Current power applications face challenges in meeting evolving grid compliance requirements, particularly as standards such as IEEE 1547-2018 demand more sophisticated grid support functions. This includes voltage regulation, frequency response, anti-islanding protection, and advanced communication capabilities, especially under weak grid conditions or high renewable penetration.
The traditional approach of field testing is becoming impractical due to the need to simulate complex scenarios such as voltage sags, frequency deviations, harmonics, and grid disturbances that may rarely occur in real-world conditions. Dedicated grid emulator solutions address these challenges by providing controllable test environments that can systematically verify compliance with all required grid codes.
The AVL Grid Emulator features a system topology with two Silicon Carbide (SiC) based power conversion stages. The first stage AC/DC conversion is done using an Active Front End.
The second stage conversion consists of a resonant converter with a compact high frequency transformer for galvanic isolation, followed by a buck converter-based power amplifier module performing the DC/DC or DC/AC conversion.
The output of the power amplifier goes through two stages of filtering for a precise and clean low THD output. Based on the power requirements, multiple units can be connected to the active front end in parallel.
- SiC technology for high efficiency and compact design.
- Common galvanically isolated DC bus for flexible power routing.
- 4-quadrant bi-directional and regenerative operation for source
and sink capability.
- Ultra low THD (<0.1%) with advanced filtering.
- Configurable AC & DC operation with modular parallelization for
high power operation.
- High-speed optical interface to real-time HiL systems.
SiC Technology
SiC technology enables very high efficiency and overall compact design.
Galvanically Isolated
Common galvanically isolated DC bus allows for flexible power routing and versatility.
4-Quadrant,
Bi-Directional
and regenerative operation makes source and sink capability a reality.
Ultra-Low THD
Ultra-low total harmonic distortions (THD) of <0.1% with advanced filter stages.
| Input Data | 3-phase | 380 ... 440 V ±10% | 50/60 Hz ±2% |
| AC Operation | |
| Switching Frequency | Nominal 80 kHz Maximum 180 kHz |
| Output Power | 400 kW Maximum 220 kW (400 Vll) |
| Output Voltage | Maximum 600 V line to line Minimum controlled 0 v line to line |
| Output Current | 320 Arms (3 Phase + N or 3 Phase) |
| Fundamental Frequency | Controllable ≤ 0.1 Hz up to > 20 kHz |
| THDv | 0.1% orders between 2–40 Harmonic 0.5% Full Spectrum THD |
| Communication Interfaces | SFP (Optical), CAN, Modbus, Ethernet |
| DC Operation | |
| Switching Frequency | Nominal 240 kHz Maximum 540 kHz |
| Output Power | Maximum 400 kW |
| Output Voltage | Maximum 1,200 V Minimum controlled 40 V |
| Output Current | 800 A (1 Channel) 300 A (3 Channels) |
| Current Ripple and Current Noise | ≤ 0.1 % RMS of full scale |
| Efficiency (from Grid to UUT) | ≥ 94 % |
Terminal Configuration | |
| AC Mode (3 Line & 3 Line + N) | DC Mode (Unipolar 1 Channel & 3 Channels) |
In our changing energy landscape, the need for grid emulations greater than ever. With our complete system, our customers can efficiently emulate complex scenarios and verify compliance with all grid codes."
– Abhishek Ravi, Product Manager, AVL List GmbH
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