Power-hardware-in-the-loop test beds: evaluation tools for grid integration of distributed energy resources

Recently, the topic of grid integration of distributed energy resources (DERs) has been closely linked with developments in power electronics research. The experimental evaluation of control strategies for power interfaces usually requires a significant allocation of both time and resources, and this is why the power hardware-in-the-loop (PHIL) techniques have been introduced to help accelerate the design and evaluation process. This article presents a PHIL-based microgrid test bed, Smart Energy Integration Lab (SEIL), that has been specifically designed for evaluation studies on the grid integration of DERs, with an emphasis on the system dynamic performance and power dispatch scenarios. The SEIL is equipped with a remotely controlled network configuration, power electronics converters, passive load banks, a battery storage system, and real-time (RT) control and acquisition systems that allow the emulation of several microgrids and connection of several DERs at the same time. To demonstrate the functionality of the SEIL, experimental results for two typical scenarios will be presented: 1) a power dispatch scenario in a microgrid and 2) a wind turbine (WT) operation in grid connection.