Offshore Wind Farm Grid Integration by VSC Technology With LCC-Based HVDC Transmission

High-voltage dc (HVDC) transmission based on the line-commutated converter (LCC) is the most established and widespread technology around the world. However, HVDC based on the voltage source converter (VSC) has emerged as the best option to integrate renewable energy sources, e.g., offshore wind farms. This work investigates the feasibility of using a conventional LCC-HVDC transmission in combination with a VSC to integrate offshore wind farms. Such integration results in a hybrid HVDC connection, i.e., the connection of a VSC with an LCC through a dc cable. The operational features of a model of three-terminal hybrid HVDC, two LCC stations and one VSC station, is investigated using PSCAD/EMTDC. The simulations include an aggregate model to emulate the wind farm. The corresponding control strategies are proposed for each terminal and verified under various conditions including wind speed variations and ac faults.