Power Hardware-in-the-Loop (PHIL): A Review to Advance Smart Inverter-Based Grid-Edge Solutions

Over the past decade, world’s electrical grid infrastructure has experienced rapid growth in integration of grid-edge inverter-based distributed energy resources (DERs). This led to operating concerns associated with reduced system inertia, stability and intermittent renewable power generation. However, advanced or “smart” inverters can provide services such as volt-VAR, frequency-Watt, constant factor capabilities help sustain reliable microgrid operations. To address challenges accelerate benefits smart inverter integration, new approaches are needed test both impacts (IBRs) on well changing conditions operation IBRs. Power hardware-in-the-loop (PHIL) stands out a strong testing solution, enabling real-time simulated be interfaced hardware devices which implemented determine interactions between multiple at points common coupling microgrids. paper presents review PHIL for applications including recent advancements requirements simulators, interfaces communication considerations. An illuminating case study is summarized followed by exemplary testbed developments around world, concluding proposed research paradigm advance grid-following grid-forming inverters.