This activity relates to the development of direct current (DC) systems in distribution networks. The applicability of the Active Disturbance Rejection Control (ADRC) method to the case study represented by the converters in a Medium Voltage Direct Current (MVDC) network for deriving Low Voltage Direct Current (LVDC) networks is typically addressed through computer simulations (off-line). In this report, ADRC control is compared with “traditional” strategies, specifically Proportional-Integral (PI) control.
The performance of the two controls is analyzed through real-time Control Hardware In the Loop (CHIL) simulations of a Dual Active Bridge (DAB) converter connected to a multiterminal, multilevel direct current distribution network.
This activity has therefore allowed for the extension of theoretical/simulative considerations to physical implementations of the controllers, identifying ADRC control as a possible alternative to PI control for a power system connected to an MVDC network.
The report introduces the discretization of continuous algorithms (ADRC and PI) necessary for implementation in a digital control system. The steps for the realization and validation of the CHIL control system setup and the real-time simulation environment used for the tests are described in detail. The methodology employed involves comparing the real-time results with the same reference implementations in off-line simulation environments. Following the presentation of the real-time implementation of the tri-terminal MVDC network, the CHIL simulation results are shown; the DAB converter is driven by an external control board where both controls have been implemented: the digital ADRC control is finally compared with the PI control.