Power Grid Simulator 

Ametek Programmable Power has shipped an ultra-high capacity regenerative power grid simulation system to the National Center of Supervision & Inspection of Solar PV (photo-voltaic) Products Quality, China. Wholly owned by the Chinese government, the agency (known as CPVT) provides test results with legal effect through national laboratory certification and accreditation.

The custom-designed system will be used for grid simulation in the test and certification of PV inverters. It was selected by CPVT because it provides a previously unavailable combination of multiple capabilities and high power output. This integrated, multi-instrument approach reduces costs by effectively eliminating the need for additional equipment to create a complete AC power test system. 

A key feature is the ability to support the Low Voltage Ride-Through (LVRT) test. Under specific abnormal voltage drop conditions, this can allow a utility to avoid large-scale, severe grid voltage drops caused by a chain reaction starting from a single inverter failure. Due to its unique regenerative mode and hardware design, the system can keep working smoothly through the entire LVRT test process. This includes the moment of programmed voltage drop when there will be an extremely high peak current imposed by the inverter under test.

The nine-chassis solution consists of three sub-systems, each capable of generating 270 kVA of 3 ø power at up to 520 Vac (L-L). Three control chassis  allow engineers at the CPVT to configure the entire solution as a single 810 kVA, three separate 270 kVA, or one 540 kVA with one 270 kVA system. This capability provides the flexibility to size the simulated power grid appropriately for the device being tested as well as increase testing capability throughout.

The system’s RS Series High-Power AC Source can re-capture and return to the facility’s utility grid up to 85% of the energy sourced from the facility grid during testing. This reduces direct energy cost and heat load on the facility’s HVAC.