A HVDC shunt tap based on unidirectional hybrid modular DC–DC converter with simultaneous charging and sequential discharging of capacitors

In this paper, a new HVDC shunt tap is proposed. The proposed configuration consists of a unidirectional hybrid modular DC–DC converter followed by a voltage source converter for DC–AC conversion to feed a local AC network connected to the tap output terminals. The proposed DC–DC converter consists of a high-voltage valve, and series-connected unidirectional half-bridge Sub-Modules (SMs). Unlike Marx generator circuit concept, the DC–DC conversion in the proposed configuration is achieved by enabling simultaneous charging of series-connected capacitors (i.e. SMs capacitors), and sequential discharging of capacitors. Compared to Marx-generator based switched capacitor DC–DC converters, the proposed configuration has a lower number of semiconductor devices, which affects positively the system cost, and reduces the control complexity. Detailed illustration, design, and control of the proposed approach are presented. Simulation results are presented to validate the proposed approach.