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Brief Introduction to Real-Time HIL Simulation of Power Converters

A ten minute crash course on the real-time HIL simulation of power converters covering the following topics:

  • What is real-time HIL simulation all about?
  • What are the challenges for real-time simulation of power electronics?
  • What types of switched mode power supply (SMPS) systems can we simulate?
  • Why are real-time HIL simulations needed for testing and validating?
  • Why is it necessary to execute the simulations on FPGA hardware?
  • How fast do the real-time simulations need to be, relative to the PWM frequency of the inverter?
  • How to execute state-space and FEA-based simulations in FPGA hardware?
  • What simulation timesteps can be achieved in FPGA hardware?
  • How do you develop and test your fixed point state-space simulation models by benchmarking against a "gold standard" Multisim model?
  • Why is it necessary to have a piecewise set of state-space models to represent an SMPS?

Finally, see a demonstration of a real-time state-space simulation of a 3-phase inverter executing at MHz speeds in FPGA hardware.

(View full screen high definition video.)

Recommended Next Steps After Viewing the Tutorial:

- Download the Power Electronics Platform Guide (includes more in depth slides on these topics):

decibel.ni.com/content/groups/power-electronics-development-center/blog/2012/02/25/new-250-page-plat...

- Download the LabVIEW code you saw demonstrated in the video (and watch in-depth tutorial videos explaining the code):

decibel.ni.com/content/groups/power-electronics-development-center/blog/2011/11/23/complete-referenc...

- View the entire IEEE Spectrum webcast on power converter control design featuring four additional speakers covering related topics (including a brief introduction to analog grid simulation using mini-scale systems by Dr. Kalyan K. Sen)

spectrum.ieee.org/webinar/2118882

- See a presentation on new 7.5 MW and 15 MW digital dynomometers in development that will enable full power real-time HIL testing of grid connected equipment by simulating either the power grid (for motor/generator/inverter testing or any other grid connected system), the motor/generator, solar array, etc. (for inverter testing), or the inverter (for motor/generator testing, solar array testing, grid storage testing, etc.). The digital dynomometers are advanced bidirectional, multilevel, megawatt size inverters operating at 4160 V controlled by NI Single-Board RIO and LabVIEW FPGA, as shown in the screenshots below from this slide deck.

HIL at Savannah River National Laboratory and the Clemson Drive Train Test Facility

15 MVA Grid Simulator Topology.jpg

Clemson Grid Simulator Single-Line Diagram.png

15 MW Grid Simulator for Wind Turbine Dynamic Load Testing.jpg

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