This article implements and validates the performance of a virtual intelligent electronic device (vIED) framework for digital substations using a real-time (RT) simulation environment. The work looks toward the future design of protection, automation, and control systems, an evolution of the digital substation design based on IEC 61850 and virtualization technology. An RT simulation setup was developed to speed up and enhance the deployment and maintenance of vIEDs with a novel well-defined test methodology. Several scenarios were tested by varying the number of vIEDs and relevant (communication, scalability, and functionality) configuration criteria. In addition, we assessed the efficiency of a software-defined communication network for the vIED framework and its adaptability to dynamic scaling of the network under transient data traffic loads. The tests demonstrated the efficient performance of vIEDs across various system configurations, particularly for requirements on the response time and network transfer latency. The findings showcase the significance of proper design and testing methodology that can be benchmarked against other virtualization platforms for substation systems.

This paper studies the inclusion of averaged VSC-based grid interfaces and HVDC networks into stability type simulations, and compares the accuracy and speed of three multi-terminal DC dynamic models: 1) a state-space based model, 2) a multi-rate improved model, and 3) a reduced-order model. The accuracy comparison is conducted by qualitative time-domain analysis taking the state-space model as a reference whereas the computational aspects are investigated by the respective execution times. The models are demonstrated on a three VSC terminal, two synchronous area system. It is shown that the reduced-order model is too inaccurate to investigate detailed large-disturbance stability-related dynamics. The multi-rate model shows the best trade-off between simulation accuracy and speed.

This paper deals with the inclusion of VSC-HVdc transmission schemes into stability-type simulations by hybrid methods. These methods allow selected parts of the network to be simulated in detail by including electro-magnetic behaviour of devices and network elements whereas the remainder of the network is simulated in a simplified fashion with emphasis on electro-mechanical interactions. The paper discusses the interface methods needed for coupling both simulations, and presents a simple but robust interface, particularly designed for VSCs. Several aspects that determine the performance of the hybrid simulation are discussed and tested by simulations on an example network. The hybrid simulations have been implemented in Matlab and verified against a full EMT-type simulation in PSS®NETOMAC.