HVDC > HVDC Classic > HVDC technology > Thyristor valves > Outdoor valves
The outdoor HVDC valves come in modular housings, factory assembled and tested and shipped to site ready for operation.
HVDC outdoor valves makes large customs made valve buildings unnecessary with a saving in cost and time. The outdoor valves come in modular housings, factory assembled and tested and shipped to site ready for operation. They give full flexibility in station layout and reduce delivery times.
 | The outdoor valve unit contains a single valve function. Consequently, 12 units are needed for a 12-pulse HVDC converter. Inside the outdoor valve unit, the electrical configuration is of traditional design with thyristor modules and reactor modules as |
for present indoor valves built by ABB. Therefore, valve maintenance is as easy to perform as for the ABB indoor valves.
The outdoor HVDC valves at Garabi are placed on top of each other to save space. | ABB has an air-insulated outdoor prototype valve in service since 1992 in the Swedish station of the Konti-Skan 1 HVDC transmission link. The operation has been very successful, and has proven the adequacy of the concept. The prototype valve has also proved to be important for the development of HVDC Light. |
The
Garabi back-to-back station in the Brazil - Argentina interconnection is the first commercial plant that has been equipped with ABB's air-insulated outdoor HVDC valve.