Real-Time Rapid Embedded Power System Control Prototyping Simulation Test-Bed Using LabVIEW and RTDS

When developing new control, protection, and stability methods for power systems, it is important to study the complex interactions of the system dynamics with the real-time operation of the new methods. Historically hardware prototypes were developed to study these interactions. With the recent introduction of the much cheaper rapid hardware and software prototyping tools, developers are choosing instead to use these tools to study dynamic interactions during real-time operation. This technology provides a cost effective option and flexibility in modeling and coding which allows use for versatile applications. Rapid prototyping technology is being widely used in many application areas for real-time data analysis and control such as avionics, power, acoustics, mechatronics, and automotive applications (Keunsoo et al., 2005; Postolache et al., 2006; Spinozzi, 2006; Toscher et al., 2006). Parallel digital signal processors (DSPs) (French et al., 1998; Lavoie et al., 1995) are also being used as rapid prototyping technology for real-time simulation and control. To study real-time dynamic interactions of isolated power systems and control methods, a test bed is developed that uses rapid prototyping technology. This chapter discusses the real-time test bed which was developed more generally to study real-time issues, and validate and verify new designs of centralized and de-centralized control, protection, and wide-area monitoring methodologies for stand alone power systems, such as naval shipboard power systems, power transmission and distribution system and microgrids. The National Instruments Compact RIO (NI CompactRIO, 2011)low cost reconfigurable control and acquisition system is used to implement the new control and protection methods in the test bed. The NI CompactRIO embedded system contains the NI reconfigurable technology and a real-time controller with an embedded (Pentium) floating-point processor. The 8-slot reconfigurable chassis contains an embedded user-programmable FPGA (field programmable gate array) chip providing direct access to hot swappable input/output (I/O) modules for precise control and flexibility in timing, triggering, and synchronization. The I/O modules contain built-in signal conditioning and isolation. The control and protection methods are implemented using the LabVIEW RT and FPGA Modules on a Host PC. The code is downloaded to the cRIO controller and FPGA for execution. LabVIEW Virtual Instruments (VIs) are used to remotely monitor and control (if desired) the RT Power System and Controller simulation. National Instruments data acquisition cards and hot swappable input and output analog and digital modules are used to pass signals between the cRIO controller 5