Webinar | IEEE PES Lecture Power Hardware-in-the-Loop (PHIL) Simulations – Utility in Product Development and Research

Power Hardware-in-the-Loop (PHIL) simulations combine a real-time simulator with a power amplifier to establish a closed-loop interface between a virtual environment and actual power hardware. This approach enables rigorous and comprehensive testing of the power hardware, under realistic operating conditions. PHIL provides a safe, flexible, and cost-effective alternative to traditional testing methods that may involve risk, complexity, or limited scalability. The presentation will highlight several application domains that have benefited from PHIL implementation. Within the energy storage industry, PHIL facilitates detailed cells, stack, and pack emulation for the development and validation of battery management systems, chargers, and hybrid energy systems. In microgrid research, PHIL plays a critical role in verifying distributed energy resources (DERs) against evolving standards such as IEEE 1547-2018. Complex microgrids where interaction of multiple DERs need to be studied, benefits greatly from PHIL. PHIL has also become an indispensable tool in e-mobility applications, including motor emulation, traction inverter validation, and on-board charger testing—significantly expanding test coverage while reducing development time and cost. This webinar explores two use-cases in two distinct applications domains of PHIL. The first is a PHIL implementation of a Hybrid AC-DC microgrid system. With focus on its utility in piecewise integration of large microgrids, and for cyber physical studies. The second use-case is the use of PHIL for compressor motor emulation and its utility in compressor drive inverter testing.