The Gap between Experiment and Simulation: Grid Forming Inverter Control during Islanding Transition

In order to integrate distributed energy resources into the power grid, grid forming inverters have gained popularity in research activities over the past two decades. Simulated models have long been used to analyze developed control strategies, but their real-world applicability often remains untested. The present article aims to spotlight this gap between simulation and real implementation of the same inverter control scheme. For this, the transition of a stand-alone system from grid-connected to island mode is exemplarily investigated. Good agreement of the dynamics of time-averaged quantities is observed, but the simulation shows limited representation of fast timescale effects. Furthermore, hidden challenges related to the implementation and operation of the experiment are addressed.