Power systems are going through a paradigm change from the current power systems dominated by electric machines to the next-generation smart grid enabled by power electronics. To address the facing challenges, this system is expected to work as a large-scale real-time simulation facility for next-generation smart grid with high-penetration of power electronic converters.
Funded by National Science Foundation (award number 1828541) and Illinois Institute of Technology, this system consists of one main OPAL-RT 5700 simulator and eight OPAL-RT 4510 simulators, together with a bundle of software packages for simulation and communication. The eight OP4510 distributed simulators can be operated individually for small-scale power electronics simulations, or together with the OP5700 for large-scale power electronics simulations, which can be operated separately or further together with the RTDS power systems simulator (also in Illinois Institute of Technology), all through high-speed optical Aurora links.
This system provides a great means to replicate and simulate real-world power systems and develop enabling technologies for the next-generation smart grid. Furthermore, it is also expected to offer a great opportunity for students to obtain hands-on experiences to broaden their career opportunities.
