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

Abstract

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.

Keywords

• microgrid (MG)
• smart grid (SG)
• power hardware in the loop (PHIL)
• power inverter
• microgrid emulator