Hardware in the Loop Marine Turbine Emulator

Authors

Keywords:

Control system, hardware-in-the-loop, hydrokinetic turbine, induction motor, marine technology, marine turbine emulator, permanent magnet generator, renewable energy.

Abstract

Climate change and energy demand in coastal areas have strongly motivated ocean energy generation. Mexico has significant untapped marine potential, partly due to the high costs of accessing and commissioning on-site equipment. This paper accurately demonstrates a marine turbine emulator system in the laboratory, where the system ensures its performance by controlling the frequency and voltage in an induction machine so that the mechanical torque and speed of PMSG generator in the laboratory accurately reflects the real parameters of a hydro-generator installed at sea. This is accurately matched to a model of a Gorlov turbine operating in real time, with hardware control and inertia models of the mechanical system.  Physical validation in three operating scenarios has ensured the integrity of the system under dynamic and stable conditions. This tool is undoubtedly the most innovative compared to the state of the art and is highly beneficial for control and mass integration studies of marine power generation in electricity grids.

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Author Biographies

Kevin Eduardo Elizalde Serrano, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México

K. Eduardo Elizalde-Serrano (IEEE Member) was born in Mexico City, Mexico, in 1999. He received the B.Sc. degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) in 2024. He is currently pursuing the M.Sc. degree in Power Systems at UNAM. His research focuses on power electronics and the controlled integration of inverter-based resources (IBRs) into the electric power grid.

Juan Ramón Rodriguez Rodriguez, UNAM

J.R. Rodríguez-Rodríguez (IEEE Member)  received the B.Eng. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from the Instituto Tecnológico de Morelia, Morelia, Mexico, in 2009 and 2015, respectively. He was a Visiting Researcher with the University of Strathclyde, from 2023 to 2024. He is currently an Associate Professor in the Electrical Energy and Sustainability Department at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico. His research interests include wind power electronics converters, smart-grids, renewable energy integration, and real-time digital control of power-electronic-based devices.

Edgar Mendoza Baldwin, UNAM

Edgar Mendoza Baldwin holds a Ph.D. in Engineering (Civil–Hydraulic) from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). He has been Head of the Coastal and Port Engineering Laboratory at the Institute of Engineering, UNAM, and a full-time Senior Academic Technician (“Titular A”) at the same institution since 2003. He has participated in more than 20 research projects in the areas of structural design, maritime climate characterization, and the design and supervision of various coastal engineering projects. Overall, he has authored more than 50 publications, including journal articles, conference papers, and book chapters.

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Published

2026-08-30

How to Cite

Elizalde Serrano, K. E., Rodriguez Rodriguez, J. R., & Mendoza Baldwin, E. (2026). Hardware in the Loop Marine Turbine Emulator. IEEE Latin America Transactions, 24(10), 1159–1168. Retrieved from https://latamt.ieeer9.org/index.php/transactions/article/view/10587

Issue

Vol. 24 No. 10 (2026): Ordinary Issue

Section

Electric Energy