Hardware-in-the-Loop Systems with Power Electronics - a Powerful Simulation Tool

The application of Hardware-in-the-Loop systems has become a “hype” during the last years. Especially Hardware-in-the-Loop systems with Power Electronics (PHiL) have got in the focus of power engineers. In difference to Hardware-in-the-Loop Systems used some 20 to 30 years ago, where the main purpose was to prove the proper (signal processing) performance of the hardware included in the simulation system, modern hardware-in-the-loop systems with power electronics have a different background purpose. The hardware included in the simulation process is not a device under test, but a possibility to include real energy in the simulation. Usual simulation programs deal with numbers and respective mathematical equations only. Any physical restriction or limitation has to be considered by a respective model. Any mistake in the model results in failures during simulation. The physical behavior of energy has specific characteristics and restrictions given by nature. Including real energy in the simulation process would consider these natural characteristics without the need of designing a respective simulation model. Power electronics provide the possibility of including real energy in the simulation without loosing it during the process. Shifting energy from one storage device (inductance, capacitance, etc.) to another one and feeding back the respective physical quantities to the simulation program results in a Hardware-in-the-Loop System with Power Electronics (PHiL), with real energy as part of the simulation. This part of the seminar reports about experiences with a PHiL-System used for simulation of electrical machines for testing power electronic products.     «

The application of Hardware-in-the-Loop systems has become a “hype” during the last years. Especially Hardware-in-the-Loop systems with Power Electronics (PHiL) have got in the focus of power engineers. In difference to Hardware-in-the-Loop Systems used some 20 to 30 years ago, where the main purpose was to prove the proper (signal processing) performance of the hardware included in the simulation system, modern hardware-in-the-loop systems with power electronics have a different background purp...     »