Jeremiah Garretson with Philip Taylor

Feasibility of DC Transmission of Electricity

 In today’s world, alternating current (AC) is the norm for transmission of electrical power. This has been true since the days of Westinghouse and Edison. However, new discoveries have made the possibility of direct current (DC) transmission of electricity much more efficient. High Voltage DC (HVDC) transmission is currently used to transfer power between AC grids and transmit electricity over vast distances, but the possibility of replacing more if not all of the AC grids with DC may one day become reality. In this project, new technology and physics will be analyzed to determine if increased reliance on DC transmission is not only more feasible technologically but also more efficient then the current AC grids. If times permits, the economic and political obstacles for DC transmission will also be examined, as well as possible environmental benefits.