A Novel Cost-Effective Controller Hardware-In-The-Loop (CHIL) Test for SSCB Coordination in DC Microgrid Systems

DC microgrid systems are increasingly utilized in power systems, and the significance of solid-state circuit breakers (SSCB) is paramount due to the absence of zero-crossing current in DC systems. However, one of the concerns in a DC microgrid is proposing and implementing a new algorithm due to safety concerns and system stability. Properly coordinating a DC microgrid is one of these challenges. Moreover, protecting the system from unpredictable transient overshoot plays a significant role in system stability and SSCB performance. Consequently, the design of a virtual test platform for monitoring the system's behavior in challenging situations holds significant importance. To address these matters, this paper presents an examination of a DC microgrid using a novel, easy-to-implement, and cost-effective controller hardware-in-the-loop (CHIL) test platform. This platform utilizes MATLAB/Simulink software as a simulator and proposes a new communication path between the simulator and real-world controllers. Additionally, a new method to control the system in overshoot situations is proposed. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed CHIL platform, three short-circuit CHIL tests are performed for load#1 to load#3 at 430 A, 300 A, and 180 A fault currents, respectively. To investigate the designed algorithm protection, a complex protection experiment was conducted to evaluate the performance of the designed algorithm under multiple transient overshoot conditions in the current. The extracted CHIL results are also presented as the validation of proposed algorithm.