Testing Smart Grid Scenarios with Small Volume Testbed and Flexible Power Inverter

• Published in: Energies (Basel) Vol. 15; no. 2; p. 428
• Main Authors: Krysik, Milosz, Piotrowski, Krzysztof, Turchan, Krzysztof
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 01.01.2022
• Subjects: Algorithms; Alternative energy sources; Communication; Communications systems; Cooperation; Distributed generation; Emulators; Energy resources; Energy sources; Inverters; Methods; microgrid (MG); microgrid emulator; Power converters; Power flow; power hardware in the loop (PHIL); power inverter; Renewable energy sources; Renewable resources; Simulation; smart grid (SG); Test stands; Topology
• ISSN: 1996-1073; 1996-1073
• DOI: 10.3390/en15020428

The growing penetration of Renewable Energy Sources (RES) due to the transition to future smart grid requires a huge number of power converters that participate in the power flow. Each of these devices needs the use of a complex control and communication system, thus a platform for testing real-life scenarios is necessary. Several test techniques have been so far proposed that are subject to a trade-off between cost, test coverage, and test fidelity. This paper presents an approach for testing microgrids, by developing an emulator, with emphasis on the micro-inverter unit and the possibility of flexible configuration for different grid topologies. In contrast to other approaches, our testbed is characterized by small volume and significantly scaled-down voltages for safety purposes. The examination is concentrated specifically on the inverter behavior. The test scenarios include behaviors in case of load changes, transition between grid-tied and islanded mode, connection and removal of subsequent inverters, and prioritization of inverters.