Power System Hardware in the Loop (PSHIL): A Holistic Testing Approach for Smart Grid Technologies

Manuel Barragán-Villarejo, Francisco de Paula García-López, Alejandro Marano-Marcolini and José María Maza-Ortega
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Manuel Barragán-Villarejo: Department of Electrical Engineering, Universidad de Sevilla, Camino de los Descubrimientos s/n, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
Francisco de Paula García-López: Department of Electrical Engineering, Universidad de Sevilla, Camino de los Descubrimientos s/n, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
Alejandro Marano-Marcolini: Department of Electrical Engineering, Universidad de Sevilla, Camino de los Descubrimientos s/n, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
José María Maza-Ortega: Department of Electrical Engineering, Universidad de Sevilla, Camino de los Descubrimientos s/n, 41092 Sevilla, Spain

Energies, 2020, vol. 13, issue 15, 1-22

Abstract: The smart-grid era is characterized by a progressive penetration of distributed energy resources into the power systems. To ensure the safe operation of the system, it is necessary to evaluate the interactions that those devices and their associated control algorithms have between themselves and the pre-existing network. In this regard, Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) testing approaches are a necessary step before integrating new devices into the actual network. However, HIL is a device-oriented testing approach with some limitations, particularly considering the possible impact that the device under test may have in the power system. This paper proposes the Power System Hardware-in-the-Loop (PSHIL) concept, which widens the focus from a device- to a system-oriented testing approach. Under this perspective, it is possible to evaluate holistically the impact of a given technology over the power system, considering all of its power and control components. This paper describes in detail the PSHIL architecture and its main hardware and software components. Three application examples, using the infrastructure available in the electrical engineering laboratory of the University of Sevilla, are included, remarking the new possibilities and benefits of using PSHIL with respect to previous approaches.

Keywords: Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL); Control HIL (CHIL); Power HIL (PHIL); testing of smart grid technologies (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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