The Future of Electrical Power Grids: A Direction Rooted in Power Electronics

Vitor Monteiro () and Joao L. Afonso
Additional contact information
Vitor Monteiro: ALGORITMI Research Centre/LASI, University of Minho, 4800-058 Guimarães, Portugal
Joao L. Afonso: ALGORITMI Research Centre/LASI, University of Minho, 4800-058 Guimarães, Portugal

Energies, 2023, vol. 16, issue 13, 1-10

Abstract: Electrical power grids are changing with a focus on ensuring energy sustainability and enhanced power quality for all sectors. Over the last few decades, there has been a change from a centralized to a decentralized paradigm, which is the consequence of a large-scale incorporation of new electrical technologies and resultant equipment. Considering the foreseeable continuation of changes in electrical power grids, a direction rooted in power electronics with a focus on hybrid AC/DC grids, including the support of solid-state transformers and unified systems, is presented in this paper. Converging on hybrid AC/DC grids, DC grids (structured as unipolar and bipolar) and coupled and decoupled AC configurations are analyzed. On the other hand, in the context of solid-state transformers, feasible structures are analyzed, including the establishment of hybrid AC/DC grids, and the assessment of gains for boosting power quality is presented. Unified power electronics systems are also of fundamental importance when contextualized within the framework of future power grids, presenting higher efficiency, lower power stages, and the possibility of multiple operations to support the main AC grid. In this paper, such subjects are discussed and contextualized within the framework of future power grids, encompassing highly important and modern structures and their associated challenges. Various situations are characterized, revealing a gradual integration of the cited technologies for future power grids, which are also known as smart grids.

Keywords: future power grids; hybrid AC/DC grids; smart grids; solid-state transformer; power quality; power electronics (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/13/4929/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/13/4929/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jeners:v:16:y:2023:i:13:p:4929-:d:1178749

Access Statistics for this article

Energies is currently edited by Ms. Agatha Cao

More articles in Energies from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().