Real-time emulation for power equipment development. I. Real-time simulation

Simulation is becoming increasingly useful in the design of complex systems. Offline simulation is commonplace but there are many issues which can only be examined if the system is simulated at its true speed. A typical example is the interaction between clocked digital systems and continuous processes. The paper reports results from a real-time simulator for an invertersupplied induction motor drive. The simulator is formed using multiple digital signal processors with task separation to allow real-time modelling down to detailed power device switching level. The system allows the drive controller to be realistically tested in the real-time simulation environment. The system has been shown to be in good agreement with an actual drive running in parallel with the simulator. The paper examines the limits imposed by practical hardware on the level of simulation that is possible.