During the last 15 years, the situation in the field of Electric Power changed dramatically. The usual big power plants were more and more competed by so-called additive energy sources like solar, wind-based and biological energy sources. By this, the structure and dynamic behaviour of electric grids became more complex, new regulations became necessary in order to warrant for a trouble-free operation of power distribution.
Because of their partly “anticyclic” comportment, additive energy sources called for storage technologies to preserve temporary energy excesses for periods of high demands.
At the same time, electric power was introduced successful as drive technology within the automotive market as well. Hybrid, mini-hybrid and full range electrical drives entered the mobility market and caused an immense technology leap.
The above given facts created a number of completely new challenges within the field of electrical equipment development, testing and application:
Under the control of specialized REGATRON Battery simulation software, TC.GSS is the best choice to feed battery alimented Drive Train Systems. The behaviour of different battery types as also variation of relevant battery parameters such as ageing, temperature and internal cell resistance may be varied within wide ranges and allow therefore the simulation of a wide variety of operational conditions.
Relevant industry sectors:
Bidirectional TopCon TC.GSS power supplies are the choice for all source/sink processes to be cycled and tested. Thanks to a state-of-the-art IGBT-technology, reversing the energy flow from sourcing to sinking state lasts only 1 millisecond at full rated power!
Regenerated energy is reinjected into the public grid with a very high efficiency and a perfect power factor.
Again, due to a very high degree of programmability, TC.GSS offer a quite multifunctional tool in the hand of the test engineer.
REGATRON bidirectional power supplies TC.GSS series allow for testing and simulation of all kind of electrical storage elements like batteries, capacitors, EDLC’s (SuperCaps). Of course, also fuel cells may be tested while fully regenerating the energy back to the grid.
Onboard chargers (OBC) are built in EVs for maximum flexibility and range.
To develop, test and adapt OBCs TC.ACS is the choice to feed onboard chargers with AC power, simulating utility grids from all over the world. On the DC side of the onboard charger TC.GSS can simulate the EV battery to test the behaviour of the OBC.
Further development of energy networks takes also into account the energy storage capacity of EVs to cover peaks of energy consumption. To ensure a stable voltage the utility grid can be supported using the EV’s battery. To test these functionalities TC.ACS and TC.GSS are the right choice. Keywords: Vehicle to Grid, V2G, V2H, V2X
TopCon Quadro as also bidirectional TC.GSS power supplies provide full Solar Array Simulation capability alongside with all relevant DC applications. Note especially, that on the contrary to the most competitors REGATRON DC power supplies are processing relevant SAS data in real-time on-board of the power supply.
This of course prevents clearly all disadvantages of the current method using a PC/Laptop as an external data processing system. As PC’s are far away from real-time processing, unwanted and randomly occurring transmission time delays degrade the dynamic response of the simulated system in a distinct manner.
The powerful SASControl application software enables the user for well documented programmable Solar Inverter tests and all R&D activities.
Relevant industry sector:
The full 4-quadrant grid simulator TC.ACS complements the solar array simulation as a universal tool for all relevant grid anomaly test sequences. TC.ACS enables energy to flow in both directions with full rated power and represents therefore an ideal grid simulator for normal energy consuming loads as also for energy feeding elements like grid tied inverters.
All relevant test procedures according to IEEE- and VDE- can be performed, the high degree of programmability gives room for any kind of later extensions. As all REGATRON power supplies, TC.ACS units may be paralleled in order to have full bidirectional power systems up to the MW- range.
Relevant industry sector:
As Fuel Cells have their own voltage-current characteristic, the versatile programmability of TopCon power supplies enables the user to test and simulate fuel cells. While TC.P and TC.GSX power supplies are the choice for fuel cell simulation, TC.GSS can be used to test real fuel cells over its whole power range.
TopCon TC.ACS allows for establishing of all imaginable grid situations for R&D and simulation work on generating and regenerating electrical equipment.
Versatile software tools like a programmable sequencer, a Fourier tool or the 3-phase amplifier mode widens up the field of operations within the laboratory.
TopCon TC.ACS allows for establishing of all imaginable grid situations for R&D and simulation work on generating and regenerating electrical equipment.
Versatile software tools like a programmable sequencer, a Fourier tool or the 3-phase amplifier mode widens up the field of operations within the laboratory.
Relevant industry sectors:
By combining Regatron DC power supplies with a grid simulator, a complete model of a Smart Grid can be built up. Thus, intensive studies on the dynamic behaviour of grids are made possible.
Within such a system, TopCon unidirectional DC power sources take over the role of “additive” energy sources like wind-, solar-, hydro- and biological power generators as also of fuel cells and on. TopCon bidirectional DC power sources are best suited for the role of electrical power storage elements as also as simulators for power consumption.
As a third element, the grid tied path may be equipped with TC.ACS 4-quadrant Grid Simulator, which is able to simulate various public grid situations up to the ultimate situation of a so-called “Islanding Situation”.
Relevant industry/education sectors:
The universal grid simulator TC.ACS may also be operated in an 'Amplifier Mode' and behaves like a 3-phase power voltage amplifier. The exceptionally high modulation bandwidth makes the TC.ACS ideally suited for high dynamic processes. By this, real-time computer-generated data may be fed directly into the three amplifier inputs of the TC.ACS in order to generate high dynamic 3-phase output voltage feeding a dedicated physical network as an example. This allows the user to simulate complex network response to examine the dynamic characteristics of the given network structure.
Relevant industry/education sectors:
TC.ACS with "Regenerative RLC-Load Mode"
REGATRON TC.ACS Series Grid Simulators now offer a brand-new operation mode: The RLC-Impedance Simulation Mode !
By this, the behaviour of one to three phase reactive circuits can be simulated in real-time within a bandwidth from DC up to 1000 Hz. TC.ACS therefore is able to replace bulky and expensive lumped components like power resistors, power capacitors and high power magnetics. Setting and tuning of simulated component values is possible in full operation by a specialized TC.ACS GUI, which allows even for programmable and automated test sequences.
RLC-Load Mode Application Example: New methods for Anti-Islanding Tests for Grid-tied Power Generator Equipment
The standards DIN V VDE V 0126-1-1 or VDE-AR-N 4105 or IEEE 1547 provide strict regulations for power generating equipment feeding the public grid. The main aim is to harmonize all important technical specifications and to prevent safety risks at “islanding” conditions. Up to now test methods using passive tuned circuits require a considerable effort both in terms of expensive components as also of work time. Power circuit simulation by REGATRON TC.ACS series allows for replacing lumped component R-L-C-circuits simply by “Simulated Impedance”. Furthermore the same TC.ACS device can be used to perform all necessary voltage and frequency tests based on the same test circuit, therefore the complete range of test requirements according to standard DIN V VDE V 0126-1-1 is being met with a fraction of expenditures both in time as in material.
Keywords: IEEE 1547, VDE V 0126-1-1:2013-08, VDE-AR-N 4105:2011-08, grid-tied power generating equipment, public low-voltage grid, RLC tuned circuit, islanding condition, anti-islanding test, regenerative 4-quadrant grid simulator,REGATRON TC.ACS, regenerative four quadrant operation, substitution of bulky and expensive RLC-components, RLCSim mode, GRIDSim mode, ACSControl software, simulated complex impedance, Standard for Interconnecting Distributed Resources with Electric Power Systems.
The TC.ACS in RLC Load Mode allows testing various components like phase shifters or power switches in a distribution network with a settable phase shift on the load current.
For different frequencies TC.ACS may also be used for sourcing the test specimen.