Superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES) program. Progress report, January 1-December 31, 1984

The 30 MJ, 10 MW superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES) system was devised to interact in the Western US Power System as an alternate means to damp unstable oscillations at 0.35 Hz on the Pacific HVAC Intertie. The SMES unit was installed at the Tacoma Substation of the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA). The operating limits of the 30 MJ SMES unit were established, and different means of controlling real and reactive power were tested. The unit can follow a sinusoidal power demand signal with an amplitude of up to 8.6 MW with the converter working in a 12 pulse mode. When the converter operates in the constant VAR mode, a time varying real power demand signal of up to 5 MW can be met. Experiments showed that the Pacific ac Intertie has current and reactive power variations of the same frequency as the modulating frequency of the SMES device. Endurance tests were run to assess the reliability of the SMES subsystems with a narrow band noise input, which is characteristic of the modulation signal for stabilizer operation. During the endurance tests, parameters of the ac power system were determined. Converter short circuit tests, load tests under various control conditions, dc breaker tests for coil current interruption, and converter failure mode tests were conducted. The experimental operation of the SMES system was concluded and the operation was terminated in early 1984