Solar and wind inverters are critical for converting variable DC or AC power into grid-compatible electricity. Their embedded control systems must manage voltage, frequency, reactive power, and fault ride-through behavior while responding to dynamic grid conditions and resource variability. RTSim enables efficient testing of these control platforms. Using suitable Power Amplifiers, RTSim can be used to test solar and wind converters in Power-Hardware In Loop testing.

Solution Benefits

  • Grid Code Compliance Testing Validate inverter behavior against national and regional standards (e.g., FRT, reactive support, voltage control).
  • MPPT & Dispatch Validation Test maximum power point tracking and active/reactive power dispatch under variable resource conditions.
  • Grid-Forming & Grid-Following Modes Validate transitions, synchronization, and stability in both operating modes.
  • Cyber-Physical Resilience Simulate communication failures, spoofing, and control disruptions to assess fault tolerance.
  • Multi-Inverter Coordination Test how multiple inverter units interact under shared grid conditions and dispatch commands.
  • Performance Optimization Tune control parameters for improved efficiency, ramp response, and grid support.

Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) testing of wind and solar inverters

Controller HIL (C-HIL) simulation connects the real inverter controller and Power-HIL (P-HIL) connects the real inverter along with the control platform to a real-time digital twin of the grid and renewable resources in RTSim, allowing engineers to validate control logic, switching behavior, and grid support functions in a closed-loop environment.

Analog & Digital I/O

  • Simulated grid voltages, currents, and breaker statuses from RTSim are fed into the inverter controller’s input channels.
  • In C-HIL the Control outputs (e.g., PWM signals, trip commands) are captured by RTSim to update system behavior.
  • In P-HIL the inverter output is captured by RTSim to update system behavior as if it is connected to a real-inverter.

PWM & Gate Signal Capture

  • In C-HIL the controller’s PWM outputs drive the simulated inverter and generator model in RTSim.
  • In P-HIL PWM & Gate signals can be generated in RTSim to test the inverters
  • Enables validation of modulation strategies, current control loops, and switching dynamics.

Renewable Resource Emulation

  • Simulate solar irradiance and wind speed profiles in RTSim to test MPPT algorithms, ramp-rate control, and curtailment logic.
  • Controllers/inveretrs receive realistic generation profiles and must adapt dispatch and grid support accordingly.

Grid Event Injection

  • Simulate voltage dips, frequency excursions, faults, and reconnection events in RTSim.
  • Validate inverter response for fault ride-through, reactive power support, and grid-forming behavior.

Communication Protocols

  • Support for Modbus, CAN, IEC 61850, and proprietary protocols in RTSim enables SCADA integration and remote diagnostics.

Closed-Loop Feedback

  • Control actions from the inverter controller dynamically influence the simulated grid and resource model in RTSim, enabling full closed-loop validation.

Validate your solar and wind inverter control systems with confidence. Test smarter, deploy faster.