Design and operating experience of an ac-dc power converter for a superconducting magnetic energy storage unit

The design philosophy and the operating behavior of a 5.5 kA, +-2.5 kV converter, being the electrical interface between a high voltage transmission system and a 30 MJ superconducting coil, are documented in this paper. Converter short circuit tests, load tests under various control conditions, dc breaker tests for magnet current interruption, and converter failure modes are described.