HVDC breaker and control apparatus for controlling an HVDC breaker

1. An HVDC breaker comprising a first parallel connection of a corresponding non-linear resistor and at least one corresponding interrupter, where the resistance of the corresponding non-linear resistor of the first parallel connection decreases with increasing voltage, wherein

the HVDC breaker is sectionalized in that the HVDC breaker further comprises at least one further parallel connection of a corresponding non-linear and at least one corresponding interrupter, the first and further parallel connections being connected in series;

at least one of said parallel connections and/or at least one group of said parallel connections is arranged to be controlled individually from the other said parallel connections; and

the HVDC breaker is arranged in a manner so that the number of said parallel connections to be tripped upon tripping of the HVDC breaker depends on the operational event in response to occurrence of the tripping.

2. The HVDC breaker of claim 1 , further arranged so that different types of operational events, in response to the occurrence of the tripping and in dependence on which the number of said parallel connections and/or groups of said parallel connections to be tripped will be adjusted, include:

a line fault situation, and

the breaking of an HVDC line during normal operation.

3. The HVDC breaker of claim 1 , wherein said parallel connection comprises at least one mechanically operated interrupter and/or at least one power semiconductor interrupter.

4. The HVDC breaker of claim 1 , wherein at least one of said parallel connections comprises a section status indicating device arranged to detect if the operation of a parallel connection has been unsuccessful, and to generate a section status signal indicative of unsuccessful operation in case a parallel connection has not operated successfully.

5. The HVDC breaker of claim 1 , wherein the HVDC breaker comprises at least one redundant parallel connection of a corresponding non-linear resistor and at least one corresponding interrupter.

6. An HVDC breaker system comprising the HVDC breaker of claim 1 , the HVDC breaker system further comprising a control apparatus for controlling the tripping of an HVDC breaker, the control apparatus comprising:

a system status signal interface arranged to receive system status signals of at least two different types, wherein the system status signal type is indicative of an operational event in an HVDC system of which the HVDC breaker forms a part;

a section actuating signal interface arranged to transmit, to the HVDC breaker, at least one section actuating signal causing at least one individually controllable parallel connection and/or group of parallel connections of the HVDC breaker to trip; and

an actuating control mechanism to the system status signal interface and to the section actuating signal interface, wherein

the actuating control mechanism is arranged to determine, based on information relating to the type of at least one received system status signal, the number of said parallel connections and/or groups of said parallel connections that should be tripped, and to send, via the section actuating signal interface, a corresponding section actuating signal or signals to trip said number of parallel connections and/or groups of parallel connections.

7. The HVDC breaker system of claim 6 , wherein different types of operational events of which a system status signal may be indicative include:

a line fault situation, and

the breaking of an HVDC line during normal operation.

8. The HVDC breaker system of claim 6 , wherein

the actuating control mechanism is further arranged to select which of said parallel connections and/or groups of said parallel connections are to be tripped in response to the receipt of the system status signal and to send, via the section actuating signal interface, the corresponding section actuating signal or signals to trip the selected parallel connection(s) and/or group(s) of parallel connection(s).

9. The HVDC breaker system of claim 6 , further comprising

an interface arranged to receive, from a section status indicating device, a section status indicative of unsuccessful operation of a parallel connection; and wherein

the actuating control mechanism is arranged to send, in response to receipt of a section status signal indicative of unsuccessful operation of a parallel connection, a section actuating signal to trip the at least one corresponding interrupter of a parallel connection or group of parallel connections wherein the corresponding interrupter(s) are currently closed.

10. The HVDC breaker system of claim 6 , wherein

the actuating control mechanism is arranged to send, in response to receipt of at least one type of system status signal, a corresponding section actuating signal or signals to trip the corresponding interrupters of at least one of said parallel connections and/or group of said parallel connections at a first point in time and the corresponding interrupters of at least a further of said parallel connections and/or group of said parallel connections at another point in time.

11. The HVDC breaker system according to claim 6 , further comprising

a further control apparatus, wherein the HVDC breaker is arranged to be controlled by the first control apparatus and by the further control apparatus independently from each other; and wherein

the further control apparatus is arranged to receive at least one section status signal from at least one different section status signal source than the first control apparatus.

12. An HVDC power transmission system comprising the HVDC breaker system of claim 6 .

13. A method of interrupting a DC current in an HVDC system, the method comprising:

receiving, in a control apparatus for controlling an HVDC breaker, a system status signal the type of which is indicative of an operational event requiring the interruption of the DC current, wherein the control apparatus is arranged to control an HVDC breaker being sectionalized in that the HVDC breaker comprises at least two series-connected parallel connections of a corresponding non-linear resistor and at least one corresponding interrupter, where the resistance of the corresponding non-linear resistor decreases with increasing voltage; and where at least one of said parallel connections and/or at least one group of said parallel connections is arranged to be controlled individually from the other said parallel connections; the method further comprising:

determining, in dependence on the type of the system status signal received, the number of said parallel connections and/or groups of said parallel connections to be used for interrupting the DC current; and

sending, to the HVDC breaker, a corresponding section actuating signal or signals to trip said number of said parallel connections and/or groups of parallel connections.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein possible operational events of which the system signal type may be indicative include:

a line fault situation, and

the breaking of an HVDC line during normal operation.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein

the determining is performed by means of a mapping table, where the mapping table maps, for at least two system status signal types, the type of system status signal to the number of parallel connections and/or groups of parallel connections to be tripped upon receipt of that system status signal type.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein

the step of determining further comprises selecting which of said parallel connections and/or groups of said parallel connections are to be tripped in response to the receipt of the system status signal; and

the corresponding section actuating signal or signals are sent to trip the corresponding interrupters of the selected parallel connection(s) and/or group(s) of parallel connections.

17. The method of claim 13 , further comprising

receiving, from a section status indicating device, a section status signal indicative of the unsuccessful operation of a parallel connection; and

sending, in response to receipt of said section status signal, a section actuating signal to trip the corresponding interrupter(s) of a parallel connection or group of parallel connections wherein the corresponding interrupter(s) are currently closed.

18. The HVDC breaker of claim 2 , wherein said parallel connection comprises at least one mechanically operated interrupter and/or at least one power semiconductor interrupter.

19. The HVDC breaker of claim 2 , wherein at least one of said parallel connections comprises a section status indicating device arranged to detect if the operation of a parallel connection has been unsuccessful, and to generate a section status signal indicative of unsuccessful operation in case a parallel connection has not operated successfully.

20. The HVDC breaker of claim 3 , wherein at least one of said parallel connections comprises a section status indicating device arranged to detect if the operation of a parallel connection has been unsuccessful, and to generate a section status signal indicative of unsuccessful operation in case a parallel connection has not operated successfully.