Nagoya Institute of Technology Uses OPAL-RT to Develop a Novel SVR Control Method Using Solar Radiation Sensors

The Company

Nagoya Institute of Technology (NITECH) conducts research on the stability of distribution systems with high levels of photovoltaic generation. NITECH developed a novel SVR control method using solar radiation information to support voltage control in future distribution networks.

The Challenges

• Voltage Fluctuations from PV Integration: The increasing number of photovoltaic generators connected to distribution systems can cause voltage rise and rapid voltage variations.
• High SVC Costs: Large-capacity Static Var Compensators (SVCs) are effective for voltage control but can be costly to deploy.
• SVR Response Delays: Step Voltage Regulators (SVRs) have operational delays that can affect voltage regulation during rapid PV output changes.

The OPAL-RT Solution

• Solar Radiation-Based SVR Control: NITECH developed a control method that uses solar radiation data and voltage measurements to predict future voltage variations.
• Hardware-in-the-Loop Testing: The proposed controller was validated through a HIL setup combining RT-LAB, ARTEMiS, and a DSP-based SVR controller.
• Real-Time Distribution System Simulation: RT-LAB and ARTEMiS enabled real-time simulation of a distribution system model with parallel computation and multiple sampling rates.

The Results

• Predictive Voltage Control: The proposed SVR predicts voltage variations caused by photovoltaic generation and adjusts tap positions in advance.
• Improved Voltage Regulation: The controller compensates rapid voltage changes caused by fluctuations in PV output.
• Reduced SVC Requirements: Improved SVR operation helps reduce the burden placed on SVCs, enabling smaller SVC capacity requirements.
• Validated by Real-Time Simulation: The effectiveness of the proposed SVR controller was confirmed through real-time simulation with a DSP board.

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