FPGA HiL simulation of back-to-back converter PMSG wind turbine systems

This work presents a back-to-back power converter Permanent-magnet Synchronous Generator (PMSG) wind turbine real-time simulation system based on FPGA Hardware-in-the-Loop (HiL) concept. The proposed system can be used for Electric Control Units (ECUs) evaluation in a real-time manner. The refreshing rate effect of a HiL emulator is discussed and analyzed with real-time simulation proof. Within this work, per-unit system model of a 2MW Back-to-Back converter direct-drive PMSG wind turbine system is developed both in continuous and discrete formats. The effectiveness of the discrete per-unit system model is firstly verified through off-line simulation in Matlab/Simulink environment. Then by using a so-called Single-Cycle-Timed-Loop (SCTL) technique, the per-unit discrete system model is implemented on an FPGA based platform as the emulator, achieving a very high refreshing-rate (up to 250 kHz, i.e., 4μs). The emulator refreshing rate effect is evaluated in a real-time operating manner by implementing an ECU (using FOC/VOC control scheme) in a second FPGA chassis. At the end of this paper the results are analyzed and theoretically interpreted.