project tohelp National Grid delivermore power to central Londonreached a key stage as the400kV cable started the 20kmunderground pull from Elstreeto St John’s Wood.The £40 million turnkeyproject, known as ‘The LondonConnection’, is part of NationalGrid’s programme to upgrade thepower grid for North West Londonand the City area. Running in a20km long, three-metre diametertunnel – the largest tunnellingproject that National Grid has everundertaken – the cable will link anextended substation at Elstree tothe new indoor high-voltage GIS(gas insulated switchgear)substation, which ABB has beenbuilding at St John’s Wood.The 400kV connection is usingABB’s high-technology cross-linkedpolyethylene (XLPE) insulationtechnology, which requires lessmaintenance. A similar ABBunderground cable installation hasbeen in service in Berlin since 1998.Underground cable factsABB is a leading supplier of efficient, high quality cable systems withpolymeric insulation at all voltage levels and, to date, has delivered wellover 6,200km of underground XLPE cable for voltages above 100kV.Advantages of ABB XLPE cable include:■ low maintenance■ low electrical losses■ Environmental advantages■ meets international standards■ two state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in Sweden■ choice of traditional lead or laminate foil coating■ 66/132kV ranges designed specifically for UK market■ cable design service enables ABB to provide the ideal solution tomeet a customer’s needs for length and load etc■ complete range of accessories including sealing ends, joints andnew transition joints, which enable XLPE cable to connect to oilfilled cables typically found in older substationsABB is supplying, installing,commissioning and testing 61kmof 150mm diameter cable,weighing a total of 2,440 tonnesand delivered on 63 massivedrums. The cable is being laidas three separate lengths, one foreach phase of the three-phaseelectricity supply. The project isscheduled for completion in June2005. The tunnel allows space fora second 400kV cable circuit in thefuture should London’s demand forelectricity increase even further.08 FFWD >> Summer 2004

enewablesPeter Jones, Sector Manager – Renewables ABB PT (UK), outlines the key technical issuesrelating to the AC grid connection of offshore wind farms and explains how reactive powercontrol via SVC (Static VAr Compensation) can enhance system stability and reliability.Building resilient and reliable ACoffshore wind farm grid connectionsWith very large offshorewindfarm arrays about tobecome more commonplace,new challenges are beingplaced on the transmissionsystem operators to maintainsystem stability and limitdynamic voltage variations.SYSTEM CONNECTIONIn the past, wind turbine unitstypically had a small power outputrating when compared to thestrength of the connecting electricalnetwork, so a simple control systemthat disconnected the wind farmswhenever a network disturbanceoccurred was sufficient.With the larger windfarmspresently being planned, this designphilosophy becomes questionable.Windfarm connections must bedesigned so that the wind turbinesare capable of continuous,uninterrupted operation during theprotection clearance times for thefaulted, adjacent, networkcomponents (‘ride-throughcapability’).STABILITY AND RELIABILITYFor large wind farms there area number of stability and reliabilityissues that need to be addressedduring the design stages.Conventional inductiongenerator units and doubly-fedinduction generator (DFIG) windturbines may disconnect from thetransmission system for low voltageconditions caused by system faultsmore quickly than conventionalexisting synchronous generatorpower plants.An induction generator has thepotential to over-speed beyond itspullout torque, at which point themachine races away anddisconnects from the grid. ForDFIG induction generators, thereare issues relating to the controland protection of the voltage onthe converter DC bus that can leadto the tripping of the unit, whicha conventional synchronousgenerator could normally endure.If these issues are not addressedat an early planning stage, theperformance of the windfarm maybe in violation of system security,planning and availability criteria –resulting in a requirement for anincrease in spinning reserve. Inmore serious situations it may leadto the grid system experiencing acascading power outage.VOLTAGE CONTROLReactive power control isnecessary to address these networkstability and reliability issues. Withsynchronous generators, reactivepower control is achieved by meansof the exciter system. However, thisis not possible for basic inductiongenerators. Instead, a Static VArCompensator (SVC) positioned atthe grid connection point can actas a central exciter system but withthe advantage that reactive powercan be controlled even when nopower is generated.The transmission systems towhich offshore windfarms may beconnected are usually designed todistribute power from the main gridto remote customers. These remotesystems are, in many cases, weakand a change in power flowdirection will affect voltage levels.Mechanically switched capacitorbanks (MSC) are often used to dealwith voltage level problems.However, power production, andthus reactive power consumption,in windfarms varies with windspeed. The resulting frequentswitching of MSC deterioratespower quality and decreases thelifetime of the MSC. An SVC, withcontinuously variable susceptance,offers a cost efficient alternative toseveral small MSC units.Several phenomena associatedwith power produced from windintroduce voltage flicker on theconnecting node – generator startand stop, wind speed variations,and tower shadow effects. Thisflicker has a detrimental effectupon other components connectedto the grid causing complaintsfrom power consumers. Byconnecting an SVC at the gridconnection points, this flicker canbe mitigated.SVC IMPLEMENTATIONSVCs are available in twodifferent versions. The first SVCapproach is based on conventionalcapacitor banks together withparallel thyristor-controlledinductive branches, which consumethe excess of reactive powergenerated by the capacitor bank.This type of equipment can bedirectly connected to theintermediate voltage bus, whichinterconnects the wind farms (upto 36kV). When needed, it is alsopossible to connect the SVC to thehigh-voltage network via adedicated transformer.The second alternativeimplementation of the SVC makesuse of a power electronic voltagesource converter (VSC). Theconverter utilises semiconductorshaving turn-off capability. Theconverter can inject or consumereactive power to or from the buswhere it is connected. Thisapplication of VSC technology isusually referred to as STATCOM(Static Compensator). Thisalternative has the benefits of asmaller footprint, as large air-coredinductors are not used. Anotheradvantage stems from the fact thata smaller parallel capacitor bankcan be used, as the converter itselfmay contribute reactive power.By combining the two types ofschemes, a cost-effective dynamiccompensator can be achieved, ratedfor a high dynamic yield during ashort time and a lower yield forsteady-state operation.SUMMARYThe UK has generally benefitedfrom a stable and reliabletransmission grid system based ontraditional sources of generation.SVC technology will have anincreasingly vital role to play inensuring that networks with largeamounts of windfarm connectionsremain resilient and that small scalelocal network faults do not escalateinto more serious widespreadtransmission outages.Summer 2004 >> FFWD 09

HVDCHigh voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission has come of age.The technology pioneered by ABB was first used half a century agoto bring power from the Swedish mainland to a remote Baltic island.The golden era of HVDCIn 50 years HVDC has evolved froma pioneering technology to a wellproven, effective and economic methodof transmitting power over longdistances. The first ever HVDCconnection has recently celebrated itsfiftieth anniversary. The story is one ofunending development.Fifty years ago the world’s first high voltagedirect current (HVDC) link was inauguratedbetween the Swedish mainland and the Balticisland of Gotland. The new power connectionnot only brought down costs for consumers,it opened up a new era for the island’seconomy.Gotland lies 80km off the east coast ofSweden. It has an area of 3,140 sq km and apopulation of more than 57,000 people. Themain industries are agriculture, fishing andtourism.The advent of power from the mainland wassponsored by the Swedish government in a bidto reverse worrying trends in unemploymentand a declining population. The technologychosen was HVDC delivered via a 90km,100kV, 2MW submarine cable.HVDC has proved itself in this andsubsequent installations as an ideal vehicle forbulk power transmission and interconnectingindependent power grids. HVDC lines cannotbe overloaded, and so protect grid reliability anderadicate the ‘loop flows’ found in AC systems.ABB pioneered HVDC with the Gotlandlink and has gone on to supply more than halfof all the HVDC converter stations installedover the years. ABB has an installedtransmission capacity of about 40,000MWout of a world total of 70,000MW.Apart from the first installation, ABB hascreated the highest voltage HVDC link, thelongest HVDC lines, above and below ground,the highest converter power rate and the longestsubmarine cable.ABB’s unique HVDC Light, the latestpatented innovation, is designed for underwaterand underground transmission. The technologyrelies on voltage source converters and cablesand its first installation was made in 1997.STEPPING UP THE POWERFor Gotland, the first submarine cable waslaid in 1953 between Västervik on the mainlandand Ygne a town 10km south of the island’scapital, Visby. The power connectioncommenced with a rated voltage of 100kV anda transmission capacity of 20MW.In 1970 the stations were supplemented withthyristor valves, connected in series with themercury-arc valves. This made it possible toraise the voltage to 150kV and the transmissioncapacity to 30MW.In 1983 a new cable was laid providing arated voltage of 150kV with a 130MWtransmission capacity. The converters were builtup of thyristor valves. The two connectionsoperated independently. This additional powermeant that all the islands’ needs could besupplied by the link and the local power stationclosed.The third connection, planned in 1985,anticipated demand for 147MW. This is usuallyused in conjunction with the second link toform a bipolar link but can also also operateindependently.1321 Pulling the Gotland DC cables ashore in the 1950s.2 An ABB engineer on site in Gotland.3 In a large HVDC station, it must be possible to isolate the powercircuit. This is done in the AC switchyard with help of instrumenttransformers and 500kV circuit breakers.10 FFWD >> Summer 2004

RVT – the ultimate power factor controllerABB’s RVT power factorcontroller is the‘ultimate’ controller for theflexible monitoring andswitching of capacitor banksin power factor control (PFC)applications. It features easycommissioning and automaticset-up, a user-friendly menubasedoperator interface witha full graphic display, and ahighly efficient switchingstrategy that combinesintegral, direct and circularswitching.product roundupThe RVT providescomprehensive measurement,monitoring and event-logging ofnetwork and capacitor bankinformation including: active andapparent power; reactive power;voltage and current; temperature;total harmonic distortion onvoltage (THDV) and totalharmonic distortion on current(THD I); and frequency.Programmable parameter settingenables the operator to set theswitching strategy, with theflexibility to determine differentcontrol targets for day and nightoperation, and to enter alarmthresholds to protect the capacitorbank against such events as overandunder-voltage, overtemperatureand excessiveharmonic distortion.The standard RVT has thefacility to trigger external alarms,while the RVT-Modbus versionis fitted with an RS485 Modbusadapter which makes all itsoperational parameters accessibleand downloadable for fullintegration within a BMS.New-generation PQF activefiltersABB has launched a new generation ofits PQF (Power Quality Filter) range ofmicroprocessor controlled active filters designedto solve the growing problem of harmonics inlow voltage electrical networks. Two newmodels are now available, the PQFM for smallto medium three-phase industrial loads and thePQFK, a three-phase, four-wire unit for industrialand commercial networks with high triplen (thirdand its odd multiple) harmonics.The increasing use of non-linear loads in alltypes of industrial and commercial applicationshas resulted in the introduction of potentiallyharmful harmonics into the power network thatcan lead to overheating of cables, motors andtransformers, damage to sensitive equipment,tripping of circuit breakers and blowing of fusesas well as premature ageing of the installation.ABB PQF active filters provide a reliableand cost-effective solution to this problem bycontinuously monitoring the current in real timeto determine which harmonics are present andthen injecting harmonic currents in the networkwith exactly the opposite phase to thecomponents that are to be filtered. The twoharmonics effectively cancel each other out sothat the feeding transformer sees a clean sinewave.ABB PQF active filters are factoryassembled and tested, ready to install and useat site. They have a modular construction,which allows easy extension to cater for futureload growth. There is also no need to apply ade-rating factor when PQF units are coupled inparallel, which makes it feasible to achieve ahigh rating within a small footprint. Since thePQF does not operate according to theconventional low harmonic impedance principleemployed by passive filters, it remainsunaffected by changes in network parametersand can not be overloaded.The PQF offers features such as: eventlogging with real-time stamp, programmableload balancing, isolation between control andpower units by optical fibre link, digital I/O andModbus communication.The fully programmable filters can either bepre-programmed by ABB or programmed onsite using PQF-Manager, a simple, user-friendlyfront panel module that offers direct control,programming and monitoring capability. ThePQF can also be controlled by a standard PCvia its RS232 port and the optional PQF-Linksoftware. PQF units can also adopt thesecondary roles of reactive powercompensation and load balancing.Summer 2004 >> FFWD 11

power transformersTrafoStar is ABB’s common concept for the design, engineering andmanufacture of power transformers covering voltages from 72.5kVup to 800kV and is implemented in all ABB factories worldwide.ABB TrafoStar concept steps upwith fast response for BNFLWhen BNFL came to ABB with arequest for a fast track replacementGSU (generator step up unit) transformerfor Sizewell A, its 420 MW Magnoxnuclear power station on the Suffolkcoast, ABB’s TrafoStar concept for powertransformers helped put BNFL back onthe way to full production.1The new generator transformer will replacethe existing transformer which came to the endof its useful life following an electrical faultwhich tripped Reactor One offline in March2004. The new transformer, one of two GSU’sat Sizewell will step up Sizewell A’s 17.5kVterminal voltage to the 145kV required for theNational Grid.The TrafoStar concept means common designcriteria, global processes and quality supervisedby the Six-Sigma system for generator step uptransformers, substation transformers and railwayfeeding transformers. A TrafoStar transformer isbuilt of standardized, service-proven componentsand modules, ensuring flexible, dependable andtailor-made transformer designs. It meets highreliability,high-availability and low maintenancerequirements which add up to a low life cyclecost.David Sullivan, UK Product MarketingManager for ABB Power Transformers, says“Within just ten days of the event we were ableto specify the new transformer, pass BNFL’sfactory quality audit, achieve factory approval,produce a quotation and agree the contract.“We were also able to guaranteedelivery within seven months, whichshould bring Reactor One back onlinefor November this year.”BNFL’s new 17.5/145kV 340MVA generatortransformer will be manufactured in ABB’s Lodzfactory in Poland. Marcin Rutkowski, SalesManager for ABB Power Transformers, says“The excellent co-operation between ABB UK,ABB Poland and BNFL has enabled us to offera very competitive price and exceptional deliverytime”.1 BNFL’s Sizewell A nuclearpower station2 The new TrafoStar GSUtransformer will bemanufactured at ABB’s Lodzfactory in Poland2PRODUCED BY SIX DEGREES.CONTACTSFor further information about any of these subjects please contact:Substations – 01785 825050 Transformers – 01925 741244HV/MV Switchgear – 01925 741469 Asset Management – 01785 825050Automation – 01785 825050 Wind Power – 01785 825050Service – 0845 6011946 General Enquires – 01785 82505012 FFWD >> Summer 2004www.abb.com