Current-Type Power Hardware-in-the-Loop Interface for Black-Start Testing of Grid-Forming Converter

Abstract

Grid-forming converter establishes a stable and controllable voltage at its output terminal without requiring external angle reference, which enables the GFC to be a candidate for providing black-start services. However, this attribute poses significant challenges to the conventional power hardware-in-theloop (PHIL) simulation, which incorporates the physical power converter by regulating its voltage angle to be synchronized with that of an interfacing power amplifier mimicking the real-time emulated power grid. The lack of voltage synchronization at the coupling point of GFC and interfacing power amplifier leads to instability. To address this challenge, the current-type interfacing method with compensation and scaling scheme is proposed to interface a GFC with soft black-start capability into a PHIL setup. Analytical assessment and experimental results involving interfacing a 90 kVA power converter implemented with gridforming control are presented to verify the methodology.Index Terms-Power hardware-in-the-loop (PHIL), gridforming converter, soft black-start, current-type power interface.

High-Fidelity Validation with Smart Grid Modelling Complexity: Considerations on Emerging Solutions

“…CHIL and PHIL real-time simulations paved a new pathway in investigating the interactions between the physical power components (or physical controller-based control algorithms) and the real-time simulated power systems. Both of these have been extensively exploited for the prototyping of power apparatus [24]- [26], validation of novel control schemes [26], [27], black start testing of grid-forming converter [25], [26], etc. In addition, advanced HIL technique has also been used for testing and verification of PMU-based linear state estimator, supporting a simulated system of over 1,500 buses and 2,800 branches which has been modeled in OPAL-RT [28].…”

Virtual Shifting Impedance Method for Extended Range High-Fidelity PHIL Testing

“…Each PCS inherits to the total PHIL topology with different stability and accuracy properties. A review of different PCSs is performed in [2]- [5], with the most widely used being the ideal transformer model (ITM). The main advantages of ITM are, first, the straightforward and simple implementation and second, its good accuracy, while the main drawback is related to the associated stability issues [5]- [9].…”

“…A review of different PCSs is performed in [2]- [5], with the most widely used being the ideal transformer model (ITM). The main advantages of ITM are, first, the straightforward and simple implementation and second, its good accuracy, while the main drawback is related to the associated stability issues [5]- [9]. Alternatively, different coupling structures have been found capable in improving the stability of the PHIL setup, like the partial circuit duplication (PCD).…”

Adaptive Smith Predictor for Enhanced Stability of Power Hardware-in-the-Loop Setups

“…P OWER hardware-in-the-loop (PHIL) plays a significant role in accelerating the research and development of power technologies by enabling repeated and non-destructive real-time testing under a broad range of scenarios [1]- [10]. This advanced real-time testing methodology has been extensively leveraged for the in-depth modelling and assessment of renewable energy technologies including photovoltaic system [3], [4], energy storage system [5], variable-speed wind turbines [6], etc., prototyping of power apparatus [2], [7], verification of control strategies [8], black start testing of gridforming converter [9], and power system education [10].…”