Using Simulink to Develop Grid-Tied Solar Inverter Controls

Overview

In this Webinar, you will learn how you can design, implement, and test the controller code for a 3-phase grid-tied solar inverter using Simulink.  The goal is to develop a controller that can adhere to grid codes and maintain inverter grid connection during upset conditions.

In the session we will present how to model the photovoltaic (PV) system, solar inverter, and grid load with Simulink and Simscape Electrical.  This model is used to design and tune closed-loop and supervisory control algorithms for maximum power point tracking (MPPT), grid synchronization, and low voltage ride through (LVRT).  With Embedded Coder, the control algorithms are used to generate and deploy optimized C code to a Texas Instruments C2000 Piccolo™ MCU.  Finally, the implemented code is tested for a variety of emulated grid fault scenarios using a hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) simulation of the PV system, inverter, and grid load running on a Speedgoat real-time target machine using Simulink Real-Time.

Highlights

• Simulating a photovoltaic (PV) farm, a 3-phase grid-scale inverter, and grid load
• Designing and tuning control algorithms for regulating voltage and maintaining grid synchronization using a phase-locked loop
• Developing the maximum power point tracking (MPPT) algorithm to maximize PV output under varying conditions
• Developing supervisory control for low-voltage ride through (LVRT) during a voltage or frequency disturbance
• Generating C code from control algorithms and implementing them on a Texas Instruments C2000 Piccolo™ microcontroller
• Generating C and HDL code from Simulink and Simscape Electrical to a Speedgoat real-time target machine with a multi-core CPU and FPGA
• Conducting hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) simulation to test code running on the microcontroller

About the Presenters

Carlos Villegas has over 10 years of R&D experience in electrical machines, power electronics and automotive control systems, including in-vehicle rapid control prototyping at Daimler Research (Germany), and the development of renewable energy systems up to 2 MW. He is an inventor in 4 patents, and author of 20 technical papers. He received a Ph.D. degree in Engineering from the Hamilton Institute, NUI Maynooth, Ireland; an M.Sc. degree in Mechatronics from CINVESTAV, Mexico; and an M.Eng. degree in Electrical and Mechanical Engineering from Tec de Monterrey, Mexico. As Industry Manager for Electrification at Speedgoat, he is responsible for real-time solutions for electric motors, power electronics, battery systems, and power systems.

Eva Pelster is a Senior Application Engineer at MathWorks. She holds degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Stuttgart. Her focus at MathWorks is on model-based design workflows and physical modeling applications.