SINTEF

Hosted by the National Smart Grid Laboratory in Trondheim, Norway. The lab is equipped with key components for the integration of complex real-time simulations and physical power system assets, with ratings up to 200 kVA. The laboratory counts with some unique components and characteristics, highlighting the complex reduced-scale prototypes of MMCs that can be combined with all other kinds of power conversion equipment and electrical machinery in relevant operating environment thanks to the high bandwidth communication infrastructure of the laboratory. The lab-scale demonstration activities will be centred around the MMC converter prototypes and the PHIL simulation environment.

Available MMCs feature a fully modular structure and a hierarchical control architecture that allows for easy swapping of some of the modules with prototypal units. The converters already include in their control circuitry optical links between the modules, the central controller and the OpalRT platform that will transfer large amount of data (up to 5GB/s bandwidth) in real-time.

Data about the operation of the newly prototypes can thus be gathered in all kinds of relevant operating conditions, thanks to the possibility to simulate in real time any kind of complex scenario and operate the actual MMC converter accordingly. The figure shows one possible scenario, involving PHIL simulation of a wind farm and of a HVDC network, using the MMC converter prototypes containing one or more of the modules under test. Voltage levels compatible with the available MMC prototypes include operating voltage that will not exceed 100V and 100-150 A. For higher voltage and/or current, SINTEF will operate the converters in emulated environment using the controlled high-power, high bandwidth converter available in the laboratory (200 kVA EGSTON COMPISO CSU200). The power amplifier can be controlled directly from the OpalRT environment and can generate arbitrary voltages (currents) with a control bandwidth of at least 5 kHz. Module voltages up to 800 V and current up to 400 A can thus be tested.