Power-Hardware-in-the-Loop Simulation for Applied Science, a Review to Highlight Its Merits and Challenges

The last thirty years have brought an evolution of electrical power systems. The integration of renewable energy and energy storage, dynamic loads, or distributed resources based on power electronics, including communications systems and protocols, is usual. Fortunately, technological advances have...

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Main Author: Ciro Núñez-Gutiérrez
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-02-01
Series:Inventions
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2411-5134/10/1/19
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author Ciro Núñez-Gutiérrez
author_facet Ciro Núñez-Gutiérrez
author_sort Ciro Núñez-Gutiérrez
collection DOAJ
description The last thirty years have brought an evolution of electrical power systems. The integration of renewable energy and energy storage, dynamic loads, or distributed resources based on power electronics, including communications systems and protocols, is usual. Fortunately, technological advances have also brought tools to face the complex field of electrical component integration to the power system, such as the real-time power-hardware-in-the-loop (PHIL) simulation. This paper argues why PHIL simulation is a mighty tool for addressing intelligent design, modeling, and computing methods to address complex power systems. Nevertheless, any promising technology can be misunderstood, reducing its positive effect. This article uses two inverters connected to a microgrid to develop the steps from conceptualizing an idea to a PHIL simulation, highlighting the merits, drawbacks, and lessons learned. Two perspectives are developed. First, the multiple, even complex, details required for furnishing a PHIL simulation are described. Second, reflections on how PHIL simulations enhance the scientific impact of the research compared to offline simulations or scale prototypes are made, enabling the transition from academic to applied research to attend to the challenges of modern power systems. The successful results of the microgrid PHIL simulation are shown to prove the merits of this approach.
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spelling doaj-art-990d8e8adc8b42f6aa777a3d2f8a39992025-08-20T02:44:42ZengMDPI AGInventions2411-51342025-02-011011910.3390/inventions10010019Power-Hardware-in-the-Loop Simulation for Applied Science, a Review to Highlight Its Merits and ChallengesCiro Núñez-Gutiérrez0Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, San Luis Potosí 78290, MexicoThe last thirty years have brought an evolution of electrical power systems. The integration of renewable energy and energy storage, dynamic loads, or distributed resources based on power electronics, including communications systems and protocols, is usual. Fortunately, technological advances have also brought tools to face the complex field of electrical component integration to the power system, such as the real-time power-hardware-in-the-loop (PHIL) simulation. This paper argues why PHIL simulation is a mighty tool for addressing intelligent design, modeling, and computing methods to address complex power systems. Nevertheless, any promising technology can be misunderstood, reducing its positive effect. This article uses two inverters connected to a microgrid to develop the steps from conceptualizing an idea to a PHIL simulation, highlighting the merits, drawbacks, and lessons learned. Two perspectives are developed. First, the multiple, even complex, details required for furnishing a PHIL simulation are described. Second, reflections on how PHIL simulations enhance the scientific impact of the research compared to offline simulations or scale prototypes are made, enabling the transition from academic to applied research to attend to the challenges of modern power systems. The successful results of the microgrid PHIL simulation are shown to prove the merits of this approach.https://www.mdpi.com/2411-5134/10/1/19inverterpower-hardware-in-the-looppower systemreal-time simulationmicrogrids
spellingShingle Ciro Núñez-Gutiérrez
Power-Hardware-in-the-Loop Simulation for Applied Science, a Review to Highlight Its Merits and Challenges
Inventions
inverter
power-hardware-in-the-loop
power system
real-time simulation
microgrids
title Power-Hardware-in-the-Loop Simulation for Applied Science, a Review to Highlight Its Merits and Challenges
title_full Power-Hardware-in-the-Loop Simulation for Applied Science, a Review to Highlight Its Merits and Challenges
title_fullStr Power-Hardware-in-the-Loop Simulation for Applied Science, a Review to Highlight Its Merits and Challenges
title_full_unstemmed Power-Hardware-in-the-Loop Simulation for Applied Science, a Review to Highlight Its Merits and Challenges
title_short Power-Hardware-in-the-Loop Simulation for Applied Science, a Review to Highlight Its Merits and Challenges
title_sort power hardware in the loop simulation for applied science a review to highlight its merits and challenges
topic inverter
power-hardware-in-the-loop
power system
real-time simulation
microgrids
url https://www.mdpi.com/2411-5134/10/1/19
work_keys_str_mv AT cironunezgutierrez powerhardwareintheloopsimulationforappliedscienceareviewtohighlightitsmeritsandchallenges