Microgrid risk reduction for design and validation testing using controller hardware in the loop

Abstract

As electric power customers look for reductions in the cost of energy, increases in the level of service reliability, and reductions in greenhouse gas emissions a common solution is a microgrid. These microgrids are smaller power systems where distributed energy resources are used to power local electric load(s). This work demonstrates an improved approach to planning microgrids via satellite imagery and has a case study in applied to India, the contribution of an anonymized real world test feeder to the power systems community, transition of geospatial information to a digital twin for an analysis of microgrid availability, and the process of developing a controller hardware in the loop platform to integrate physical equipment controllers from manufacturers and the development, testing, and validation of models by applying a general framework. The controller hardware in the loop platform (CHIL) can achieve the testing capabilities for microgrid controllers as more functions are required. CHIL is one method to validate microgrid controller performance before equipment is installed. Microgrids promise to improve the reliability, resiliency, and efficiency of the nation's aging but critical power distribution systems. Models of common power systems equipment were developed to achieve realistic interactions with the microgrid controller under test. The CHIL testbed that was built at MIT Lincoln Laboratory is described, and the equipment models developed are openly available. This testbed was able to test microgrid controllers under a variety of scenarios, including islanding, short-circuit analysis, and cyber attack. The effort resulted in the successful demonstration of HIL simulation technology at two Technical Symposiums organized by the Mass Clean Energy Center (CEC) for utility distribution system engineers, project developers, systems integrators, equipment vendors, academia, regulators, City of Boston officials, and Commonwealth officials. Actual microgrid controller hardware was integrated along with actual commercial generator and inverter controller hardware in the microgrid feeder that is becoming the IEEE reference standard.