Emulator apparatus for microgrid testing and design

Abstract

An emulator apparatus that emulates entities included in a microgrid is described herein. The emulator apparatus emulates a load with time-varying inductance/resistance or an energy storage device or combination of energy storage devices. The emulator apparatus is electrically coupled to a system or device that is desirably tested/maintained/designed. The emulator apparatus emulates a particular device, and response of the system of device to the emulated device is monitored for purposes of design, testing, or maintenance.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An emulator apparatus, comprising:
 a computer-readable data store comprising a plurality of computer-implemented control systems that respectively correspond to a plurality of energy storage systems;   an interface that receives an indication of:
 an energy storage device from amongst the plurality of energy storage devices; or 
 a combination of energy storage devices from amongst the plurality of energy storage devices; and 
   emulator circuitry that emulates the energy storage device or the combination of energy storage devices responsive to the interface receiving the indication, the emulator circuitry configured to emulate the energy storage device or the combination of energy storage devices by a control system or combination of control systems that respectively correspond to the indication.   
     
     
         2 . The emulator apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of energy storage devices comprises a battery system, a capacitor system, and a flywheel system. 
     
     
         3 . The emulator apparatus of  claim 1  configured for connection to a DC bus of a microgrid. 
     
     
         4 . The emulator apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the microgrid comprises at least one variable source of power and at least one variable load. 
     
     
         5 . The emulator apparatus of  claim 3  being coupled to a voltage source, wherein the emulator apparatus is configured to direct energy supplied by the voltage source to the DC bus when emulating discharge of energy from the energy storage device or the combination of energy storage devices. 
     
     
         6 . An emulator apparatus, comprising:
 an interface that receives instructions from a user pertaining to emulation of at least one device that at least one of consumes energy from an energy bus of a microgrid or discharges energy to the energy bus of the microgrid; and   emulator circuitry that is configured to emulate the at least one device when consuming energy from the energy bus of the microgrid or discharging energy to the energy bus of the microgrid, wherein the emulator circuitry emulates the at least one device responsive to the interface receiving the instructions from the user.   
     
     
         7 . The emulator apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the at least one device is a load that consumes electric energy from the energy bus of the microgrid, and wherein the energy bus is an AC energy bus. 
     
     
         8 . The emulator apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the at least one device is an energy storage device, and wherein the energy bus is a DC energy bus.