# US 2019/0245346 A1 · Power transmission network > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0245346 A1 - Document ID: US20190245346A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/316,231 - Filed: 2017-07-06 - Published: 2019-08-08 - Earliest claimed: 2016-07-08 - Assignees: General Electric Technology GmbH - Applicants: General Electric Technology GmbH - Inventors: Carl Barker; Pablo Briff; Francisco Moreno; Rosemary KING - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190245346A1 ## CPC - H02J 1/12: Parallel operation of DC sources having power converters with further DC sources without power converters - H02J 1/08: Three-wire DC power distribution systems; Systems having more than three wires - H02J 1/102: being switching converters (H02J1/108, H02J1/12 take precedence) - H02J 3/36: Arrangements for transfer of electric power between AC networks via high-voltage DC [HVDC] links; Arrangements for transfer of electric power between generators and networks via HVDC links - Y02E 60/60: Arrangements for transfer of electric power between AC networks or generators via a high voltage DC link [HVCD] - H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## Abstract A power transmission network includes converters interconnected via electrical elements, at least one power flow router, and a controller. Each power flow router being operatively connected to the electrical elements, each power flow router configured to selectively control current flow in the electrical elements so as to direct power between two or more of the plurality of converters. The controller configured to selectively control the converters and each power flow router to control power flow in the power transmission network The controller is configured to carry out a mathematical optimisation to determine optimal operating set points of the converters; after carrying out the mathematical optimisation, carry out another mathematical optimisation to determine optimal current flows in the electrical elements; and control the converters in accordance with each determined optimal operating set point, and control the power flow router(s) to achieve each determined optimal current flow in the electrical elements. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A power transmission network comprising: a plurality of converters interconnected via a plurality of electrical elements; at least one power flow router, the or each power flow router being operatively connected to at least one of the plurality of electrical elements, the or each power flow router being configured to be controllable to selectively control current flow in at least one of the plurality of electrical elements so as to direct power between two or more of the plurality of converters; and a controller configured to selectively control the plurality of converters and the or each power flow router to control power flow in the power transmission network; wherein the controller is configured to: carry out a first mathematical optimisation to determine one or more optimal operating set points of one or more of the converters; after carrying out the first mathematical optimisation, carry out a second mathematical optimisation to determine one or more optimal current flows in the plurality of electrical elements; and control the one or more of the converters in accordance with the or each determined optimal operating set point, and control the power flow router or at least one of the power flow routers to achieve the or each determined optimal current flow in the plurality of electrical elements. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The power transmission network according to claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to control the one or more of the converters in accordance with the or each determined optimal operating set point by modifying a droop parameter of the one or more of the converters. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The power transmission network according to claim 1, wherein the first mathematical optimisation includes a multiple input, multiple output optimisation procedure. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The power transmission network according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to carry out the second mathematical optimisation by creating an equivalent power transmission network configuration which represents current flow conditions in the plurality of electrical elements. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The power transmission network according to claim 4, wherein creating an equivalent power transmission network configuration which represents current flow conditions in the plurality of electrical elements includes mapping converter currents in the plurality of electrical elements. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The power transmission network according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to carry out the second mathematical optimisation to determine one or more optimal current flows in the plurality of electrical elements in response to an increase or decrease in demand of power or current flow between two or more of the converters. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The power transmission network according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to repeat the first mathematical optimisation subsequent to carrying out the second mathematical optimisation. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The power transmission network according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to implement an iterative algorithm to carry out the first mathematical optimisation and the second mathematical optimisation. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The power transmission network according to claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to implement the iterative algorithm to determine an equilibrium point between the outcomes of the first and second mathematical optimisations, and to end the iterative algorithm after determining the equilibrium point. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The power transmission network according to claim 9, wherein the equilibrium point corresponds to an error between consecutive values of the outcome of the first mathematical optimisation falling within a predefined tolerance band. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The power transmission network according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to carry out at least one of the mathematical optimisations based on one or more constraints of the power transmission network. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The power transmission network according to claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to carry out the first mathematical optimisation based on one or more constraints of the converters. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The power transmission network according to claim 11, wherein the or each constraint of the power transmission network is selected from a group including: a real-time operating parameter of the power transmission network or a component of the power transmission network; an operating set point of the power transmission network or a component of the power transmission network; an operating rating of the power transmission network or a component of the power transmission network; a physical property of the power transmission network or a component of the power transmission network; a functional requirement of the power transmission network or a component of the power transmission network; a performance requirement of the power transmission network or a component of the power transmission network. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The power transmission network according to claim 11, wherein the or each constraint of the power transmission network is selected from a group including: a constraint of the converters; a constraint of the electrical elements; a constraint of the power flow routers. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The power transmission network according to claim 12, wherein the or each constraint of the converters is selected from a group including: an operating current of a given converter; an operating voltage of a given converter; an operating power of a given converter; a current rating of a given converter; a voltage rating of a given converter; a power rating of a given converter; a droop parameter of a given converter; an AC system frequency associated with a given converter; a power quality rating of a given converter. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The power transmission network according to claim 14, wherein the or each constraint of the electrical elements is selected from a group including: an operating current of a given electrical element; an operating voltage of a given electrical element; a temperature of a given electrical element; a current carrying capacity of a given electrical element; a current rating of a given electrical element; a rate of change in current rating of a given electrical element; a thermal rating of a given electrical element; a voltage rating of a given electrical element; a physical dimension of a given electrical element; a predefined distribution of current loads between two or more of the electrical elements; a balancing of current loads between two or more of the electrical elements; a power quality rating of a given electrical element; a transmission loss of a given electrical element. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The power transmission network according to claim 14, wherein the or each constraint of the power flow routers is selected from a group including: a current rating of a given power flow router; a voltage rating of a given power flow router; a change of current flow controllable by a given power flow router in a given electrical element. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The power transmission network according to claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to carry out at least one of the mathematical optimisations based on a plurality of constraints of the power transmission network by applying a respective weighting to each of the plurality of constraints. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The power transmission network according to claim 18, wherein the plurality of constraints of the power transmission network includes respective transmission losses of the plurality of the electrical elements, and applying a respective weighting to each of the plurality of constraints includes weighing the respective transmission losses of the plurality of the electrical elements by the respective resistive components of the plurality of the electrical elements. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) A power transmission network according to claim 1, wherein the power flow router or at least one of the power flow routers is configured to be controllable to selectively modify an impedance of at least one of the plurality of electrical elements so as to control current flow in at least one of the plurality of electrical elements. ### Claim at position 21 21-42. (canceled)