Containerized AC/DC Converter Station as a Building Block for Medium-Voltage DC Grids

DC grids are one solution to help balance the growing energy demand with distributed renew- able generation and storage systems. To simplify the setup of medium-voltage (MV) DC grids, a simple system architecture with few standardized core components is necessary. For the coupling of new MVDC grids to existing AC grids, this paper proposes a design for a modular multilevel converter (MMC) station that could be preman- ufactured in factory and easily shipped to any site as a building block with up to 40-MW power rating. To achieve the required level of integra- tion and compactness, innovative approaches for component and system-level design need to go hand in hand, as will be illustrated in the paper.