Power Systems for GRID Simulation Mahesh Thaker, Director of Engineering AMETEK Programmable Power / VTI Instruments
Agenda AMETEK Programable Power introduction Evolution of Grid Power Simulation Growth over PV power Need for Grid Simulation as a load Early Industry Grid Simulator approach Power simulation equipment and setup supporting the Smart Building Energy Management System Simulation applications and use cases Effect of smart inverters on Utility/Grid Effect of large VFD systems on utility under fault conditions PV/RE inverter performance validation and compliance to National standards (UL 1741, IEC/UL 62109, IEEE 1541) Development of Grid Connect standards
AMETEK Programmable Power We provide the most advanced Power and Instrumentation solutions for Precision Stimulus, Process Power and Measurement and Switching applications Based in San Diego and Irvine California, 500 employees, 13,500 m2 facilities with all key functions onsite (including manufacturing) Programmable Power is a business unit of AMETEK Inc., a $4.0B company with ~15,000 employees working at ~150 locations worldwide AC Sources Exceptionally wide range of low/high power AC sources DC Supplies Bench-top, and full selection of low and high power DC sources Electronic Loads Range of high power Air and Water cooled electronic loads Custom Products Power subsystems and turnkey customer solutions Data Acquisition (DAQ) hardware & software, and ATE modular instrumentation
Evolution of AC Power System for Grid Simulation Historical Grid Simulation Applications AC power sources/variable power sources with external controllers Used for performance verification of Grid connected equipment Design Validation and Manufacturing test verification applications AC-DC power supplies; Consumer appliances; grid-tied components (Relays, breakers etc.) Basic Fault simulation (Brownout, startup, surge and sags)
Drivers for AC Grid Simulation as Load 2009 Renewable energy initiatives generate demand for alternate Power Generation Sources (Primarily PV/Wind inverters) Required alternative grid simulation capability as a load for inverters Scope changed from Grid variation influence on equipment performance to Inverter performance influence on Grid operation/stability Testing required to comply to prevailing inverter standards (UL 1741, IEEE 1541) Required frequency and voltage deviations to test for compliance
Simulation Methods AC source used to simulate grid conditions Passive load (resistors) used as load Deficiencies Large footprint (multiple racks) Passive load dissipating full inverter power generating heat Limited resolution for varying test conditions Not suitable for large PV inverters (10 KVA)
Simulation Methods Continued Test setup for large inverters (> 300 KVA) Power Grid used as load for inverter Power transformer with taps used to vary grid parameters Does not for frequency variation/simulation Primarily used for full power parametric and Burn in applications ISOLATION TRANSFORMER UTILITY GRID UUT
AMETEK s Solution Adapt AC source for Bidirectional capability Resultant product capabilities Efficient transfer of power to the Grid with high resolution for voltage and frequency settings Modular design allows small footprint, scalable (45KVA to 2.0 MVA) setup Provides monitoring and waveform simulation and analysis capabilities Allows flexibility to simulate grid variables (phase dropout/sags/pf variations) Provide repeatable and controlled test capability External Drive capability for real time waveform simulation validated with high performance controllers (OPAL-RT)
Enhanced Controls With OPAL-RT example External Drive Capability Allows for accurate method of real-time control of the RS Series. Allows for simulation of complex high speed transient conditions Allows advanced capability for frequency modulation Allows simulation of HIL Allows feasibility analysis reduces development time and cost
Case Studies Utility characterization with non linear loading (VFD large air-conditioners) under abnormal conditions (SCE); Setup and summary findings. Effect on Grid Power Quality using legacy Vs Smart Inverters. (SCE) set up and summary findings) ESS test lab installation (KIER); (Add Kier block diagram) PV Inverter test lab installation (NREL, CPRI) add CPRI layout) ESS smart microgrid (LGE) Other commercial Inverter manufacturer s
Case Study 1: Load Performance Under Abnormal Conditions Performed by Southern California Utility Characterization of industrial and household appliance under abnormal conditions to determine influence on Grid with a view to Loads evaluated Large Variable Frequency Drive AC Window air conditioners Refrigerators Televisions Microwave ovens Light fixtures Results next slide
Case Study 1: SCU Air Conditioner With VFD
Case Study 2: Benefits of Advanced Inverters Performed by Southern California Utility Evaluation of Advanced PV Inverter performance under abnormal grid conditions The results of our tests indicate that certain advanced features could benefit the operation of the grid, Proposing that they are incorporated into IEEE 1547 and California Rule 21.
Case Study 3: Smart Building Energy Management Simulation
Other Case Studies Various National Laboratories, Universities and institutions Established test Infrastructure to Validate and Certify commercial and Utility Inverters for compliance to National Standards (UL 1741, IEEE 1541, IEC/UL 62109 etc) Test Infrastructures range from 540KVA to 2.16MVA Commercial Inverter manufacturer s Product Design Verification and manufacturing test for micro Inverters, string Inverters as well as utility inverters.
Next Steps Development of mathematical model for CAD simulation Joint Effort with FSU, NREL & AMETEK to characterize RS 90 Grid Simulator Power System and develop mathematical models to support PHIL analytics. Models were tested over a range of conditions through simulation of selected laboratory experiments, and were confirmed to provide reliable predictable system behavior. The different types of models provided support simulation of laboratory setups at different levels of fidelity and accuracy. The time domain models are based on the physical amplifier structure and design, and support detailed studies. The transfer function models are simplified, input-output behavior models and partly parameterized based on load current level. Both modeling approaches allow the use of simulations to predict possible behavior and help determine stability boundaries before any actual hardware testing takes place. Enhance simulation capabilities Implement Programmable Impedance characteristics Expand Interface capabilities to smart controllers (OPAL-RT) to support advanced analytics Support test requirements of Advanced Inverter and Smart Grid initiatives. Emulate characteristics for Battery & PV Sources to support Energy Storage System (ESS).
Appendix SCE-Loads-and-Generation-Performance-Research-rev3.pdf Solar-International-AMETEK-Article-May-2014-wc.pdf AMETEK-KIER-EMS-system-White-paper-110624.pdf NREL_CAPS_RS90_FinalReport.pdf OPAL-RT-Simulation.pdf
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