Large-Signal Stability Analysis of the Undersea Direct Current Power System for Scientific Cabled Seafloor Observatories

Abstract

A large number of power electronic converters and long-distance submarine cables are an important part of the undersea direct current (DC) power system of the scientific cabled seafloor observatories (CSOs). However, the constant power load (CPL) characteristics of the converters and the distributed parameter characteristics of long-distance submarine cables greatly affect the stability of the CSO DC power system. This paper analyzes the large-signal stability of the CSO DC power system, and the equivalent circuits of long-distance submarine cables are established by theoretical analysis and computer simulation. A simplified computer simulation model and an equivalent experimental prototype model of a single-node CSO DC power system was built in the laboratory to study this issue. The mixed potential function method is used to analyze the large-signal stability of the CSO DC power system, and the large-signal stability criterion is obtained theoretically. The validity of the large-signal stability criterion is proved by simulations and experiments. The conclusion is that reducing the inductance of the submarine cable, increasing the capacitance of the submarine cable, increasing the output voltage of the shore station power feeding equipment (PFE) or reducing the power consumption of the undersea station, are beneficial to improve the large-signal stability of the CSO DC power system.

Keywords

• cabled seafloor observatories
• direct current power systems
• large-signal stability
• mixed potential function