Performance Assessment of a Centralized Microgrid Controller via a Control Hardware-in-the-Loop Testbed in Southern California Edison

The performance of a centralized microgrid controller (MGC) to manage a mixture of inverter-based resources (IBR) and synchronous generator-based resources, and different microgrid modes of operation is assessed in this study. To evaluate the real-time micro grid dynamic response to the triggered events, a control hardware-in-the-loop (C-HIL) testbed is developed to integrate physical components with a real-time digital simulation environment. The C-HIL testbed was developed at Southern California Edison (SCE) control laboratory and the simulation was constructed based on the University of California at Irvine Microgrid (UCIMG) configuration. Numerous use cases in grid-connected and islanded modes are investigated to evaluate the controller's response and stability. Moreover, the controller's performance to provide a seamless transition between operation modes is intensely evaluated. The obtained results validated the appropriate performance of the micro grid controller in achieving resilient and reliable operation in islanding and grid reconnection scenarios.