Abstract
Grid-forming (GFM) inverters typically employ droop-based primary control, which necessitates the implementation of robust secondary control to maintain nominal frequency and voltage, especially under dynamic conditions. While Microgrid secondary control research has primarily focused on simulation studies, practical implementation on industry-grade controllers remains a critical gap. This paper bridges the gap between theoretical and practical implementation by proposing an automation-based approach for enhanced secondary voltage and frequency regulation in GFM inverters. In this approach, secondary control architecture is simulated based on an industry-employed real-time automation controller (RTAC) architecture. RTAC parameters are optimized using a grid search optimization technique. It employs iterative random gain sampling to minimize the step response parameters. The developed controller is validated in real-time using RTAC-in-the-loop. The simulation and hardware experimental results are validated in the Center of Microgrid Research (CMR). The results confirm that the proposed method can be effectively used to replicate the industry-grade controller performance.