Real-Time Hardware-in-the-Loop Testing of IEC 61850 GOOSE-Based Logically Selective Adaptive Protection of AC Microgrid

Aushiq Ali Memon,Kimmo Kauhaniemi

doi:10.1109/access.2021.3128370

Abstract

The real-time (RT) hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) simulation-based testing is getting popular for power systems and power electronics applications. The HIL testing provides the interactive environment between the actual power system components like control and protection devices and simulated power system networks including different communication protocols. Therefore, the results of the RT simulation and HIL testing before the actual implementation in the field are generally more acceptable than offline simulations. This paper reviews the HIL testing methods and applications in the recent literature and presents a step-by-step documentation of a new HIL testing setup for a specific case study. The case study evaluates real-time implementation of previously proposed communication-dependent logically selective adaptive protection algorithm of AC microgrids using HIL testing of IEC 61850 generic object-oriented substation event (GOOSE) protocol. The RT model of AC microgrid including the converter-based distributed energy resources and battery storage along with IEC 61850 GOOSE protocol implementation is created in MATLAB/Simulink and RT-LAB software using OPAL-RT simulator platform. Local area network (LAN) at the laboratory acts as IEC 61850 station bus for exchanging GOOSE Boolean signals between the RT target and the actual digital relay. The evaluation of the round-trip delay using the RT simulation has been performed. It is found that the whole process of fault detection, isolation and adaptive setting using Ethernet communication is possible within the standard low voltage ride through curve maintaining the seamless transition to the islanded mode. The signal monitoring inside the relay is suggested to avoid false tripping of the relay.

Highlights

Microgrids are the local distribution systems connected with many local distributed energy resources (DERs) and controllable/non-controllable loads with the capability of operating in both the grid-connected and intentional or unintentional islanding modes
Depending on the availability of power generation resources measured in terms of the active power generation capability of DERs, the state of charge (SOC) of battery energy storage systems (BESS) and electric vehicles (EVs) and their mode of operation, the microgrid will behave as a net producer or consumer to the main distribution network in the VOLUME XX, 2021
The results look promising, and the previously assumed conditions are very close to RT simulation results

Summary

INTRODUCTION

Microgrids are the local distribution systems connected with many local distributed energy resources (DERs) and controllable/non-controllable loads with the capability of operating in both the grid-connected and intentional or unintentional islanding modes. The CHIL simulation based validation of the ancillary functionalities of the inverter included the active filtration of harmonic currents generated from the non-linear loads in the grid-connected mode without using PV and BESS, the control of voltage and frequency at the point of connection during the time of islanding (transition mode) acting as a virtual synchronous machine with PV and BESS in operation and the power management of AC microgrid by the power flow control of BESS according to the demand and power generation of the PV system. The centralized communication-assisted protection for MV microgrids with the converter-based DERs proposed in [81] uses symmetrical current components based directional module and OC relays in the grid-connected mode and the under-voltage, the symmetrical current components based high-impedance fault detection and the directional module for the islanded mode of operation. The rest of the results are presented in the Appendix of the paper

Findings

DISCUSSION

CONCLUSIONS