Proposed 30-MJ Superconducting Magnetic Energy Storage Unit for Stabilizing an Electric Transmission System

摘要

Electric power systems that have major loads and generation centers separated by large distances may experience low-frequency power oscillations. This type of oscillation has occurred on the Pacific AC Intertie that connects southern California and the Pacific Northwest. A separate, almost parallel, dc-transmission line also connects these areas. The Bonneville Power Administration, which operates this transmission system, has overcome the instability by controlling the power transmitted on the dc-transmission line. The power variations on the dc line are about 5 MW. Studies at the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory and the Bonneville Power Administration show that a 30-MJ (8.4-kWh) superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES) unit with a 10-MW converter could provide similar damping for the instability. The Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory's conceptual design of the 30-MJ coil and the cryogenic and electronic components of the system are described. (ERA citation 03:050353)