Method and system for a gas tube-based current source high voltage direct current transmission system

1. A current source converter-based high-voltage direct-current (HVDC) transmission system comprising:

an alternating current (AC) electrical source; and

a current source converter (CSC)-based power converter channel comprising:

an AC-DC converter comprising a first H-bridge switching circuit electrically coupled to the electrical source, said first H-bridge switching circuit comprising a plurality of first legs electrically coupled in series parallel with respect to each other, each first leg of the plurality of first legs comprising at least one first switching device;

a DC-AC inverter comprising a second H-bridge switching circuit electrically coupled to said AC-DC converter, said second H-bridge switching circuit comprising a plurality of second legs electrically coupled in series parallel with respect to each other, each second leg of said plurality of second legs comprising at least one second switching device; and

a commutating circuit communicatively coupled to one or more first and second switching devices of at least one of said first and second H-bridge switching circuits, respectively, said commutating circuit configured to “switch on” a respective one of said one or more first and second switching devices during a first portion of an operational cycle of at least one of said first and second H-bridge switching circuits, respectively, and said commutating circuit further configured to “switch off” said respective one of said one or more first and second switching devices during a second portion of the operational cycle of said at least one of said first and second H-bridge switching circuits respectively;

wherein at least a portion of said switching devices comprise a plurality of gas tube switches; and

wherein the commutating circuit is further configured to transfer current from a first gas tube switch of the plurality of gas tube switches to a second gas tube switch of the plurality of gas tube switches.

2. The HVDC transmission system of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of said switching devices is rated for greater than approximately 100 kilovolts (kV).

3. The HVDC transmission system of claim 2 , wherein at least a portion of said switching devices is rated for greater than approximately 300 kilovolts (kV).

4. The HVDC transmission system of claim 1 , wherein each said switching device comprises a chamber enclosing an ionizable gas.

5. The HVDC transmission system of claim 1 , wherein said HVDC transmission system comprises a plurality of power converter channels coupled in electrical parallel.

6. The HVDC transmission system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of said first and said second H-bridge switching circuits comprises a plurality of switching devices coupled in electrical series.

7. The HVDC transmission system of claim 1 , further comprising a load bus electrically coupled to said second H-bridge switching circuit.

8. The HVDC transmission system of claim 1 , wherein said commutating circuit comprises a first commutating circuit communicatively coupled to one or more of the first switching devices of only said first H-bridge switching circuit and a second commutating circuit communicatively coupled to one or more second switching devices of only said second H-bridge switching circuit.

9. The HVDC transmission system of claim 1 , wherein switching devices have bidirectional current blocking capability.

10. A method of transmitting electrical power using direct current (DC) transmission, said method comprising:

receiving alternating current (AC) electrical power;

transferring current from a first switching device of a plurality of converter switching devices to a second switching device of the plurality of converter switching devices by sequentially turning on and turning off the first and the second switching devices at selectable times;

generating a direct current (DC) flow of electrical power using the transferred current; and

generating an alternating current using a plurality of inverter switching devices by sequentially turning on and turning off the inverter switching devices at selectable times;

wherein transferring current from a first switching device of a plurality of converter switching devices to a second switching device of the plurality of converter switching devices comprises transferring current from a first gas tube switch of a plurality of converter gas tube switches to a second gas tube switch of the plurality of converter gas tube switches.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein transferring current from said first switching device of a plurality of converter switching devices to a second switching device of the plurality of converter switching devices comprises commutating the converter switching devices using a commutating circuit communicatively coupled to each converter switching device of the plurality of converter switching devices.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein generating said alternating current using a plurality of inverter switching devices comprises controlling a reactive power output of the plurality of inverter switching devices by controlling a commutation of the plurality of inverter switching devices.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising enabling black start of a remote AC electric power generation facility.

14. A power converter channel comprising:

an AC-DC converter comprising a first H-bridge switching circuit electrically coupled to the electrical source, said first H-bridge switching circuit comprising a plurality of first legs electrically coupled in series parallel with respect to each other, each first leg of the plurality of first legs comprising at least one first switching device;

a DC-AC inverter comprising a second H-bridge switching circuit electrically coupled to said AC-DC converter, said second H-bridge switching circuit comprising a plurality of second legs electrically coupled in series parallel with respect to each other, each second leg of said plurality of second legs comprising at least one second switching device; and

a commutating circuit communicatively coupled to one or more first and second switching devices of at least one of said first and second H-bridge switching circuits, respectively, said commutating circuit configured to “switch on” a respective one of said one or more first and second switching devices during a first portion of an operational cycle of at least one of said first and second H-bridge switching circuits, respectively, and said commutating circuit further configured to “switch off” said respective one of said one or more first and second switching devices during a second portion of the operational cycle of said at least one of said first and second H-bridge switching circuits respectively;

wherein at least a portion of said switching devices comprise a plurality of gas tube switches; and

wherein the commutating circuit is further configured to transfer current from a first gas tube switch of the plurality of gas tube switches to a second gas tube switch of the plurality of gas tube switches.

15. The power converter channel of claim 14 , wherein at least a portion of said switching devices is rated for greater than approximately 100 kilovolts (kV).

16. The power converter channel of claim 15 , wherein at least a portion of said switching devices is rated for greater than approximately 300 kilovolts (kV).

17. The power converter channel of claim 14 , wherein each said switching device comprises a chamber enclosing an ionizable gas.

18. The power converter channel of claim 14 , wherein said HVDC transmission system comprises a plurality of power converter channels coupled in electrical parallel.

19. The power converter channel of claim 14 , wherein at least one of said first and said second H-bridge switching circuits comprises a plurality of switching devices coupled in electrical series.