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Hardware-Based Microgrid Coupled to Real-Time Simulated Power Grids for Evaluating New Control Strategies in Future Energy Systems

Michael Kyesswa, Friedrich Wiegel, Jan Wachter, Uwe Kühnapfel, Simon Waczowicz, Veit Hagenmeyer

Abstract

The design of new control strategies for future energy systems can neither be directly tested in real power grids nor be evaluated based on only current grid situations. In this regard, extensive tests are required in laboratory settings using real power system equipment. However, since it is impossible to replicate the entire grid section of interest, even in large-scale experiments, hardware setups must be supplemented by detailed simulations to reproduce the system under study fully. This paper presents a unique test environment in which a hardware-based microgrid environment is physically coupled with a large-scale real-time simulation framework. The setup combines the advantages of developing new solutions using hardware-based experiments and evaluating the impact on large-scale power systems using real-time simulations. In this paper, the interface between the microgrid-under-test environment and the real-time simulations is evaluated in terms of accuracy and communication delays. Furthermore, a test case is presented showing the approach's ability to test microgrid control strategies for supporting the grid. It is observed that the communication delays via the physical interface depend on the simulation sampling time and do not significantly affect the accuracy in the interaction between the hardware and the simulated grid.

Hardware-Based Microgrid Coupled to Real-Time Simulated Power Grids for Evaluating New Control Strategies in Future Energy Systems

Abstract

The design of new control strategies for future energy systems can neither be directly tested in real power grids nor be evaluated based on only current grid situations. In this regard, extensive tests are required in laboratory settings using real power system equipment. However, since it is impossible to replicate the entire grid section of interest, even in large-scale experiments, hardware setups must be supplemented by detailed simulations to reproduce the system under study fully. This paper presents a unique test environment in which a hardware-based microgrid environment is physically coupled with a large-scale real-time simulation framework. The setup combines the advantages of developing new solutions using hardware-based experiments and evaluating the impact on large-scale power systems using real-time simulations. In this paper, the interface between the microgrid-under-test environment and the real-time simulations is evaluated in terms of accuracy and communication delays. Furthermore, a test case is presented showing the approach's ability to test microgrid control strategies for supporting the grid. It is observed that the communication delays via the physical interface depend on the simulation sampling time and do not significantly affect the accuracy in the interaction between the hardware and the simulated grid.
Paper Structure (13 sections, 1 equation, 15 figures)

This paper contains 13 sections, 1 equation, 15 figures.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Microgrid Setup in the Smart Energy System Control Laboratory
  3. The Digital Framework in the Energy Grids Simulation and Analysis Laboratory
  4. Power Grid Models
  5. Real-time Simulation and External Interface
  6. Microgrid and Simulated Campus Network Interface
  7. Experimental Setup
  8. Data Processing of the Received Three Phase Voltage
  9. Droop Control in Microgrid
  10. Results and Evaluation
  11. Minimum Delay Test Case
  12. Campus Network -- Microgrid Experiment
  13. Conclusion and Outlook

Figures (15)

  • Figure 1: Microgrid-under-Test (MuT) topology for interface to real-time simulated power grids. Green block is behavior replication of controlled RLC loads; Blue block are the physical components in SESCL; Red block are emulated components through PHIL; Yellow block is the interface to the simulated power grid
  • Figure 2: Load profile of the residential block used in the case study
  • Figure 3: Load profile of the heat pump (HP) house on the day of the case study
  • Figure 4: KIT north campus 20kV electrical network in PowerFactory. The coupling point of the experiment hall to the campus network is the Exp Bus green highlighted block
  • Figure 5: Ideal transformer model interface method
  • ...and 10 more figures