Evaluating dynamic performance of modern electric drives via power-hardware-in-the-loop simulation

Hardware in the loop (HIL) simulation, especially power HIL (PHIL) simulation, is a promising tool for motor drive design and prototyping. It inherits both the flexibility of simulation and the authenticity of hardware itself, which therefore allow an actual motor drive design to be thoroughly scrutinized under almost any conceivable condition. In this paper, a unique 5 MW PHIL simulation facility which is in its last stage of commissioning in the Center for Advanced Power Systems (CAPS) is introduced. An illustrative PHIL simulation example based on a similar but downscaled 50 kW test bed is performed. Interesting results very well demonstrates how a PHIL simulation on a motor drive system can expose the hidden problems that are difficult to be identified by other testing methods.