Challenge: A key to controller design is the validation of performance over a wide range of operating conditions, all the more so when the converters have different applications (Solar and Wind) and a wide power range (100kW to 6MW). Solution: Woodward IDS decided at the start of the project that their development would rely on an advanced design and test tool: the Typhoon HIL400 Power Electronics emulator. This real-time hardware-in-the-loop tester is a desktop box to which a developmental controller is connected in order to test control algorithms. Conclusion: The traditional approach of testing power electronics controls, solely in a power lab, is too costly and incomplete to meet the quality and reliability requirements of continually evolving controller functionality. The Typhoon family of emulators addresses this paradigm and offers a revolutionary way of reducing development and QA costs in a world where power management and renewable energy production have become the Leitmotif of our age. Full article: Typhoon HIL https://www.typhoon-hil.com/company/customers/industry/woodward#

1. Woodward IDS uses HIL400 to
develop new PV inverter controller.
Woodward IDS develops new controller for PV inverters with the HIL400
“HIL400 has greatly enhanced the efficiency of our development process and will contribute
greatly to Quality Assurance as the new controller covers an ever wider range of applications”.
Dr. Andreas Dittrich
Introduction
Since 1870 Woodward has been controlling
speed and power and is today a world leader
in turbine controls, motor drives and power
management systems which includes the CON-
CYCLE family of Wind Turbine Converters from
1.25 to 6MW and the SOLO family of solar in-
verters from 100kW to 1MW.
The Project
A new controller, the IPC50, was needed to
achieve a more compact, more flexible and low-
er cost design which would be suitable for both
renewable energy applications.
The design teams were located in Switzerland
for the design and in Bulgaria for testing.
Challenge
The challenge was one of design co-ordination
(different product families and power ranges),
disparate locations (Switzerland, Bulgaria ...)
and the rapid prototyping of a radically new
and cost-reduced controller.
A key to controller design is the validation of
performance over a wide range of operating
conditions, all the more so when the convert-
ers have different applications (Solar and Wind)
and a wide power range (100kW to 6MW).
Design and testing can be a lengthy process es-
pecially where different design and test teams
in geographically distant locations are simulta-
neously involved. Clearly, a lengthy process is
not compatible with keeping costs in check.
The Solution
Woodward IDS decided at the start of the proj-
ect that their development would rely on an
advanced design and test tool: the Typhoon
HIL400 Power Electronics emulator. This re-
al-time hardware-in-the-loop tester is a desk-
top box to which a developmental controller is
connected in order to test control algorithms.
The HIL400 thus replaces the power laboratory
and allows the controls to be tested under all
foreseeable operating conditions, eliminating
99% of all bugs and problems before the final,
costly lab tests take place at full power.
The test “bench” is shown in the following
picture taken in the Woodward design office
in Zürich. In the foreground can be seen the
IPC232 controller with its UFI2IO and CTR651
cards connected to the HIL400 emulator just
behind it. The Tektronix oscilloscope to the left
displays the analogue output signals from the
HIL400 emulating the inverter while the screen
to the right displays the HIL400 Control Inter-
face from a PC (not shown). The HIL400 has a

2. “Parts of the controller design and development could be entrusted to an engineering stu-
dent, since testing was at desktop level with no high voltages” says Martin Vinzens, Engineer-
ing Director at Woodward IDS, Zürich. “We had our international experts and consultants
around for the 20 weeks of the project and our engineering student, Alexandre Cavalier from
Paris was able to work on the design of the controller and put it through extensive tests with
minimal supervision”.
simple graphic user interface (GUI) as shown
below, reminiscent of standard simulation soft-
ware packages.
The GUI below is for the initial solar application
for which different types of panel with varying
degrees of insolation could be emulated, along
with different filters, line impedances and grid
voltages (sag, flicker, surge, harmonic content
etc.).
In the case of a wind turbine, different machine
characteristics can be programmed (reactanc-
es, mechanical inertia etc.) which would be
difficult if not impossible to replicate in a lab at
rated power.
“The HIL400 allows the emulation of up to two
converters with unlimited passive components
around them” says Alexandre Cavalier. “If the
screen gets too busy because the circuit is com-
plex, you can split it with convenient ‘coupling
elements’. Also, the library is really comprehen-
sive with passives, converters, motors, sources,
switches, meters etc.”
The Results
The development of the new Woodward con-
troller was sped up with a minimum of involved
resources. “Having the flexibility of a real-time
simulator in the office meant that all those in-
volved could test and modify algorithms with-
out continually scheduling cumbersome tests
in the Power Lab. By the time when we would
be ready to go to the lab for final tests, the job
then is practically done”says Martin Vinzens.
Conclusions
The traditional approach of testing power elec-
tronics controls, solely in a power lab, is too
costly and incomplete to meet the quality and
reliability requirements of continually evolving
controller functionality. The Typhoon family of
emulators addresses this paradigm and offers
a revolutionary way of reducing development
and QA costs in a world where power manage-
ment and renewable energy production have
become the Leitmotif of our age.