Granted Patent B2

US 12,567,747 · App. 18/833,480 · Granted Mar 3, 2026

Inventors: Yin Sun (The Hague, NL); Martijn Lunshof (Amsterdam, NL)

Assignee: SHELL USA, INC.

H02J3/36H02J3/38H02J2003/365

Abstract

Claims (37)

1 . A method for providing electric power from a renewable energy equipment ( 108 ) to an electrical load ( 122 ), the method comprises:

(a) providing an HVDC system ( 100 ) comprising an AC/DC converter sub-system ( 102 ) and a VSC sub-system ( 104 ),

wherein the AC/DC converter sub-system comprises at least one AC/DC converter unit ( 106 ), an input electrically connected with the renewable energy equipment ( 108 ), and an output electrically connected with the VSC sub-system ( 104 ), and

wherein the VSC sub-system comprises at least one VSC ( 118 ), an input electrically connected with the AC/DC converter sub-system ( 102 ), and an output electrically connected with at least one electrical load ( 122 );

(b) determining an initial voltage magnitude and phase angle for electric power to be generated by the renewable energy equipment ( 108 );

(c) operating the renewable energy equipment ( 108 ) to generate electric power having the predetermined initial voltage magnitude and phase angle from step (b) to energize an HVDC link ( 116 ) between the AC/DC converter sub-system ( 102 ) and the VSC sub-system ( 104 ), thereby providing DC electric power to the VSC sub-system ( 104 ), wherein the renewable energy equipment ( 108 ) generates the electric power at a power production rate;

(d) operating the VSC sub-system ( 104 ) to convert the DC electric power to AC electric power output to energize the at least one electrical load ( 122 ), wherein the AC electric power output comprises an initial voltage magnitude;

(e) determining whether the power production rate of the renewable energy equipment is within a designated parameter, and if an outcome of the determination is a “no,” operating the renewable energy equipment to follow the VSC sub-system such that controlling the AC electric power output of the VSC sub-system ( 104 ) influences the power production rate of the renewal energy equipment ( 108 );

(f) changing the AC electric power output of the VSC sub-system ( 104 ), thereby introducing a power disparity to the renewable energy equipment ( 108 );

(g) in response to at least the power disparity from step (f), adjusting the power production rate of the renewable energy equipment ( 108 ) to restore power balance to the renewable energy equipment ( 108 ); and

(h) repeating steps (e) through (g) until it is determined that the power production rate of the renewable energy equipment ( 108 ) is within the designated parameter.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein step (f) comprises operating the VSC sub-system ( 104 ) to provide AC electric power output comprising a new voltage magnitude selected based at least on a desired incremental change to the AC voltage output; and

wherein step (g) comprises operating the renewable energy equipment ( 108 ) to generate electric power with a new voltage magnitude and phase angle that correspond to the new voltage magnitude of the VSC sub-system ( 104 ) from step (f) to restore power balance to the renewable energy equipment ( 108 ).

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the desired incremental change is determined based at least on a difference between an actual AC voltage output and a designated AC voltage output of the VSC sub-system.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

(i) upon determining that the power production rate of the renewable energy equipment ( 108 ) is within the designated parameter, operating the VSC sub-system ( 104 ) to follow the renewable energy equipment ( 108 ) such that a change in electric power generated by renewable energy equipment ( 108 ) influences the AC electric power output of the VSC sub-system ( 104 ); and

(j) maintaining the HVDC link in steady state in response to a detected power disparity in the HVDC link caused at least by a change in the electric power generated by the renewable energy equipment by operating the VSC sub-system ( 104 ) to adjust voltage magnitude of its AC electric power output to correspond to the electric power generated by the renewable energy equipment ( 108 ).

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein step (j) comprises

identifying a change in the voltage magnitude and phase angle of the electric power generated by the renewable energy equipment causing the detected power disparity; and

adjusting the AC electric power output of the VSC sub-system ( 104 ) to restore the HDVC link ( 116 ) to steady state by operating the VSC sub-system ( 104 ) to provide AC electric power output comprising a new voltage magnitude based on the identified change.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the designated parameter is in a range from −10% to +10% of a power production threshold of the renewable energy equipment.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the power production threshold is determined by maximum power point tracking (MPPT).

8 . A method for controlling an HVDC system to provide electric power from a renewable energy equipment to an electrical load the method comprising:

(a) providing an HVDC system ( 100 ) comprising an AC/DC converter sub-system ( 102 ) and a VSC sub-system ( 104 ),

wherein the AC/DC converter sub-system comprises at least one AC/DC converter unit ( 106 ), an input electrically connected with the renewable energy equipment ( 108 ), and an output electrically connected with the VSC sub-system ( 104 ), and

wherein the VSC sub-system comprises at least one VSC ( 118 ), an input electrically connected with the AC/DC converter sub-system ( 102 ), and an output electrically connected with at least one electrical load ( 122 ); and

(b) operating the renewable energy equipment ( 108 ) to generate electric power having a voltage magnitude and phase angle that maintain a HDVC link ( 116 ) in steady state and provide DC electric power to the VSC sub-system ( 104 );

(c) operating the VSC sub-system ( 104 ) to convert the DC electric power to AC electric power output to provide to at least one electrical load ( 122 ), wherein the AC electric power output comprises a first voltage magnitude;

(d) monitoring status of the HVDC link ( 116 ) to detect a deviation from steady state caused at least by a change in the voltage magnitude and phase angle of the electric power generated by the renewable energy equipment ( 108 ); and

(e) upon detecting the deviation, restoring the HVDC link ( 116 ) to steady state, wherein the restoring step comprises identifying the change from step (d), and operating the VSC sub-system ( 104 ) to convert the DC electric power to AC electric power output comprising a new voltage magnitude selected based on the identified change.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein step (d) comprises continuously monitoring wherein the status of the HVDC link is continuously monitored at a time interval of less than 1 second.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the HVDC link is in steady state when its operating voltage magnitude is in a range from +/−0.01% to +/−10% of its nominal voltage rating.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one electrical load is one or more electrical consumers.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the one or more electrical consumers comprises an electrolyzer with a nominal capacity of at least 10 Megawatts (MW).

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the electrolyzer does not receive electric power from a utility power grid to generate hydrogen.

14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the AC/DC converter subsystem ( 102 ) is a rectifier sub-system comprising at least one rectifier unit.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the rectifier sub-system comprises a plurality of rectifier units connected in series and/or the VSC sub-system comprises a plurality of VSCs connected in series.

Assignments (1)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (53)