The OPHELIA project developed
by five partners: Compagnie Nationale Rhône
(CNR), Nexans, Schneider Electric, SNCF, and
SuperGrid Institute.49
The use MVDC technology power systems is
still relatively novel concept. Long
linear photovoltaic power plants provide a
response land scarcity, they help maximize
the use long, narrow land surfaces and
structures that have already been designated
for other uses (dikes, spaces alongside railways,
Section 6
MVDC projects around the world
.1. This
project used traditional 1. Transitioning MVDC power
distribution enables substantial material savings in
passive components and cables.
The OPHELIA project’s focus linear PV
deployment due the land area required for
solar installation: requires large areas
(approximately hectare per megawatt peak
(1 ha/MWp) near load centres, limited. The first step this
project involved deployment special modules
with reinforced insulation connected series to
realize strings, where the maximum
voltage achieved when the plant operates low
temperatures (–20 °C).1 Case study: OPHELIA project,
France
The OPHELIA project pioneering initiative
aimed demonstrating the feasibility linear
photovoltaic power plant using MVDC collection
network [50]. This project used
commercial MVDC contactors, disconnectors,
connectors and cables from the railways industry.
Thus far, the use MVDC technology real
hardware deployments can grouped follows. This section outlines
the variety projects that have been deployed or
are under development.1 Photovoltaic solar plants
MVDC technology being used improve
efficiency and reduce the cost large-scale PV
solar plants.5 strings with
the DC-DC converter increasing the voltage to
20 DC.
In most large-scale solar plants, the string
open-circuit voltage 1. Located France, the primary
technical objective the project evaluate
both the scalability larger installations and the
effectiveness MVDC technology transmitting
power from linear (long and relatively thin) PV
power plants.
6.
6. The second phase the
project added MVDC-MVAC inverter connect
the system grid.
An example plant under development
is the POWER project [37].5 kV, the limit the
low voltage domain.
An example plant using lower voltage
strings and DC-DC boost converters step the
system voltage levels transmit power
to nearby substation provided [49].
Two different technical approaches have been
taken for the use MVDC large-scale solar
plants:
§ Increasing string voltage adding more
PV modules series,
or
§ Stepping the voltage with DC-DC boost
converters
