Implementation and Baseline Characterization of a Heterogeneous Controller Hardware-in-the-Loop Simulation Platform

摘要

A heterogeneous set of controller platforms and large-scale real-time power system simulators can be a valuable tool for efficiently evaluating controls of shipboard power systems. This paper details the design and realization of approximately 100 distributed control platforms interfaced to a digital real-time simulator. The control platforms are primarily intended to host system-level controls, such as power and energy management and reconfiguration. Dedicated computer networks are integrated with a computer network emulator, allowing virtual instantiation of real-world networks (including characteristics due to failure scenarios). Building on prior work [1], the current testbed significantly increases the number of supported control nodes that are physically separate and external to the power system simulator. To provide flexibility and affordability, surrogate control platforms were chosen. The surrogate platform is capable of executing control logic in realtime, but is not necessarily the hardware that will be deployed. The surrogates are interfaced to the power system simulation in a purely digital manner over a computer network (rather than via analog signals). This interface allows the testbed to be reconfigured without manual rewiring, thus supporting automation of a set of experiments. Similarly, the network emulator allows changing the computer network topology and characteristics via software, again allowing for automated experiments. This testbed is intended to enable the execution of a large number of real-time scenarios/experiments, which may be selected dynamically. Further, the evaluation is intended to support evaluation of controls and control approaches in the early stages of development, not solely controls near readiness for deployment.