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Title: 15 MW HArdware-in-the-loop Grid Simulation Project

Abstract

The 15MW Hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) Grid Simulator project was to (1) design, (2) construct and (3) commission a state-of-the-art grid integration testing facility for testing of multi-megawatt devices through a ‘shared facility’ model open to all innovators to promote the rapid introduction of new technology in the energy market to lower the cost of energy delivered. The 15 MW HIL Grid Simulator project now serves as the cornerstone of the Duke Energy Electric Grid Research, Innovation and Development (eGRID) Center. This project leveraged the 24 kV utility interconnection and electrical infrastructure of the US DOE EERE funded WTDTF project at the Clemson University Restoration Institute in North Charleston, SC. Additionally, the project has spurred interest from other technology sectors, including large PV inverter and energy storage testing and several leading edge research proposals dealing with smart grid technologies, grid modernization and grid cyber security. The key components of the project are the power amplifier units capable of providing up to 20MW of defined power to the research grid. The project has also developed a one of a kind solution to performing fault ride-through testing by combining a reactive divider network and a large power converter into a hybrid method. This uniquemore » hybrid method of performing fault ride-through analysis will allow for the research team at the eGRID Center to investigate the complex differences between the alternative methods of performing fault ride-through evaluations and will ultimately further the science behind this testing. With the final goal of being able to perform HIL experiments and demonstration projects, the eGRID team undertook a significant challenge with respect to developing a control system that is capable of communicating with several different pieces of equipment with different communication protocols in real-time. The eGRID team developed a custom fiber optical network that is based upon FPGA hardware that allows for communication between the key real-time interfaces and reduces the latency between these interfaces to acceptable levels for HIL experiments.« less

Authors:
 [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1]
  1. Clemson Univ., SC (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Clemson Univ., SC (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)
OSTI Identifier:
1340152
Report Number(s):
EE 0005723
DOE Contract Number:  
EE0005723
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION; 25 ENERGY STORAGE; 30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION; 32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION; eGRID; LVRT; HVRT; Reactive Divider Network; Wind Turbine Drivetrain Testing Facility; Power Testing; Grid Simulation

Citation Formats

Rigas, Nikolaos, Fox, John Curtiss, Collins, Randy, Tuten, James, Salem, Thomas, McKinney, Mark, Hadidi, Ramtin, Gislason, Benjamin, Boessneck, Eric, and Leonard, Jesse. 15 MW HArdware-in-the-loop Grid Simulation Project. United States: N. p., 2014. Web. doi:10.2172/1340152.
Rigas, Nikolaos, Fox, John Curtiss, Collins, Randy, Tuten, James, Salem, Thomas, McKinney, Mark, Hadidi, Ramtin, Gislason, Benjamin, Boessneck, Eric, & Leonard, Jesse. 15 MW HArdware-in-the-loop Grid Simulation Project. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/1340152
Rigas, Nikolaos, Fox, John Curtiss, Collins, Randy, Tuten, James, Salem, Thomas, McKinney, Mark, Hadidi, Ramtin, Gislason, Benjamin, Boessneck, Eric, and Leonard, Jesse. 2014. "15 MW HArdware-in-the-loop Grid Simulation Project". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/1340152. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1340152.
@article{osti_1340152,
title = {15 MW HArdware-in-the-loop Grid Simulation Project},
author = {Rigas, Nikolaos and Fox, John Curtiss and Collins, Randy and Tuten, James and Salem, Thomas and McKinney, Mark and Hadidi, Ramtin and Gislason, Benjamin and Boessneck, Eric and Leonard, Jesse},
abstractNote = {The 15MW Hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) Grid Simulator project was to (1) design, (2) construct and (3) commission a state-of-the-art grid integration testing facility for testing of multi-megawatt devices through a ‘shared facility’ model open to all innovators to promote the rapid introduction of new technology in the energy market to lower the cost of energy delivered. The 15 MW HIL Grid Simulator project now serves as the cornerstone of the Duke Energy Electric Grid Research, Innovation and Development (eGRID) Center. This project leveraged the 24 kV utility interconnection and electrical infrastructure of the US DOE EERE funded WTDTF project at the Clemson University Restoration Institute in North Charleston, SC. Additionally, the project has spurred interest from other technology sectors, including large PV inverter and energy storage testing and several leading edge research proposals dealing with smart grid technologies, grid modernization and grid cyber security. The key components of the project are the power amplifier units capable of providing up to 20MW of defined power to the research grid. The project has also developed a one of a kind solution to performing fault ride-through testing by combining a reactive divider network and a large power converter into a hybrid method. This unique hybrid method of performing fault ride-through analysis will allow for the research team at the eGRID Center to investigate the complex differences between the alternative methods of performing fault ride-through evaluations and will ultimately further the science behind this testing. With the final goal of being able to perform HIL experiments and demonstration projects, the eGRID team undertook a significant challenge with respect to developing a control system that is capable of communicating with several different pieces of equipment with different communication protocols in real-time. The eGRID team developed a custom fiber optical network that is based upon FPGA hardware that allows for communication between the key real-time interfaces and reduces the latency between these interfaces to acceptable levels for HIL experiments.},
doi = {10.2172/1340152},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1340152}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Oct 31 00:00:00 EDT 2014},
month = {Fri Oct 31 00:00:00 EDT 2014}
}