Abstract
This article presents the development of a low-cost control hardware in the loop platform for the validation and analysis of controllers used for the management of power sharing between the main grid and a DC microgrid. The platform is made up of two parts: a main grid interconnection system emulator (MGISE) and a controller under test (CUT). The MGISE operates on a 260 V DC bus and includes a 1000 W photovoltaic array, a DC variable load and a single H full bridge converter (HFBC). The CUT includes a phase locked loop and a main cascade control structure composed of two PI controllers. Both the MGISE and the CUT were embedded on an NI myRIO-1900 development board and programmed using LabVIEW virtual instrumentation software. These devices communicate with each other using analog signals representing the AC side current, the DC side voltage, and the HFBC control signal. The MGISE operates with an integration time of 6 µs and its performance is validated by comparing it with a simulation in PSIM. The integration time of the MGISE, the development boards used, as well as its programming environment, and the results obtained from the comparison with PSIM simulation, show that the proposed platform is useful for the validation of controllers for power sharing, with a simple implementation process compared to other hardware description methods and with a low-cost platform.
Highlights
In recent years, CO2 emissions have increased significantly, and this has caused an increase in the average temperature of the planet and a threat to the health and well-being of humanity
According to their mode of operation, μGs can be categorized into isolated μGs (i-μGs) and grid-tied μGs; i-μGs are mainly used in remote applications where power supply through the MG is not feasible, while gt-μGs operate both in islands and interconnected with the main grid (MG) [3]
In order to validate the reliability of the main grid interconnection system emulator (MGISE), as well as its application and efficiency in the design of a C-Hardware in the Loop (HIL) platform to analyze controllers that manage the power sharing between the MG and the photovoltaic array (PA), a set of experiments were carried out
Summary
CO2 emissions have increased significantly, and this has caused an increase in the average temperature of the planet and a threat to the health and well-being of humanity. One of the areas where HILPs are being used for the validation of various proposals is in power electronics, in elements that make up the DC μGs. In [21], an experimental platform for wind turbines based on HIL was presented for the study of control structures. It has a self-owned, high-level description environment, which facilitates and expedites platform development, and, in comparison with solutions such as those presented in [22], a tripartite software to embed the developed systems in the hardware is not required All of these advantages together offer a useful and versatile HILP, built for power sharing controller analysis in μGs applications, with features such as low cost and benefits comparable to those of the commercial platforms. An isolation transformer is not contemplated in the proposed topology; it is recommended to include it in its physical implementation
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