Design of a Real-Time Digital Simulator for a D-STATCOM System

Abstract

Real-time digital simulation of power electronic systems requires significant computational resources due to increasingly complex system configurations, control algorithms, and higher switching frequency. Consequently, it is prudent to exploit various computer resources for optimizing the design of simulators/controllers for such systems. This paper presents the design and implementation details of a real-time digital simulator for a Voltage-Source-Converter-based Distribution STATic COMpensator (D-STATCOM) power system. The design process adopts a modular approach utilizing distributed digital signal processor/field-programmable gate array resources of a digital processing platform. The design has been validated by using an experimental setup of a 5-kVA D-STATCOM system. Index Terms-Digital control, digital signal processor (DSP), field-programmable gate array (FPGA), power electronics, real-time simulation. I. INTRODUCTIONP OWER SYSTEMS are constantly evolving to include new technologies for controlling the flow of power using power electronics and for improving the reliability of networks using advanced protection strategies. Real-time simulation provides a solid framework to test the new control/protection concepts so as to detect, analyze, and correct any potential problems before commissioning. Recently, there has been significant research effort in this area [1]- [6]. The objective of the real-time simulator design presented in this paper is twofold: first, to prove the viability of accurate and efficient algorithms for the real-time simulation of power electronic systems, and second, to verify digital control systems designed for such systems before they can be applied to physical systems.Real-time digital simulation of power electronic systems is a heavily computer intensive operation owing to their size, modeling complexity, and higher frequency of switching. Implementation of complex simulation algorithms, control algorithms, signal processing such as filtering and data conversion, communication with the external system as well as with the user interface, diagnostic and protective functions require a vast amount of both concentrated as well as distributed computational resources. Among a host of available digital processors Manuscript

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