Controller Hardware-in-the-Loop Validation of Coordinated Voltage Control Scheme for Distribution Systems Containing Inverter-Based Distributed Generation

This article presents the controller hardware-in-the-loop (CHIL) validation of a novel coordinated voltage control solution for distribution systems with high penetration of distributed generation (DG). The control algorithm coordinates traditional voltage regulation devices and inverter-based DGs capable of supplying reactive power to mitigate voltage violations. Voltage sensitivity analysis and electric distances are used to identify the contributing nodes and the amount of VAR to be injected so that voltage violations can be mitigated. The proposed algorithm is validated using offline simulation and a real-time CHIL setup that considers a real-world communication scenario. In both the offline and real-time validation, a feeder model based on an actual distribution feeder with real field data is used. The results show that the proposed algorithm is successful in coordinating the available system resources to keep the system voltages within the desired limit.