OPAL-RT Assists CEPRI in Building Next-Generation Simulation Platform

The company

China Electric Power Research Institute (CEPRI) operates a simulation center dedicated to building a new-generation simulation platform for China’s evolving power grid. OPAL-RT’s OP5607 was integrated with the HYPERSIM real-time simulator to interface control and protection (C&P) replicas of high-voltage transmission networks, including LCC-HVDC, LCC-UHVDC, and MMC systems.

The Challenges

• Increasing Grid Complexity: The expansion of ultra-high-voltage DC interconnected power systems and long-distance transmission networks has significantly increased grid complexity.
• Massive I/O Requirements: HVDC control and protection devices contain numerous panels with widely distributed I/O signals.
• Cost and Wiring Constraints: Traditional digital and analog I/O interfaces lead to high implementation costs and extensive wiring work, especially when connecting multiple HVDC C&P systems simultaneously.

The OPAL-RT Solution

• OP5607 Expansion Platform: The OP5607 FPGA-based I/O expansion unit provides up to 256 additional I/O channels and high-speed SFP communication links.
• HYPERSIM Integration: HYPERSIM performs large-scale real-time power system simulation and supports Hardware-in-the-Loop testing for actual HVDC control and protection devices.
• High-Speed Communication: SFP links transmit measurements between simulated grids and physical control systems at speeds up to 5 Gbps while reducing wiring complexity.

The results

• Large-Scale AC/DC Simulation: The platform supports simulation of multiple ±500 kV and ±800 kV HVDC transmission systems, MMC-HVDC systems, and UHVAC networks.
• Simultaneous HIL Testing: More than 10 UHVDC control and protection systems can be tested simultaneously through the real-time simulation platform.
• Accurate Grid Analysis: The simulation lab enables calculations, evaluations of different operating modes, and incident analysis for large-scale power networks.
• Enhanced Grid Operations Support: The platform improves the ability to control and manage power systems while supporting the development of China’s UHV AC/DC grid infrastructure.

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