Power-Hardware-In-the-Loop (PHIL) Test of VSC-based HVDC connection for Offshore Wind Power Plants (WPPs)

This paper presents a power-hardware-in-the-loop (PHIL) test for an offshore wind power plant (WPP) interconnected to the onshore grid by a VSC-based HVDC connection. The intention of the PHIL test is to verify the control coordination between the plant side converter of the HVDC connection and the wind turbines within the WPP in order to ensure smooth operation of the WPP under both normal operating condition and operating conditions with grid faults. The PHIL test platform is comprised of a real time digital simulator (RTDS), a Spitzenberger Spies three phase 7.5 kW amplifier, a Danfoss VSC based converter and a chopper. The WPP is simulated in the RTDS which consists of a number of full scale converter wind turbines (FSCWTs). The simulated WPP interacts with the plant side converter through the Spitzenberger Spies amplifier. The interfacing between the RTDS and the Spitzenberger Spies amplifier is done by the analogue I/O card of the RTDS and the input channel of the amplifier. The amplifier scales up the voltages at the point of common coupling (PCC) of the WPP to the voltage level for the converter. The plant side VSC converter supplies power to the chopper. The test results show the successful control coordination between the WPP and the plant side VSC converter of the HVDC connection of the WPP.