World's first next-generation converter valve goes live in Henan
世界首台新型换流阀在河南投运
At 9:00 a.m. on December 28, in the main control room of the Lingbao HVDC converter station, the hybrid commutation converter valve (HCC converter valve)—the world's first next-generation DC transmission converter valve based on IGCT technology fully developed by China—was officially put into commercial operation after successfully completing a 168-hour trial run and receiving final approval from the National Power Dispatching and Control Center. This milestone marks a significant breakthrough in overcoming commutation failure, a key technical challenge that has plagued the global HVDC transmission field for over half a century.
“同意，投运！”12月28日9时，在灵宝背靠背换流站主控室，随着国家电力调度控制中心最终指令下达，我国完全自主研发、世界首台基于IGCT器件的新一代直流输电换流阀——混合换相换流阀（以下简称“新型HCC换流阀”），结束了168小时试运行，正式在该站投入商业运行。这标志着困扰全球直流输电领域半个多世纪的“换相失败”关键技术难题得以攻克。
The converter valve is an essential component in HVDC projects that enables the conversion between alternating current and direct current, often referred to as the "heart" of the system. Currently, conventional thyristor converter valves are widely used in HVDC projects worldwide, but they are prone to commutation failure during AC–DC conversion.
换流阀是直流输电工程中实现交流电与直流电转换的核心设备，就像是“心脏”。目前，世界上直流输电工程普遍采用传统晶闸管换流阀，在交直流电转换过程中存在“换相失败”风险。
"In HVDC systems, commutation failure is like a heart attack in people—it disrupts the power supply and, in severe cases, can cause widespread blackouts," said Yu Zhanqing, director of the DC Research Center at Tsinghua University's Department of Electrical Engineering and Applied Electronic Technology. He added that the newly commissioned HCC converter valve enables precise current detection and rapid interruption within microseconds, allowing it to turn on and off quickly, and fundamentally addressing the issue of commutation failure.
“直流输电的‘换相失败’，就像人的‘心肌梗死’，会导致供电中断，极端情况下，可能引发大面积停电。”清华大学电机工程与应用电子技术系直流研究中心主任余占清告诉记者，此次投运的新型HCC换流阀，实现了微秒级时间内电流的精准识别、快速切断，能开能关，从根本上解决“换相失败”问题。（中文来源：河南日报 记者：宋敏 实习生：张效玮 翻译：张雅涵 审校：丁岚 赵汉青）