Key Stability Issues in a Power Hardware-In-the-Loop Experiment: Let's Make it Converge

Real Time Simulation is a powerful tool to study the dynamics of power systems, in particular when combined with Power Hardware-In-the-Loop. However, obtaining a stable test setup for Power Hardware-In-the-Loop is not trivial, as system stability is influenced by several factors. In this paper the stability of a Power Hardware-In-the-Loop test setup is studied. The focus is on evaluating the hardware used and the interaction of the tested hardware in the virtual environment. The methodology used to analyze the stability of the test setup, including the measurement of the dynamic response of the system and the evaluation of the hardware components, is presented. The results of the study demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method in achieving a stable test setup for Power Hardware-In-the-Loop simulations. The findings of this research can be used to improve the reliability of Power Hardware-In-the-Loop simulations for power systems and provide a better understanding of the behavior of the tested hardware in a virtual environment. Furthermore, the paper highlights the importance of evaluating the hardware components’ responses (in particular that of the power amplifier) and their interactions in Power Hardware-In-the-Loop simulations in order to achieve a stable test setup.