Data acquisition and processing for power hardware-in-the loop simulations of LV distribution feeders

The expected development of grid monitoring applications and control functionalities in low voltage distribution networks calls for advanced simulation tools for performance assessment of these applications. Power hardware-in-the-loop simulations form a cost effective approach to accurately capture the (dynamic) system behaviour. This paper describes the development of a data acquisition and processing system that enables power hardware-in-the-loop simulation of a real physical feeder within a larger simulated three-phase low voltage network simulated in real-time. With the aid of the data acquisition and processing system, the performance of newly developed monitoring and control applications can be assessed and evaluated in terms of accuracy, speed and effectiveness. To this extend, the paper shows how the data acquisition and processing system is implemented and discusses the possibilities that it creates for verifying newly developed applications for distribution grid automation.