Protection of ±500 kV HVDC double-circuit converter station from lightning induced overvoltage

In order to obtain reasonable schemes of arrester in converter stations, the arrester scheme of "Xiluodu-Guangdong HVDC ± 500 kV double circuit transmission" project against lighting induced overvoltage, which was designed according to the main principle of lightning protection in converter station, is discussed. A calculation of the lighting induced overvoltage in Zhaotong converter station un- der various operation modes is performed with ATP-EMTP software, then the surge arrester configuration of the converter station is decided, and the arrester protection schemes of smoothing reactor and neutral line are studied. It is concluded that additional protection is necessary because of the relatively large gap between protected disconnecting switch and arrester of metallic return transfer bus. Plus, the smoothing reactor (SR) arrester near the valve hall could be removed to improve the scheme’s economic performance.