SMART GRID LABORATORY

National Smart Grid Laboratory

NTNU and SINTEF are
building a new National Real time 200 kVA power Physical power Smart Control
Smart Grid Laboratory in simulated power supply interface systems and Building centre(s)
Trondheim with funding systems and integrating controls
controls RTSPC and PPSC (PPSC) Energy
from the Research Council
(RTSPC) storage
of Norway in cooperation
PV
with the Arctic University EV
of Norway and Smart
Innovation Østfold. The Measurements infrastructure
laboratory is a system-
Communication infrastructure
oriented laboratory
providing state-of-the-art Data access (remote real time access, database access)
infrastructure for R&D,
demonstration, verification
and testing over a wide
range of Smart Grid use
Laboratory concept:
cases. A specific feature of the laboratory is the opportunity to integrate real-time simulations
and physical power system assets (hardware-in-the-loop) with ratings up to 200 kVA,
400 V AC or 700 V DC.

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Laboratory inventory / capabilities
• Transmission systems (AC/DC)
• Distribution systems
• Generation (Large scale, DG, wind farms, PV, hydro..)
• Network customers / loads
• AC/DC converters: Voltage Source Converters (VSC)
and Multi-Level Converters (MMC)
• Rotating machinery: Induction generators/motors
(IG), Synchronous generators/motors (SG), Permanent
magnet generators/motors (PM)
• Grid emulator (200 kVA amplifier , DC to 5 kHz)
• Real-Time Digital Simulators, Hardware-In-the-Loop
(HIL) testing equipment and Rapid Control Prototyping
(RCP) systems (OPAL-RT)
• Smart meters
• Smart homes Smart buildings
• Smart appliances
• Energy storage
• EV charging infrastructure
• Protection equipment
• Monitoring and measurement equipment
• Wide area monitoring – Phasor Measurement Units (PMUs)
• Communications
Application areas / Domains supported
• Smart transmission grids
• HVDC grids
• Smart active distribution grids
• Micro grids
• Integration of Smart Grids, Smart houses and smart
industries
• Integration of renewables (large scale, DG)
• Smart Grid and home automation
• Smart electricity use
• Electrification of transport
• Energy storage in Smart Grids
• Energy conversion in Smart Grids
• Power system stability in Smart Grids
• Monitoring, control and automation in Smart Grids
• Communication technologies for Smart Grids
• Information security and privacy in Smart Grids
• Reliability challenges in Smart Grids -dependencies of
Power Grid and ICT
• Smart grid software
• Big data management and analytics in SmartGrids
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 Laboratory use

Smart Home
Management System
Test of devices, equipment, control technology
and strategies for smart home energy, indoor
climate and home security and safety. In
the project, different architectures (central
intelligence versus distributed intelligence)
and systems (e.g. LonWorks, KNX,…) were
investigated and tested for different scenarios
realising basic functions such temperature,
ventilation and light controls, integration with
smart meters, remote control, smart phone
integration etc.

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 AC
400 V

Multi-terminal HVDC grid

55 kVA Induction Generator DC
66 kVA VSC

connecting offshore wind farms

66 kVA VSC
Large multi-terminal HVDC grids are predicted AC
Inv IM IG
for future implementation. We verified a DC DC bus

control strategy that will ensure safe and 640 V

stable operation of such grids. This was done

using a future scenario featuring a North
AC
Sea supergrid connecting 3 countries with Inv IM IG
DC
AC
400 V
DC
400 V
a large share of wind power (> 50%). The
strategy maintained grid stability despite Grid model
with
66 kVA VSC
large variations in produced wind power. The variable load 66 kVA VSC
17 kVA
number of converters and machines of the lab Synchronous Generator

enabled this large and complex experiment.

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 Frequency support from wind turbines
If wind turbines can support the electrical grid operation
during faults then larger wind farms can be installed in
areas with weak grids. We verified and quantified the
effect of different control strategies on wind turbine
performance during faults. The quantification included
the effects of implementation on real hardware
compared to software simulation. Tests were done for
the two prevailing generator technologies that are used
for wind turbines.

AC AC
Inv IM IG IG IM Inv
DC DC

wind farm equivalent Weak grid equivalent

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Product testing
and verification
New products and solutions
often need to be tested
and verified in laboratory
conditions before being
commercialized. We have
provided a test platform for
different manufacturers to
test their equipment, e.g.
voltage boosters, short-circuit
impedance measurement
tools and power quality
analysers.

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 Micro grid
The integration of real-time simulated power systems The objective of the setup, is to test various microgrid
and controls interfaced with a small model micro grid is control strategies.
shown in the figure.

Real microgrid

Grid model + control model

Power
amplifier

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200 kVA Power Hardware
in the loop (PHIL)
The purpose of the 200 kVA PHIL solution
in the Smart Grid Laboratory is emulate
power systems, devices and controls
and their integration to physical model
power systems, devices and controls to
study system behaviour and performance
for a reasonable power ranges and
frequencies. The advantage compared
Dolphin - FO
to the testing of use cases at very low OP5600 - ML605 #1 Dolphin
Synch - FO
Dolphin OP5600 - ML605 #2

Sync Sync
powers and voltages, is the ability to
CAN PCIe PCIe CAN
model certain physical phenomena in PCIe Expansion
Eth x4
a realistic way (e.g. rotating machinery Aurora
PCle-FO PCle-FO
Aurora
OP4520 - IO OP4520 - IO
thermal effects and time constants). The
figure shows the Power Hardware in the Aurora 1x SFP Aurora 1x SFP

Loop setup with the OPAL RT real-time 2-level converter

or MMC
2-level converter
or MMC
simulators (OP5600), the I/O devices
(OP4520) and the 200 kVA, 5kHz Egston OP4510 with
Motherboard #3
power amplifier.
Power Amplifier

COMPISO
System Unit 200 kVA

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 Main supply

Lab supply grid 400 V AC 225 A

225 A

L1 L12 L2
Short
circuilt
Local grid 1 emulator Local grid 2

125 A
60 kVA lab converter
AC DC
DC AC Inv PMG IM Inv
Energy
storage
PM generator 50 kVA
Inv IM IG lab

Induction generator 55 kVA

50 A
HV/MV substation unit

Example of physical power

MV bus
system setup
20 kVA back to back converter The Laboratory is very flexible with respect
AC DC to topology and configuration.
DC AC

Inv IM SG

Synchronous generator 17 kVA

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Contacts:

NTNU
Project Manager Professor II Kjell Sand
kjell.sand@ntnu.no
+47 73 59 42 16 / +47 481 64 542

SINTEF Energy Research

Research Manager John O. Tande
John.O.Tande@sintef.no
+ 47 913 68 188

ØMERKE
ILJ T
M

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Design and print: Fagtrykk Trondheim AS - Photo: SINTEF/Gry Karin Stimo Tr y k k e r i

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www.sintef.no / www.ntnu.no