Review of multiport power converters for distribution network applications
Review article, 2024

Multiport power converters integrate three or more energy devices into a single (potentially highly controllable and efficient) hub. These characteristics suggest that multiport power converters may be valuable for the decarbonisation of distribution networks, where the increase of converter-interfaced devices has degraded system reliability and efficiency. This review analyses the suitability of a wide range of multiport power converter solutions for four example distribution network applications (where previous studies have focussed on a limited range of topologies or applications) and the research areas that can progress their maturity. A review of grid codes and standards overviews the base capability that multiport power converters are likely to require, some of which are carried forward as requirements for a novel comparison tool. The comparison tool is developed to qualify and score reviewed topologies in terms of a range of features that are weighted for the applications. Isolated and partially-isolated topologies perform well due to their flexibility to be configured for the specifications and their operational capabilities (including modularity and voltage decoupling). Further research should focus on the complex control interactions between ports and scaling of these topologies for medium voltages. In contrast, many direct current non-isolated topologies do not qualify due to their low flexibility to be configured for the applications. This suggests that future research could focus on the development of a more flexible non-isolated multiport power converter configuration to take advantage of the high efficiency and low footprint that these topologies might otherwise offer for low voltage applications.

Microgrid

Electric vehicle

Energy storage system

Distribution network

Renewable energy source

Multiport power converter

Low-carbon building

Author

Sam Harrison

University of Strathclyde

Bartosz Soltoswski

University of Strathclyde

Antonio Pepiciello

Catalonia Institute for Energy Research (IREC)

Andres Camilo Henao

Catalonia Institute for Energy Research (IREC)

Ahmed Y. Farag

University of Padua

Mebtu Bihonegn Beza

Chalmers, Electrical Engineering, Electric Power Engineering

Lie Xu

University of Strathclyde

Agustí Egea-Àlvarez

University of Strathclyde

Marc Cheah-Mañé

Polytechnic University of Catalonia

Oriol Gomis-Bellmunt

Polytechnic University of Catalonia

Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews

1364-0321 (ISSN) 18790690 (eISSN)

Vol. 203 114742

Distributed multiport converters for integration of renewables, storage systems and loads while enhancing performance and resiliency of modern distributed networks

European Commission (EC) (EC/HE/101069770), 2022-09-01 -- 2025-08-31.

Subject Categories

Other Electrical Engineering, Electronic Engineering, Information Engineering

DOI

10.1016/j.rser.2024.114742

More information

Latest update

8/5/2024 6