RT24 UK | Combined Real-World Sites, RCP & PHIL for interoperable GFms Validation in Microgrid

As renewable energy sources and smart power systems become more prevalent, advanced testing environments are essential to ensure reliable grid operation. Real-world experimental sites, such as Fraunhofer IEE’s "local grid sandboxes," address the limitations of traditional testing methods by integrating real components with advanced techniques like Rapid Control Prototyping (RCP) and Power Hardware-in-the-Loop (PHIL). These sandboxes enable realistic testing of dynamic interactions in microgrids, including grid-forming (GFM) systems and emulated generator sets (GenSets). By combining RCP and PHIL, this setup allows rapid development and validation of inverter control algorithms under actual operating conditions, testing critical scenarios such as grid generation start-ups and fault tolerance. Initial results demonstrate the complexity of current-limiting and fault management issues, highlighting the sandbox’s effectiveness in replicating real-time grid dynamics and accelerating control strategy development for next-generation power systems.