Modular Research Platform with Bidirectional Converter Techniques for Investigation of Novel Control Strategies in Converter-Based Grids

The progressing decentralization of electrical power supply systems with a high penetration of renewable energy systems implies the change towards increasingly converter-based grids. This evolution requires innovative control concepts of the converters to ensure stable grid operation despite of a small amount of rotating masses in the grid. In this work, a newly developed converter platform and its bidirectional 11 kVA 3-phase grid converter based on a SiC-B6 bridge are presented. Thanks to the platform, innovative control strategies for converter-based grids can be developed and evaluated in the DLR Grid Laboratory. By keeping the defined interfaces between soft- and hardware flexible, further improvements can be developed modularly.