I'm interested. I don't know much about phase angles. I do know we have been using AC a long time. I also know that anything that can be made better and works better wins.
DC might be a whole lot better. Everybody that thinks as such line up over here and open your wallets.
Ask away
Basically HVDC while in its infancy solves many problems. One being that in AC systems all generators must be synchronized and all lines must be paralleled/operated in such a way power flows will not exceed the conductor temperature/sag/ ect limiting elements. Its a complex act, especially when factoring hundreds of generating stations. In HVDC you do not have to worry if the 2 or more systems you are importing/exporting power to are synchronized.
From a grid stability standpoint (think mass black outs) HVDC wins hands down.
HVDC is also far more efficient since insulators are based on the peak RMS voltage, and in DC you can energize a line at that. Skin effect also goes away and having to consider reactive elements radically changes for the better.
I have seen many and even worked on a few theoretical models where the current AC system is gradually changed over to all DC. This will probably be the future of power distribution decades from now.
It goes kind of like this: Power is generated ether as unsynchronized AC or DC (DC from fuel cells, solar, ect) that is then fed through a an "electronic transformer"; an IGBT thrysistor system where DC is changed over to high frequency mulit phase power, fed into a toridiol transformer where it steps up the voltage then passed through a rectifier that spits out smooth HVDC. Because the transformer works exactly like a switch mode power supply on a computer (low unvariable AC > rectified to DC> then inverted to high frequency AC> isolation transformer> then rectified through high reverse recover rate diodes) the actual coil can be a fraction both in size and weight of a normal 50/60HZ power transformer.
The DC is fed into a large all HVDC mesh network. Breakers are solid state or hybrids where during switching/faults triacs create an artificial "zero current crossing" that lets ordinary oil breakers interrupt the current or in the case of a solid state breakers all interruption is done via semiconducting material that changes electrical properties based on when called to do so.
These networks will be huge on storing electricity. They utilize theoretical beefed up ultra capacitors connected in parallel with the network. Something around hundreds of farads per can. During periods of abundant renewable energy, they will store excessive power that isn't being used up by the consumer. At night, when solar cells aren't producing or wind turbines aren't spinning they will back feed into the network allowing for less need on none renewable energy sources. During a generation shortage or a major unplanned loss of generation, they can also discharge back into the system without emergency load shedding/loss of stability giving grid operators enough time to start emergency generation. Emergency generation can also feed the network under any condition, something not possible in an AC system since during serve generation outage the frequency, voltage or both may drop low enough preventing any new generators from synchronizing into the network which in turn requires more load shedding until they can then generator protective relays will synchronize into a stable network. AC generators also trip off line much too easily, which can easily lead to a cascading outage.
Ultra capacitors in an analogy are like your car battery. The alternator being generation. The battery being ultra capacitors. When you shut down the engine the (alternator) stops producing power and the battery than begins to discharge. Head lights and all stay on. Start the engine and the battery starts to charge as the alternator takes over. No one losses power. Currently, we are a system with thousands of alternators that all must spin at their intended rate with no battery.
Transmission to distribution is the same deal where a small packed electronic transformer steps power down from High to medium voltage DC. Distribution to utilization is the only place where 50/60hz AC is seen once the DC is electronically converted over to AC. That of course is if we stick to AC. With electronic led drives and VFDs, we could get away with DC in buildings soon. Relaying is easier as well. 2 wire lines instead of 3. Less conductor material. Less power losses. Power flows can be controlled via diodes/triacs as apposed to reactors or phase angle regulators. Less dangerous EMF as transmission lines will be none inductive.
Cogeneration is the same deal no need to synchronize, which is more efficient as well. The control system for this is another science, but guaranteed simpler than for AC. Grid operators will have it made.
Truth is AC power sucks from a grid operations standpoint.
Of course, that is 1 out of 2 schools of thought. #2 is skipping central power all together and having all power be generated on sight via solar panels and hydrogen/natural gas fuel cells where heat is reclaimed for occupancy use.
Fascinating concepts
I think it has been done connecting two Japanese islands.
:lol: I was actually thinking that as I typed.
