Abstract: Recommended practices for specifying Thyristor-Controlled Series Capacitor (TCSC) installations used in series with transmission lines are provided. Ratings for TCSC thyristor valve assemblies, capacitors, and reactors as well as TCSC control characteristics, protective features, cooling systems, testing, commissioning, training, documentation, operation, and maintenance are addressed.

This Green Book offers the outstanding expertise of CIGRE professionals about Flexible AC Transmission Systems (FACTS) in one concise handbook. FACTS are used to enhance AC power networks, by providing fast control of power flows and AC voltage and AC phase angles. They can be used to defer the need for additional power lines, by controlling the power flow on lines to achieve maximum utilisation of the existing lines, and/or by improving the power quality, e.g. when large disturbing loads are connected to the network. This Green Book on FACTS provides comprehensive information about the use of Power Electronics for AC system control and for Power Quality Improvement in its over 1000 pages. This book has been written by experts in the field, who come from Transmission System Operators, Network owners, manufacturers, and consultants in this field. This Green Book on FACTS covers a large range of topics in its 6 sections, as follows: AC Systems Characteristics, AC network control using conventional means and AC network control using FACTS Controllers Technical Descriptions of all current FACTS controllers, power electronic Topologies for FACTS, SVCs, STATCOM, TCSC and the UPFC and its variations Application Examples of all FACTS controllers, which include a description of controllers using saturation of iron as well as examples of all current FACTS controllers Planning and Procurement, including economic appraisals and cost benefit analysis, planning studies, environmental considerations, functional specifications Implementation of FACTS controllers, including integration and design studies, equipment design and testing and commissioning FACTS operation and lifetime management.

This book presents the first comprehensive overview of the properties and fabrication methods of GaN-based power transistors, with contributions from the most active research groups in the field. It describes how gallium nitride has emerged as an excellent material for the fabrication of power transistors; thanks to the high energy gap, high breakdown field, and saturation velocity of GaN, these devices can reach breakdown voltages beyond the kV range, and very high switching frequencies, thus being suitable for application in power conversion systems. Based on GaN, switching-mode power converters with efficiency in excess of 99 % have been already demonstrated, thus clearing the way for massive adoption of GaN transistors in the power conversion market. This is expected to have important advantages at both the environmental and economic level, since power conversion losses account for 10 % of global electricity consumption. The first part of the book describes the properties and advantages of gallium nitride compared to conventional semiconductor materials. The second part of the book describes the techniques used for device fabrication, and the methods for GaN-on-Silicon mass production. Specific attention is paid to the three most advanced device structures: lateral transistors, vertical power devices, and nanowire-based HEMTs. Other relevant topics covered by the book are the strategies for normally-off operation, and the problems related to device reliability. The last chapter reviews the switching characteristics of GaN HEMTs based on a systems level approach. This book is a unique reference for people working in the materials, device and power electronics fields; it provides interdisciplinary information on material growth, device fabrication, reliability issues and circuit-level switching investigation.