New Trends in Power Electronics for Microgrids

A special issue of Electronics (ISSN 2079-9292). This special issue belongs to the section "Power Electronics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 December 2024 | Viewed by 3804

Special Issue Editor

Department of Electrical Engineering and Electronics, Ariel University, Kiryat Hamada, Ariel 40700, Israel
Interests: power electronics; power converters; GaN-based converters; energy sources; energy storge systems, micro-grids; electric vehicles; hybridization; sizing; analysis; modeling; control
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Microgrids are becoming more critical as electrical power systems due to the decentralization of energy production, the rapid growth of direct-current (DC) coupled sources and loads, and electric vehicles. Microgrids can be defined as any small-scale power generation technology close to a consumer, either for reducing reliance on the power grid or feeding the power directly into the local grid. New approaches for conversion, operating, and planning distributed power generation within this new paradigm are yet to be explored. The main issues related to microgrids are the low inertia, lower stability, and the bidirectional power flow, which entails variation in the voltage amplitude and frequency for AC or DC lines. Thus, the control of power converters, rectifiers, and inverters may deal with these disturbances, help to increase the electric system’s stability, and transfer the energy from renewable sources into the network. In addition, power converters and their respective control improve the microgrid system’s power quality, reliability, and resilience. This Special Issue focuses on topics related to new trends in power electronics for microgrids, smart grids, hybrid power systems with high renewable energy penetration, wind and solar power plant modeling and control, practical experience within high-renewable-energy-penetration systems, energy storage systems, market design, and operation, power electronic topologies (i.e., DC/AC inverters, AC/DC rectifiers, DC/DC converters, etc.), control systems and monitoring algorithms. Prospective authors are invited to submit original contributions or survey papers for publication in Electronics. Topics of interest for this Special Issue include, but are not limited to, the following topics in the field of new trends in power electronics for microgrids:

  • Power electronic systems—converters and emerging technologies;
  • Architecture and hardware design;
  • New power electronics topologies;
  • Performance analysis and optimization;
  • Advanced power electronics;
  • Design for reliability, resilience, and robustness;
  • Storage technology;
  • DC-powered PHEV/EV charging;
  • Real-time monitoring and control;
  • Distributed energy generation and integration;
  • Artificial intelligence techniques in power electronics systems;
  • Integration of renewable energy resources;
  • Innovative hybrid energy storage devices;
  • Energy management systems;
  • Control and power-sharing between converters.

Dr. Ilan Aharon
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

24 pages, 24737 KiB  
Article
Large Signal Stability Analysis of Hybrid AC/DC Microgrids When a Single-Phase-to-Ground Fault Occurs
by Xinbo Liu, Yake Zhang, Xiaotong Song and Yuntao Ju
Electronics 2024, 13(7), 1232; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics13071232 - 26 Mar 2024
Viewed by 394
Abstract
Islanded hybrid AC/DC microgrids lack support for a large grid, and the negative incremental impedance of constant power loads (CPLs) aggravates the poor anti-disturbance capability of the system. When a single-phase ground fault (SPGF) occurs, the amount of fault impulse power that islanded [...] Read more.
Islanded hybrid AC/DC microgrids lack support for a large grid, and the negative incremental impedance of constant power loads (CPLs) aggravates the poor anti-disturbance capability of the system. When a single-phase ground fault (SPGF) occurs, the amount of fault impulse power that islanded AC/DC hybrid microgrids can stably withstand and when the protection equipment can work are both unknown. In this paper, the method of symmetrical components is utilized, and high-signal stability criteria for islanded hybrid AC/DC microgrids when a SPGF occurs are derived based on the mixed potential theory. The proposed criteria place quantitative constraints on the power of the PV unit, DC/AC converter current inner-loop proportional parameters, inductors, and inductor equivalent resistance, as well as energy storage unit power, CPL power, capacitors, DC bus voltage, line equivalent resistance, line equivalent inductance, equivalent inductance in the faulty branch, equivalent resistance in the faulty branch, positive-sequence equivalent impulse power of the SPGF, and zero-sequence equivalent impulse power. Furthermore, the maximum impulse power of a SPGF that islanded hybrid AC/DC microgrids could stably withstand is also presented, providing guidelines for protection equipment to decide when to work. In addition, the allowable maximum CPL power that islanded hybrid AC/DC microgrids could steadily support as a SPGF occurs is deduced, and the power is usually adopted to determine the states of an energy storage unit and load shedding in advance. Simulation and experimental validations prove the correctness of the derived high-signal stability criteria. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Trends in Power Electronics for Microgrids)
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15 pages, 2625 KiB  
Article
A Novel Single-Phase Five-Level Current-Source Inverter Topology
by Mayas Fakher Aldin and Kfir Jack Dagan
Electronics 2024, 13(7), 1213; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics13071213 - 26 Mar 2024
Viewed by 1095
Abstract
Recent technological advances have renewed the research interest in current-source inverters (CSIs). Nonetheless, CSI research still falls behind its voltage-source counterpart with regards to topologies, modulation, and control. Acknowledging the above, this paper presents a novel single-phase five-level CSI topology. The proposed circuit [...] Read more.
Recent technological advances have renewed the research interest in current-source inverters (CSIs). Nonetheless, CSI research still falls behind its voltage-source counterpart with regards to topologies, modulation, and control. Acknowledging the above, this paper presents a novel single-phase five-level CSI topology. The proposed circuit utilises eight switches and two inductors for the generation of five distinct output levels while maintaining low output voltage THD and dv/dt. Furthermore, by offsetting the inductor currents from a binary 1:2 to a trinary 1:3 ratio, the proposed inverter can generate seven current levels at its output. The inverter offers built-in short-circuit protection and can boost a low input DC voltage to a higher peak AC output voltage. These merits, alongside an electrolytic-capacitor-free design, simple current balancing mechanism, and fault-tolerant characteristics, make it a promising candidate for PV module-integrated inverter (MII) systems. The current topology utilises two inductors but is fully functional with single-inductor operation. The paper provides a functional analysis of the inverter topology alongside the inverter switching states and corresponding conduction paths. A detailed analysis of the inductor current dynamics as well as a current-balancing algorithm for dual- and single-inductor operations are given. The theoretical analysis of the proposed circuit and its functional operation are verified using simulations and experimental results carried out on a laboratory prototype. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Trends in Power Electronics for Microgrids)
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7 pages, 1905 KiB  
Communication
Brief Comparison of High-Side Gate Drivers for Series Capacitor Buck Converters
by Alexander Abramovitz, Ran Tali, Tal Tayar and Doron Shmilovitz
Electronics 2023, 12(17), 3701; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics12173701 - 1 Sep 2023
Viewed by 843
Abstract
This short article is concerned with the floating high-side gate driver suitable for driving the high side MOSFET/IGBT switch in the series capacitor buck converter family or converters with similar topological features. Biasing the high-side driver in series capacitor buck converters presents an [...] Read more.
This short article is concerned with the floating high-side gate driver suitable for driving the high side MOSFET/IGBT switch in the series capacitor buck converter family or converters with similar topological features. Biasing the high-side driver in series capacitor buck converters presents an engineering challenge. To alleviate the problem, a modified high-side driver with a voltage lift circuit for driving a high-side switch is proposed. The suggested solution, while being simple and low cost, has several benefits over the earlier propositions. The primary advantage of the proposed circuit is that it relies on a regulated supply to recharge its boot capacitor so to properly bias the high-side driver. Moreover, the proposed driver can operate in a wide range of input voltages while self-adjusting the correct voltage lift according to the operating point of a particular phase of the series buck converter. Thus, any number of phases can be implemented, avoiding cross-coupling effects and providing the high-switch with gating pulses of same amplitude. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Trends in Power Electronics for Microgrids)
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23 pages, 12652 KiB  
Article
Enhanced Power Factor Correction and Torque Ripple Mitigation for DC–DC Converter Based BLDC Drive
by Geethu Krishnan, Moshe Sitbon and Shijoh Vellayikot
Electronics 2023, 12(16), 3533; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics12163533 - 21 Aug 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1085
Abstract
A novel approach to the design of power factor correction (PFC) and torque ripple minimization in a brushless direct current (BLDC) motor drive with a new pulse width modulation (PWM) technique is demonstrated. The drive was designed to have a better power factor [...] Read more.
A novel approach to the design of power factor correction (PFC) and torque ripple minimization in a brushless direct current (BLDC) motor drive with a new pulse width modulation (PWM) technique is demonstrated. The drive was designed to have a better power factor (PF) and less torque ripple. On the other hand, the modified Zeta converter is used to enhance the power factor of the proposed system. The modified Zeta converter is operated in discontinuous inductor current mode (DICM) by using a voltage follower technique, which only needs a voltage sensor for power factor correction (PFC) operation and DC-link voltage control. The output voltage of the VSI is determined by switching patterns generated by the PWM-ON-PWM switching strategy, and it reduces the torque ripples. The proposed drive is developed and simulated in a MATLAB/Simulink environment. The power factor of 0.9999 is produced by the PFC modified zeta converter topology and the PWM-ON-PWM scheme reduce the torque ripple in the commutation region by 34.2% as compared with the PWM-ON scheme. This demonstrates the effectiveness of the suggested control method. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Trends in Power Electronics for Microgrids)
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