Real-Time Digital Simulation and Control of Multi-Terminal Direct Current Grids

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Real-time digital simulation mimics a physical system to reproduce the system's true behavior under simulated stresses applied under controlled conditions in a laboratory. In the context of electrical power grids, the applications of real-time digital simulation has grown from its initial function of testing prior to commissioning of control and protection systems (over 30 years ago) to encompass all manner of studies in the generation, transmission, distribution, and end use sectors of electrical energy. High voltage direct current (HVDC) technology is the conduit for bulk power transfer from large conventional generation to distant load centers, between interconnected asynchronous alternating current (AC) grids, and today it is also the key enabler for the massive influx of far-flung renewable generation into AC grids. Advances in power electronic topologies, control and protection schemes are leading the future growth of multi-terminal direct current (MTDC) grids worldwide.***This research program focuses on the fundamental conception and development of high-fidelity real-time digital models and control algorithms for the safe and reliable operation of MTDC grids. A new class of device-level electromagnetic transient models will be developed for MTDC grid components based on nonlinear system identification theory. These so-called Wiener-Hammerstein models will be accurate, efficient, and modular serving as building blocks for the construction of hierarchical large-scale real-time simulation of MTDC grids in the hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) configuration on field programmable gate array (FPGA) and System-on-Chip (SoC) architectures. Novel real-time parameter estimation, adaptive control algorithms, and protection strategies will be developed alongside for precise tracking of command inputs under both normal and abnormal DC grid conditions and fast fault isolation. ***This research will significantly advance the state-of-the-art in real-time HIL simulation for MTDC grid systems by providing unprecedented modeling detail and simulation accuracy. The accurate parallel models and computational algorithms will help reduce the development and testing costs for complex MTDC grids by allowing their analysis and optimization at early stages. A high-fidelity HIL simulation can offer significant benefits in terms of rapidly testing novel control strategies, power converter topologies, circuit breaker configurations, protection strategies for efficiency and performance optimization of the whole system. This research program will train 3 Ph.D. and 3 M.Sc. students, and there will also be ample opportunities for undergraduate research interns. The research results will be disseminated in leading journals and conferences. The main beneficiaries of this research will be manufacturers of real-time digital simulators in Canada, and Canadian electrical power utilities. **