║ Question List

1. What is real-time simulation?

2. Why use real-time simulation?

3. What are the applications of real-time simulation platform in industry?

4. What are the applications of real-time simulation platforms in research?

5. What are the pedagogical applications of real-time simulation platforms?

6. Are real-time simulation platform very expensive？

7. What are the products of ModelingTech's Real-Time Simulation？

8. What is the technical advantages and innovative points of ModelingTech's Real-Time Simulation Platform?

9. Does ModelingTech’s Real Time Simulation Help in Publishing Journal Papers?

10. What are the differences between the various platforms for the purchase of semi-physical simulation platforms?

Q1 What is real-time simulation?

A1: The basic principle of real-time simulation is to use a real-time system running a mathematical model of a physical system with an IO interface board to simulate the behaviour of the physical system, and to test and verify it through a real-time simulator, which is also often referred to as a semi-physical simulation test, or hardware-in-the-loop simulation test. The biggest difference between real-time simulation and common software offline simulation is that real-time simulation requires that the model update calculation is strictly within the time corresponding to the simulation step; while the common step length of power electronic system simulation is on the order of 1us, and the complex model update calculation has to be completed within such a short period of time, which puts forward a very high requirement on the hardware's computational ability. Therefore, the real-time simulation of power electronic system is a possible research experiment technology with the continuous progress of multi-core CPU and FPGA chip technology, especially in recent years, the development of FPGA chip technology has a great role in promoting the real-time simulation of power electronics.

Q2 Why use real-time simulation?

A2:In practical simulation applications, the system can generally be disassembled into the control side and the controlled object side (for example, motor drive system is composed of DSP controller and physical motor), real-time simulation is mainly used to simulate the object side of the simulation, which is a real-time simulator with the controller to form a closed-loop test system applications, also known as the hardware in the loop simulation (HIL).

Real-time simulation test relative to the physical test has two main advantages: 1. safety, it is a signal-level simulation test environment; 2. high efficiency, do not need to build a large physical, model building and switching is particularly fast, more efficient, can significantly save our test time and resource costs.

Relative to offline simulation, the main advantage of real-time simulation is: there are actual physical IO interfaces, the ability to test the real control board, rather than as offline simulation can only verify the control algorithm.

In summary, real-time simulation technology combines the advantages of common offline simulation software and power physical simulation (i.e., simulation software is easy to change the topology, the advantages of simulating faulty conditions; power physical simulation and the actual controller can constitute the advantages of closed-loop), so real-time simulation has become an important tool for scientific research, R & D and testing of the power and new energy industry, and has been increasingly used in universities and industry.

Q3 What are the applications of real-time simulation platform in industry?

A3:In the industry, mainly for our new energy industry-related enterprises, research institutes and the State Grid Electric Power Research Institute. For example, Hopewind Chint Power, HRV ELECTRIC, ReNengy Electric and other wind power, PV companies, hardware in the loop real-time simulation platform for the study of new control methods, shorten the development cycle, to ensure the quality of the product has an important significance, the use of semi-physical simulation testing has become an indispensable step in the development of power grids, power electronics and motor-driven industry controller development process.

Q4 What are the applications of real-time simulation platforms in research?

A4:In scientific research, mainly for our domestic and foreign power electronics new energy field related universities, research institutes, teachers and researchers, to help them accelerate the control algorithm and results verification, to reach new technological breakthroughs and innovation, lead and drive the industry's technological progress. Common applications include: high and low penetration testing, grid connection testing and impedance testing of new energy power generation systems such as photovoltaic and wind power, microgrid simulation and control, hardware-in-the-loop testing of electric vehicle electric drive systems, traction system control of rail transit, vehicle network system research, and research on new equipment topologies such as MMC and chained SVGs, which are relatively popular nowadays.

Q5 What are the pedagogical applications of real-time simulation platforms?

A5:In the teaching, mainly for our domestic and foreign power electronics new energy field of colleges and universities to build the laboratory, to help institutions to build a first-class level of electrical laboratories, to cultivate excellence in engineering practice-oriented talents. Through the real-time simulation platform can help schools to complete the principle of teaching experimental courses and high-level innovative experimental courses. Such as basic power electronics simulation experiments, motor control experiments, grid-connected inverter and new energy experiments. Of course, it can also be based on the actual teaching of the school to expand the development of experiments.

Q6 Are real-time simulation platform very expensive？

A6:Because real-time simulation platform generally need hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars, so we may be the first reaction is too expensive. Especially with some of the traditional may be a few thousand or tens of thousands of oscilloscopes can be bought, power analyser compared to; but for a product, can not just look at the price, but also from the platform can bring us the value and other experimental methods need to invest in order to compare may have a better answer.

First of all, we can put the real-time simulation and low-power physical system to compare, at present for some low-power physical system, such as some small photovoltaic or wind turbine simulation system, general 5-10kW physical simulation system, is the need for 10-20 million investment; if you need a photovoltaic plus a wind turbine simulation system, may need to invest in the 20-30 million; if you want to build a micro-grid system that contains a number of new energy simulation system, it is necessary to build a micro-grid system. If you want to build a microgrid system with multiple new energy simulation systems, the investment will be even larger, 1 million to 2 million such an order of magnitude is possible.

Acquisition of a real-time simulation system may be the need for hundreds of thousands of dollars, but the real-time simulator as long as the model can be changed to simulate a different system, from this point of view, in fact, the real-time simulation system and the physical simulation of the system's investment is basically in an order of magnitude, and not everyone's impression that real-time simulation is very expensive.

At the same time, real-time simulator is also convenient to do some of the physical more dangerous and more difficult to operate the experiment, and even some experiments (such as impedance analysis), whether industry or academia are the use of real-time simulator to complete the experiment in the physical to complete hundreds of frequency points is very difficult to imagine. So these aspects of real-time simulation is also a good value to the user returns.

In addition, here is a good news for the majority of users, far wide energy to the core simulation technology hardware and software have been localised, really breaking the price monopoly of foreign products, especially in recent years after the launch of our high-performance self-research products, the user should be on our cost-effective deeply touched. At the same time, you do not have much money but are very optimistic about the important role of real-time simulation platform in scientific research or teaching, you can first buy the entry-level, followed by upgrades.

Q7 What are the products of ModelingTech's Real-Time Simulation？

A7: ModelingTech’s real-time simulation products are divided into the following four product series according to the size of simulation and hardware resources: MT 8020 real-time simulator for new power real-time supercomputing platform, MT 6040 flagship real-time simulator, MT 6020 research real-time simulator, and MT 3200 entry-level real-time simulator. For more details, please visit the website of ModelingTech or call us.

Q8 What is the technical advantages and innovative points of ModelingTech's Real-Time Simulation Platform?

A8:The advantages of ModelingTech’s real-time simulation platform are mainly reflected in its technology and services. Technically, as an independent enterprise dedicated to the development of cutting-edge core technologies, ModelingTech’s real-time simulation technology and developed series of products have reached the international cutting-edge level, which are mainly embodied in the industry's first hybrid modeling method of LC and RonRoff, 250ns simulation step based on FPGA; seamless support for mainstream modeling environments, no compilation required for the system model; support for the construction of any topology; support for synchronous cascading of optical fibers; etc. ModelingTech has also developed a new generation of real-time simulation platforms, which can be used in a variety of applications. support for arbitrary topology construction, support for fibre optic synchronous cascade, etc. In terms of service, ModelingTech has a professional support team to provide efficient and convenient localised services. At the same time, ModelingTech will organises on-line and off-line training, ModelingTech Cup and journal article rewards from time to time to help customers really use the equipment up and produce results.

Q9 Does ModelingTech’s Real Time Simulation Help in Publishing Journal Papers?

A9:The answer is yes, scientific research journal papers generally require experimental results to verify the proposed theory, experimental verification methods include low-power physical experiments or real-time simulation experiments. Our website has a list of journal articles published by users through our real-time simulation platform to validate new control algorithms or topologies. Up to now, there are no less than 45 excellent journal articles, more than 80% of which are included in the core papers of SCI and EI, which mainly contain the authoritative journals of the IEEE series (e.g., IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics, IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid, IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics, IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid, and so on). IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics, IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid, and Chinese EI journals (e.g. Power System Automation, Chinese Journal of Electrical Engineering, etc.).

Q10 What are the differences between the various platforms for the purchase of semi-physical simulation platforms?

A10:If you have the need to buy semi-physical simulation platform, as the industry, we suggest that you first of all on the concept of semi-physical simulation platform and the core indicators to understand clearly, these in our ModelingTech’ website have the relevant information, understand the core indicators, you can go to look for domestic and foreign similar products, compare the difference between the core indicators, combined with their own research needs and budgets, selected the appropriate few products again pk, and finally finalised. of course, you can also contact us to help you analyse the needs and technical details, and ultimately buy the ideal product.