Smart electricity system and technology laboratory (smartEST lab.)

AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH

Wien | Website

Short Description

The laboratory infrastructure includes freely configurable low-voltage networks, flexible high-bandwidth grid simulators, high-performance PV simulators and an environmental chamber for tests at full power under extreme temperature and humidity conditions. The AIT smartEST Laboratory additionally offers the opportunity to simulate complex electrical grids both offline as well as in real time and connect them to the lab networks. This power hardware-in-the-loop (P-HIL) configuration allows real components to be integrated into a virtual grid environment and tested under realistic conditions in interaction with the grid. Moreover, the lab infrastructure provides full functionality for design and validation of power electronic systems.

Major facilities of the infrastructure cluster
smartEST: high-power lab, high bandwidth grid simulation units (3 x 400 V, 800 kVA)
3 independent laboratory grids (grounded/isolated mode)
Dynamic PV array simulator (1500 V, 1500 A, 960 kW)
Freely adjustable RLC loads (1 MW, 1 MVAr)
Adjustable line impedances
Data acquisition system and laboratory SCADA system
Environmental test chamber (-40°C to 120°C, size 3.6 x 2.6 x 2.8m)

smartEST inverter lab
High bandwidth grid simulation units (3 x 400 V, 30 kVA)
Anti-islanding test setup (30 kVA)
Dynamic PV array simulation system (3 x 12 kW)
Data acquisition system, measurement instruments

smartEST storage and electric vehicle lab
Battery simulator (DC source)
Data acquisition system, measurement instruments

smartEST offline simulation lab
Multicore Opal-RT real-time simulator (including software licenses)
License for MATLAB TPC Target HIL simulation environment
Server hardware for power system simulation and co-simulation
PC-based simulation terminals
V1.0 | 3
Licenses for power system simulation (Digsilent Power Factory, Sincal)
Licenses for MATLAB Simulink, Simscape

smartEST power electronic lab
Licenses for power electronic systems design (OrCAD, PSpice, PLECS)
LabView development system
MATLAB licenses
Measurement instruments

Contact Person

DI Roland Bründlinger

Research Services

Testing of components and systems with simulated grids and primary energy sources
• Electrical, functional and performance tests according to grid codes
• Simultaneous testing of power and communication interfaces of components
• Performance and lifetime testing under controlled environmental conditions
• Simulation and testing of single components as well as complete generation systems and plants
• Power hardware-in-the-loop (P-HIL) experiments by means of real time simulation and multi-domain co-simulation (rapid modelling and prototyping of systems and components)
• Simulation of smart grid scenarios
Accreditation and Certificates
• Accreditation according to EN ISO/IEC 17025
• Certification according to ISO 9001

Methods & Expertise for Research Infrastructure

• Expertise in using, developing, adapting and coupling different simulation environments for electric power systems and communication networks (HIL measurements and simulations; co-simulation)
• Use and development of laboratory infrastructure and design tools that support the development of power system components according to system operation requirements
• Expertise in developing, optimizing and validating power system technologies with a particular focus on ICT and power electronics

Equipment

• Electric Energy Storage Laboratory