HILS-based Demonstrator for Real-time Validation of Robust Control Strategies: An Electric Vehicle Application Case

Abstract

This paper presents a demonstrator featuring closed-loop coupling of a robust-control-designed Power Management System (PMS) with a simulator – in the form of a mathematical model – of a multiple-storage-based microgrid, playing the role of the plant. The PMS ensures a reliability-aware coordinated control of the different energy storages, of various technologies, supplying a typically irregular load. Some usual applications are in stationary or mobile microgrids, like power supply systems on board of electric vehicles, the latter being the use case exemplified here. Being designed upon the hardware-in-the loop simulation (HILS) principle, the demonstrator allows calibration and real-time validation of the robust PMS and its pertinent closed-loop real-time tests in laboratory conditions. The rapid prototyping system dSPACETM MicroAutoBox II is employed for embedding the microgrid model, whereas the robust PMS is embedded on a TI C2000 microcontroller unit. General design requirements and architecture of the demonstrator are detailed, then its customization to the considered application case is presented. Finally, a set of illustrative real-time tests – obtained by using a standard driving cycle – are presented and discussed.