Availability Assessment Methods for HVDC Systems: a Review

In this paper, an overview of the most effective availability assessment methods, applicable to HVDC (High Voltage Direct Current) transmission systems, is presented. The aim of this work is to give a guideline to orientate users in the choice of the best availability estimation approach on the basis of the influence variables which need to be considered. The theoretical fundamentals of each method have been described in order to highlight the limits and the potentiality of each approach for HVDC system applications.