CPU-FPGA Platform for Real-Time Simulation of Hybrid Medium-Voltage AC/DC Grids

Abstract:
The next generation power grid is envisioned as a hybrid AC/DC grid, where DC links and DC grids improve the overall flexibility, reliability and efficiency. Hardware-In-the-Loop (HIL) testing is extensively used for the development and validation of control, protection and monitoring solutions at an early stage of the system design. This paper introduces a platform based on CPU and FPGA computational hardware for real-time simulation of hybrid Medium-Voltage (MV) AC/DC grids. The case study is based on the CIGRE European MVAC distribution network benchmark where an interlinking converter interfaces a MVDC grid. The building block of the MVDC grid is a three-phase Dual-Active Bridge converter. The CPU-FPGA platform is capable of simulating the entire hybrid MV AC/DC grid in a single simulator. Simulation results of the entire system response following a transient event in the DC system demonstrate applicability of the proposed platform for HIL studies of the next generation power grid