Blog Highlights

• Testing in a simulated environment reduces the potential risk of damaging customer equipment.
• Closed-loop systems like HIL enable fine-tuning HIL models.
• HIL digital twins enable a testing ground for plug-and-play microgrids.
• With HIL, site testing and debugging of software can be completed ahead of deployment.

Blog Highlights

• Challenge | Addressing the Challenges of Microgrid Systems Integration.
• Design | Pros and Cons of Testing Methods to Validate Microgrid Designs.
• Development | Streamlining Microgrid Development with Model-Based Engineering.
• Testing | How HIL Tests the Functionality of Microgrid Controllers.
• Validation | How to Validate a Microgrid Project.
• Case Studies | How Does HIL Work in the Real World,
  learn from Case Studies with Duke Energy, Rolls Royce, and Hitachi Energy.

Michele Fusero is an R&D engineer and control specialist for the e-mesh PowerStore Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) at the Grid Edge Solutions Product Group at Hitachi Energy. He delivered a talk at the virtual PEDG2021 conference on how HIL became the pillar of the e-mesh solution product development. Watch the video above or read the full blog article to learn more.

Blog Highlights

• The main challenges of inverter control design, development, testing, and certification.
• How does a C-HIL setup look like for hybrid inverter control testing.
• How can test automation speed up inverter software update verification.
• How can HIL speed up product development while improving product robustness and quality.

Dusan Majstorovic is the Chief Technology Officer at Typhoon HIL, and it is his role to oversee all technology and product development activities. He was involved in the development of Typhoon HIL’s solutions from the very beginning, mainly in the area of real-time devices and the programmable FPGA software approach that was pioneered in the early days of the company. In this blog, he will introduce to us the new HIL606 real-time device, the first 4th Generation HIL in the 6-series hardware device line.

Blog Highlights

• AVL List GmbH uses Typhoon HIL test solutions in the agile development, prototyping, testing, and maintenance of firmware and hardware versions of their e-Storage BTE product portfolio.

• AVL e-Storage BTE can act as a battery tester and battery emulator for testing and validating batteries, e-motors, and inverters in early development phases.

• Controller Hardware-in-the-Loop (C-HIL) reduces firmware development and testing time, and as a result, speeds up the time-to market-for new features by enabling automated testing through all product variant cases.

• HIL in one word: Agile.

Story Summary

• Otis Microgrid at Joint Base Cape Cod, MA is a model for military microgrid projects.
• Controller Hardware-in-the-Loop (C-HIL) increased test coverage for Raytheon Microgrid Controls
• Simulated Power Stage: wind turbine, diesel generator, BESS, and more
• Utility concerns: island-mode protection, cybersecurity, hardware damage prevention.
• Typhoon HIL Solution: safe control testing throughout lifecycle of a microgrid project.

What is the challenge? 

The electric power systems are going through a transition that encompasses digitalization, decentralization, and decarbonization. This will lead to more resilient power grids due to the higher adoption of digital technologies, renewable power sources, and new battery storage systems. Everyone will benefit from the enhanced control, efficiency, and maintenance capabilities, but it all has to start from smart test-driven design. There is a need for integrated solutions to improve power system performance which will be data-based, so the systems are built with the end specs in mind and thoroughly tested throughout all possible test scenarios in an automated manner.