Optical Fiber Grid Stabilization Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for grid stabilization, particularly in AC voltage grids serving offshore installations, face challenges in efficiently and reliably controlling reactive power and voltage over long distances, often requiring costly and inaccessible offshore converter platforms.

Innovation Solution

A method utilizing electro-optical and opto-electrical converters to transmit control signals via optical fibers, allowing for remote control of a controllable compensation system, enabling fast and accurate regulation of voltage and reactive power by converting electrical signals into light signals of different wavelengths for transmission over long distances, thereby simplifying and enhancing the reliability of grid stabilization.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If optical fiber transmission with wavelength conversion is used for remote control, then control speed and reliability over long distances is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional converters and transceivers

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontrol reliabilityVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces optical fiber as an intermediary transmission medium between the measuring unit and control unit, enabling reliable long-distance communication. Wavelength conversion acts as an intermediary process to adapt signals for optimal transmission through the optical fiber network, ensuring signal integrity over extended distances while maintaining control reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces traditional electrical signal transmission with optical signal transmission using electro-optical and opto-electrical converters. This substitution eliminates the limitations of electrical transmission over long distances, providing immune-to-interference signal transmission and enabling reliable remote control of the compensation system from land-based locations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Ease of repair

If compensation system is located on land, then maintenance accessibility and cost are improved, but control distance increases requiring long-distance signal transmission

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemaintenance accessibilityVSAvoidcontrol distance
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of repairVSLength of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces traditional electrical transmission infrastructure with optical fiber transmission, enabling the compensation system to be located on land while maintaining reliable control over long distances. The optical transmission medium provides immune-to-interference signal transmission, allowing control signals to travel hundreds of kilometers without degradation, thus enabling land-based installation while maintaining offshore grid stabilization capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Device complexity

If traditional electrical transmission is used, then device complexity is reduced, but transmission distance and signal reliability deteriorate over long distances

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesystem complexityVSAvoidtransmission distance
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSLength of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces optical fiber as an intermediary transmission medium that overcomes the inherent limitations of electrical transmission over long distances. The optical fiber acts as a dedicated communication channel that maintains signal integrity regardless of distance, enabling reliable transmission of control signals from land-based control units to offshore compensation systems without the signal degradation that plagues traditional electrical transmission.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Enables quick and reliable control of grid stabilization over long distances, reducing costs by allowing the compensation system to be located on land, improving maintenance accessibility, and achieving high accuracy in power transmission regulation.

Implementation Method 1

the actual value is fed to an electro-optical converter in the form of an electrical signal, which provides the actual value in the form of a light signal of a first wavelength on the output side

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElectro-optical conversion: Electro-Optic Effects

Implementation Method 2

the converted actual value is transmitted via an optical fiber to a second transceiver

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectOptical fiber transmission: Optical Fibre

Implementation Method 3

the second transceiver converts the actual value into a light signal of the first wavelength and directs it to an opto-electrical converter, the opto-electrical converter provides the actual value in the form of an electrical signal

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectOpto-electrical conversion: Photoelectric Effect

Data Source

PatentEP3345027B1Arrangement and method for stabilising an ac grid
Publication Date: 2020.04.29 SIEMENS ENERGY GLOBAL GMBH & CO KG
  • EP3345027B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3345027B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3

AI summary

The invention relates to a method for the network stabilization of an alternating-voltage network (2) by means of a controllable compensation system (3) connected to the alternating-voltage network. According to the invention, a plurality of measurement values of a controlled variable are determined and are supplied to a data processing unit (7), by means of which an actual value of the controlled variable is derived from the measurement values in accordance with a previously calculated effective value of the measurement values, the actual value is supplied in the form of an electrical signal to an electro-optical converter (71), which provides the actual value on the output side in the form of a light signal of a first wavelength, the actual value is supplied to a first transceiver (8), which converts the actual value into a light signal of a second wavelength, the converted actual value is transmitted by means of an optical waveguide (9) to a second transceiver (10), the second transceiver converts the actual value into a light signal of the first wavelength and conducts the actual value to an optoelectrical converter (111), the optoelectrical converter provides the actual value on the output side in the form of an electrical signal, which is supplied to a control unit (11), by means of which a value of a manipulated variable of the control system is determined from the actual value and from a specified set point of the controlled variable, and the compensation system (3) is controlled in accordance with the value of the manipulated variable. The invention further relates to a system (1) designed to perform the method according to the invention.