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Design, implementation and validation of a web-based dynamic simulation platform for pumped storage hydropower plant control systems.

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Title: Design, implementation and validation of a web-based dynamic simulation platform for pumped storage hydropower plant control systems.
Authors: Zhang C; China Three Gorges Corporation, Wuhan, China.; School of Electrical Engineering and Automation, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China., Liang T; China Yangtze Power Renewables Co., Ltd., Wuhan, China., Li Y; Beijing IWHR Technology Co., Ltd., Beijing, China., Zhang W; Beijing IWHR Technology Co., Ltd., Beijing, China., Wang Y; China Three Gorges Corporation, Wuhan, China.; School of Electronic Information, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
Source: PloS one [PLoS One] 2026 Sep 08; Vol. 21 (9), pp. e0355967. Date of Electronic Publication: 2026 Sep 08 (Print Publication: 2026).
Publication Type: Journal Article; Validation Study
Language: English
Journal Info: Publisher: Public Library of Science Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 101285081 Publication Model: eCollection Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1932-6203 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 19326203 NLM ISO Abbreviation: PLoS One Subsets: MEDLINE
Imprint Name(s): Original Publication: San Francisco, CA : Public Library of Science
MeSH Terms: Power Plants* , Internet* , Computer Simulation*, Algorithms
Abstract: The safe and stable operation of pumped storage hydropower (PSH) plants is heavily reliant on the correctness of their Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems. Conventional testing methods often fall short in validating the complex, system-wide control logic under comprehensive operational scenarios. To address this, this paper proposes an innovative web-based dynamic simulation test platform featuring a microservices architecture and a zero-client, Simulink-like graphical modeling environment. The platform employs non-linear physics-based models (e.g., rigid water column and dynamic pump-turbine models) to create a high-fidelity virtual replica of a PSH plant. The core contribution lies in enabling engineers to seamlessly translate control logic into executable models without low-level programming. A case study evaluating a governor control algorithm validates the platform's efficacy. Results demonstrate a highly accurate tracking performance with a maximum error of 0.008 p.u. under normal conditions, and successfully identified a critical overspeed vulnerability (1.42 p.u.) during an injected actuator fault scenario. The platform is further validated through benchmarking against MATLAB/Simulink (trajectory agreement above 99.8%), a quantitative performance characterization (3.1 ms step time, real-time execution scalable to 20 concurrent sessions), a closed-loop hardware-in-the-loop experiment, and a user evaluation yielding a System Usability Scale score of 84.2. This work concludes that the platform provides a robust, risk-free environment for comprehensive pre-commissioning testing, significantly mitigating field deployment risks.
(Copyright: © 2026 Zhang et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)
Competing Interests: The authors declare the following commercial affiliations: Authors T.L. and W.Z. are employed by China Yangtze Power Renewables Co., Ltd., and Author Y.L. is employed by Beijing IWHR Technology Co., Ltd. We declare that there are no relevant declarations relating to consultancy, patents, products in development, or marketed products associated with this research. Furthermore, the data utilized in this study is free of any commercial disputes. This commercial affiliation does not alter our adherence to PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials.”.
Entry Date(s): Date Created: 20260908 Date Completed: 20260908 Latest Revision: 20260910
Update Code: 20260910
PubMed Central ID: PMC13552714
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0355967
PMID: 42709741
Database: MEDLINE
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  Data: Design, implementation and validation of a web-based dynamic simulation platform for pumped storage hydropower plant control systems.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AU" term="%22Zhang+C%22">Zhang C</searchLink>; China Three Gorges Corporation, Wuhan, China.; School of Electrical Engineering and Automation, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AU" term="%22Liang+T%22">Liang T</searchLink>; China Yangtze Power Renewables Co., Ltd., Wuhan, China.<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AU" term="%22Li+Y%22">Li Y</searchLink>; Beijing IWHR Technology Co., Ltd., Beijing, China.<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AU" term="%22Zhang+W%22">Zhang W</searchLink>; Beijing IWHR Technology Co., Ltd., Beijing, China.<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AU" term="%22Wang+Y%22">Wang Y</searchLink>; China Three Gorges Corporation, Wuhan, China.; School of Electronic Information, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
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  Data: The safe and stable operation of pumped storage hydropower (PSH) plants is heavily reliant on the correctness of their Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems. Conventional testing methods often fall short in validating the complex, system-wide control logic under comprehensive operational scenarios. To address this, this paper proposes an innovative web-based dynamic simulation test platform featuring a microservices architecture and a zero-client, Simulink-like graphical modeling environment. The platform employs non-linear physics-based models (e.g., rigid water column and dynamic pump-turbine models) to create a high-fidelity virtual replica of a PSH plant. The core contribution lies in enabling engineers to seamlessly translate control logic into executable models without low-level programming. A case study evaluating a governor control algorithm validates the platform's efficacy. Results demonstrate a highly accurate tracking performance with a maximum error of 0.008 p.u. under normal conditions, and successfully identified a critical overspeed vulnerability (1.42 p.u.) during an injected actuator fault scenario. The platform is further validated through benchmarking against MATLAB/Simulink (trajectory agreement above 99.8%), a quantitative performance characterization (3.1 ms step time, real-time execution scalable to 20 concurrent sessions), a closed-loop hardware-in-the-loop experiment, and a user evaluation yielding a System Usability Scale score of 84.2. This work concludes that the platform provides a robust, risk-free environment for comprehensive pre-commissioning testing, significantly mitigating field deployment risks.<br /> (Copyright: © 2026 Zhang et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)
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  Data: The authors declare the following commercial affiliations: Authors T.L. and W.Z. are employed by China Yangtze Power Renewables Co., Ltd., and Author Y.L. is employed by Beijing IWHR Technology Co., Ltd. We declare that there are no relevant declarations relating to consultancy, patents, products in development, or marketed products associated with this research. Furthermore, the data utilized in this study is free of any commercial disputes. This commercial affiliation does not alter our adherence to PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials.”.
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