The NEPTUNE power system: design from fundamentals

This paper describes the process and recounts the decisions that have been made in the design of the NEPTUNE power system. The design process has consisted of a number of top-level decisions based on trade-off studies, followed by a number of more detailed developments based on fundamental considerations of the system needs. The system will use a parallel 10-kV dc scheme to deliver power at 400 V to the user. Altogether, around 100 kW can be delivered to the load distributed along the underwater cable, and up to 10 kW can be obtained at any one science node. In the design process, several commonplace solutions of power engineering have been re-examined and abandoned.

[1]  V. Vorperian,et al.  The design of the NEPTUNE power system , 2001, MTS/IEEE Oceans 2001. An Ocean Odyssey. Conference Proceedings (IEEE Cat. No.01CH37295).

[2]  Chen-Ching Liu,et al.  Real-time control and protection of the NEPTUNE power system , 2002, OCEANS '02 MTS/IEEE.

[3]  C. W. Taylor,et al.  Voltage instability: mechanisms and control strategies [power systems] , 1995, Proc. IEEE.

[4]  V. Vorperian,et al.  Power system considerations for undersea observatories , 2002 .

[5]  Bill Howe,et al.  NEPTUNE: real-time, long-term ocean and Earth studies at the scale of a tectonic plate , 2001, MTS/IEEE Oceans 2001. An Ocean Odyssey. Conference Proceedings (IEEE Cat. No.01CH37295).

[6]  Chen-Ching Liu,et al.  State estimation for the NEPTUNE power system , 2003, 2003 IEEE PES Transmission and Distribution Conference and Exposition (IEEE Cat. No.03CH37495).