Design and Construction of Controls for a Kv/Mva Class Power Electronics Testing Facility

In order to facilitate research and testing of kV/MVA class power electronics systems, Virginia Tech has constructed the High-Power lab facility. This lab supports testing of equipment operating at up to 1.3 MW, with maximum supply ratings of 4,160 V or 480 A, depending on how the system is configured. When operated as a recirculating power ring, the system will make minimal demands on utilities. An industrial supervisory, control, and data acquisition (SCADA) system will be used to control the facility. In this paper we will detail the lab design and give insight to the decisions behind it, with an aim toward helping the reader in their own similar effort.