Method and system for a gas tube switch-based voltage source high voltage direct current transmission system

A method of transmitting electrical power using direct current (DC) transmission, said method comprising:

• receiving alternating current (AC) electrical power;
• transferring current from a first gas tube switching device of a plurality of converter gas tube switching devices to a second gas tube switching device of the plurality of converter gas tube switching devices by sequentially turning on and turning off the first and the second gas tube switching device at selectable times;
• generating a direct current (DC) flow of electrical power using the transferred current;
• and
• generating an alternating current using a plurality of inverter gas tube switching devices by sequentially turning on and turning off the inverter gas tube switching devices at selectable times.

A power converter channel comprising:

• an AC-DC converter comprising a first three-phase bridge switching circuit electrically coupled to an electrical source, said first three-phase bridge switching circuit comprising a plurality of first legs electrically coupled in series parallel with respect to each other, each first leg of said plurality of first legs comprising at least one gas tube switching device;
• a DC-AC inverter comprising a second three-phase bridge switching circuit electrically coupled to said AC-DC converter, said second three-phase bridge switching circuit comprising a plurality of second legs electrically coupled in series parallel with respect to each other, each second leg of said plurality of second legs comprising at least one gas tube switching device;
• and
• a commutating circuit communicatively coupled to one or more first and second gas tube switching devices of at least one of said first and second three-phase bridge switching circuits, said commutating circuit configured to “switch on” a respective one of said one or more first and second gas tube switching devices during a first portion of an operational cycle of at least one of said first and second three-phase bridge switching circuits and “switch off” said respective one of said one or more first and second gas tube switching devices during a second portion of the operational cycle of said at least one of said first and second three-phase bridge switching circuits.