The power system is becoming increasingly more complex to operate, due to the increase of variable energy sources such as wind and solar, and means to integrate these sources into the power system, such as demand response, battery systems and power electronics.
The control and optimization of this system is increasingly becoming more digitalized and automated, by the implementation of advanced and complicated algorithms for control and optimization of this system, both on decentral—device and subsystem—level as on central—system—level.
Experiments with hardware in the loop (HIL) testing have been going on for a couple of years. These tests involve a detailed assessment of the interaction of a device controller with a simulated power system.

Software-in-the-loop (SIL) is a variant of HIL, and allows testing of control and optimization software prior to the initialization of the hardware prototyping phase in a complex environment, consisting of the power system, including other control and optimization algorithms that might interfere with the software or algorithm under test.
In other words, SIL is a test methodology where algorithms are tested within a practical, virtual simulation environment intended for the validation and testing of detailed control and optimization strategies within large and complex systems.
SIL offers numerous advantages. It reduces the risks of unforseen effects of applying advanced algorithms in complex environments, and enables early detection of system defects and bugs. It provides an efficient means to validate the save application of such software under all forseen circumstances.

The objective of this use case is to examine the assurance of control and decision support software in the electricity system, by testing it in a complex simulated environment. The aim is to assess the risks of applying the software in the actual power system with regard to its robustness, accuracy, precision and potential risks of interference with the power system or other control algorithms.
Actions will entail:

– Environment development: Model parts of power systems (all aspects, and different systems)
– Definition of testing protocols and (robustness, accuracy, interactions, etc.)
– Putting algorithm under test (If run as a ‘black box’, this might require the simulation to run real time)
– Actual testing for robustness, reliability, cyber security, etc., claim of accuracy, precision, etc.…, potential risks.

It should be noted that in the project the reached results will be demonstrated with 1 or 2 of the developed tools.