Hybrid microgrids are systems that enable the interconnection of AC and DC networks within a unified framework, optimizing the integration of energy storage systems and DC-based renewable energy sources with the protection schemes and AC loads, predominantly induction motors. In this context, the integration of an Interlink Power Converter that facilitates AC-DC interconnection is strategically advantageous from an operational standpoint. Furthermore, adopting a multicell-based Interlink Power Converter offers additional benefits, such as the generation of multilevel voltage waveforms, which enhances the integration of filters in AC systems. Additionally, multicell-based topologies ensure scalability and fault-tolerant operation. This paper introduces an Interlink Power Converter topology based on multicell systems, which enhances system scalability. The cells comprising the system are configured in a series-parallel arrangement, enabling effective and straightforward internal balancing, while also allowing the seamless integration of energy storage systems within the converter itself. This feature enhances the system's flexibility and controllability, providing a robust solution for hybrid microgrid applications.

The global race toward decarbonization has reached a transformative inflection point as electrification surges across the transportation sector in most of the world. No longer confined to passenger vehicles, electric mobility now spans trucks, ships, and even aircraft, driven by a confluence of environmental mandates, policy momentum, and technological innovation. Nowhere is this shift more pronounced than in Europe, where the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) envisions a seamlessly connected, zero-emissions infrastructure backbone by the midpoint of this century (Figure 1). At the heart of this revolution lies a new breed of ultrafast-charging technologies, electrified highways, and maritime ports—each pushing the limits of energy delivery, grid integration, and power electronics. Yet, as the charging power scales from kilowatts to multimegawatts, and as electric mobility moves from concept to logistics-critical reality, the challenges to the power grid—especially at the distribution level—are becoming clearly visible. This article explores the emerging architectures and innovations required to enable this new era of electric transport, from the Megawatt Charging System (MCS) to medium-voltage (MV) grid integration with solid-state transformers (SSTs) and grid-forming (GFM) battery energy storage systems (BESSs) as key components.

The Matrix Modular Multilevel Converter (M3C) is a promising solution for medium-to-high voltage AC/AC conversion, due to its small size by not requiring an intermediate DC-link and its reduced arms compared to a back-to-back scheme. This paper introduces an M3C based on Modular Multilevel Series-Pararell Converter (MMSPC) modules, enabling sensorless voltage balancing between modules to simplify the control scheme needed in the converter. This module, however, introduces overcurrent risk due to the sensorless balancing operation, to solve this, port inductances are incorporated while the commutation frequency is increased. This paper shows a simulation of an M3C based on MMSPC modules, interconnecting two AC systems with a top port inductance configuration and a commutation frequency of 2000 Hz. The results show that an M3C based on MMSPC reduces the control complexity while the top port inductance with the increased frequency reduces the overcurrent risk and improves the converter performance, making it a promising configuration for an optimized M3C for industrial uses.

Magnetic windings, in general, and small drives, in particular, are typically associated with thin round copper wires. This group of small drives includes electrical machines for automotive applications, ranging from ancillary units to traction machines for both hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) and battery electric vehicle (BEV) [1], [2]. Wire-wound machines can refer to well-established techniques for widely automatic manufacturing except for traction machines with distributed windings, which still contain manual steps in most assembly lines, particularly after the insertion process [3]. Machines typically wind the loops of continuous wires on a bobbin with a linear or flyer-winding technique outside the stator and pull them from one side of the stator to the other into the slots. The overhang on both ends of the stator, the so-called end turns, forms automatically from the continuous loops.

This work introduces a reconfigurable topology for AC-link partial power converters (PPC), intended for use as high-frequency transformerless regulated DC-DC converters in fast charging stations for electric vehicles (EV). This new topology allows an AC-link PPC to be reconfigured so that it works as a type I PPC during boost mode and as a type II PPC during buck mode. The converter is able to operate across a wide output voltage range, making it compatible with the different battery voltage configurations found in the electric vehicle industry. The converter is reconfigured using four additional switches. Depending on the operating mode, these switches can be turned on or off to achieve the desired topology. In a type I PPC configuration, the input is connected in parallel, and the output is connected in series with the battery. In a type II configuration, the input is connected in series, and the output is connected in parallel with the battery. This paper presents an analysis of converter operations and control for EV charging systems operating at 400 V and 800 V, incorporating both operation validation and efficiency metrics derived from simulations.

DC energy hubs have emerged as suitable candidates to enhance the electrical infrastructure in a localized approach, allowing future expansion in the transportation sector despite the electricity grid congestion. However, a risk in designing such a hub is that the outcome of the optimization can be a mere consequence of the (lack of) sophistication of its generation and load models. In that aim, this paper presents a sensitivity analysis for a power demand profile for a DC railway traction power substation, taking into account traction power parameters and the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) modeling approaches. It is found that the traction parameters such as total mass can be confidently considered using an averaged value. On the other hand, modeling the HVAC system using an averaged power demand can lead to errors over 6%, especially in the recovered braking energy calculations.

This paper presents the design, implementation, and validation of an on-blade sensor system for remote vibration measurement for low-capacity wind turbines. The autonomous sensor system was deployed on three wind turbines, with one of them operating in harsh weather conditions in the far south of Chile. The system recorded the acceleration response of the blades in the flapwise and edgewise directions, data that could be used for extracting the dynamic characteristics of the blades, information useful for damage diagnosis and prognosis. The proposed sensor system demonstrated reliable data acquisition and transmission from wind turbines in remote locations, proving the ability to create a fully autonomous system capable of recording data for monitoring and evaluating the state of health of wind turbine blades for extended periods without human intervention. The data collected by the sensor system presented in this study can serve as a foundation for developing vibration-based strategies for real-time structural health monitoring.

In recent years, the electric vehicle (EV) industry has experienced significant advancements, simultaneously driving substantial progress in battery technology. The evolution of battery systems necessitates enhancements in charging infrastructure to attain elevated power levels during the charging process, thereby minimizing charging time. Various algorithms have been developed for driving battery charging; however, these algorithms necessitate the creation of diverse controllers to generate precise trigger signals for the semiconductors within the various power converters utilized in charging stations. This work presents the design of an innovative model-free control system for Type I impedance network Partial Power Converter (PPC) in which a Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) agent generates control signals during the different charging stages. Particularly, a Twin-Delayed Deep Deterministic Policy Gradient (TD3) algorithm is used to substitute the inner control loop of traditional control systems. To this end, different agents were designed, trained, and tested inside a built simulation environment. It is worth noting that TD3-based control allows for the optimal functionality of a type I impedance network PPC within the context of EV battery charging applications, according to the specified CC-CV charging algorithm. Empirical results revealed that the battery system reached an 80% state of charge in under 8 minutes starting from an initial 20%.

Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) offer scalable energy storage solutions, especially valuable for remote, off-grid applications. However, traditional battery packs with fixed series-parallel configurations lack reconfigurability and are limited by the weakest cell, hindering their application for second-life batteries. The Modular Multilevel Series-Parallel Converter (MMSPC) addresses these limitations by enabling dynamic reconfiguration, optimizing cell balancing, and enhancing energy control. This paper experimentally evaluates a single-phase BESS based on the MMSPC with an output power equivalent to 2 kW and two battery units (155V), demonstrating stable output and reduced internal losses across varied battery parameters.

DC microgrids initiated the change of a paradigm regarding the concept about electrical distribution networks, especially in the context of the distributed generation associated with renewable energies. However, this new reality opens a new area of research, in which several aspects must be carefully studied. Indeed, the bipolar design is one of the principal dc microgrid configurations considering its characteristic wiring. Although holding many promising advantages, the bipolar dc microgrid has a tendency toward voltage and current imbalances due to the unequal distribution of the loads and generators between the two poles. Thus, specific power electronic-based solutions are required to ensure the balance of these dc microgrids. Within this frame, this article gives a comprehensive review of the multiple architectures and power electronic topologies proposed to mitigate/eliminate this undesired condition. The following provides an insightful classification and discussion with the pros and cons of these solutions. This work can serve as a timely review for researcher/engineers who want to enter the voltage balancing field in the bipolar dc grids and promote the innovation of their power electronics-enabled solutions.

Modular multilevel series-parallel converters (MM-SPC) have become a suitable solution to provide higher operating voltages, fault tolerance operation, and reliability at a reduced cost, due to their ability to achieve a simpler internal voltage balance. Therefore, MMSPC is a promising solution for applications where the nominal operating conditions are high voltage levels on the DC side and high current ratings on the AC side of the system. To allow this operation, it is necessary to design the system with parallelization in each phase. Therefore, this article proposes a design that incorporates parallelization in each phases and analyzes the internal cross-circulating current generated due to parallelization. This current creates an unbalance and internal losses in the converter. In order to compensate for the cross-circulating current, two cases are compared: the first one with decoupled inductors in their phases, and the second one with coupled inductors. This way, a comparison is made to determine which case provides greater compensation of the circulating current, allowing for the delivery of a high current at the converter's output with the least possible imbalance and internal losses.

The MMC converter is the key topology for HVDC applications. In these systems, a major complexity is the number of modules and components required per phase to achieve nominal voltage and current levels for applications in transmission system. In this paper, the topology and control of a two-phase MMC system for HVDC applications is presented. The main idea is to eliminate a complete phase of the classic MMC converter for reduce the number of modules and the complexity of the system, together with the use of MMSPC-type modules, in order to achieve internal voltage balance without the need of extra sensors and control loops.

The Hexagonal power converter has become a suitable solution to provide high-quality voltage waveforms while achieving decoupled control of three DC terminals as well. In this case, the internal voltage balance of the different storage units is the main concern for the correct operation of the Hexagonal converter. Moreover, the Modular multilevel series- parallel converters (MMSPC) have become an interesting solution to provide higher operating voltages, reliability at a reduced cost, due to their ability to achieve a simpler internal voltage balance. In this paper, a Hexagonal power converter based on MMSPC for decoupled DC terminals is presented. The proposed system allows to implement a simple and cost-effective way to achieve a decoupled control strategy in each output of the system, to control the corresponding voltage of the system, along with maintaining the internal voltage balance of the proposed topology.

This paper proposes a new buck-boost flying-capacitor (FC) converter for the DC-DC stage of an Electric Vehicle (EV) fast charging station. The proposed converter is capable of delivering a wide output range of voltage to charge different battery configurations. The converter has two modes of operation, buck and boost. Thanks to this feature, the proposed converter allows higher efficiency and a wide operating range. The proposed converter is capable of supplying a voltage range from 200 V to 1000 V at its output, which shows the feasibility of occupying the converter inside a charging station that allows charging 400 V and 800 V battery systems. The average efficiency reported is over 97%. It is concluded that the proposed buck-boost FC converter is suitable for modern wide-output EV fast charging applications.

Energy storage systems (ESSs) allow improving the stability and efficiency of the electrical grids with a high penetration of renewable energy sources. Moreover, the use of Hybrid ESSs (HESSs) enables storage solutions with both high-energy and high-power densities, by combining different storage technologies such as diverse battery chemistries, ultracapacitors, or hydrogen fuel cells to name a few. In this article, an HESS-based multioutput multilevel (MOM) converter is presented. The proposed topology enables decoupled control of each ac converter voltage output. The internal switching states further allow the use of different storage units and high-quality multilevel voltage in each ac output. The mathematical model of the proposed topology and the defined operation region of the system, besides a model-predictive control strategy, are developed. Finally, simulation and experimental results validate the performance of the proposed topology.

Increasing the power rating of electric vehicles (EV) fast charging stations to reduce charging times is considered critical to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles. Besides increasing the power, other drivers pushing the development of EV fast chargers include the improvement of efficiency and reliability. Partial power converters (PPC) have emerged as an interesting option for some of the power converter stages in fast charging stations due to their potential to increase efficiency and power rating. However, some PPCs operate as switched autotransformers by using high frequency (HF) isolation transformers but without providing galvanic isolation. This is a drawback due to cost, size and losses introduced by the transformer. This paper presents a transformerless DC–DC Type I step-up PPC for a DC–DC regulation converter for EV fast charging stations. The proposed converter replaces the transformer commonly used in Type I PPC by an impedance network, resulting in a more efficient, cheaper, and less complex converter option. This concept is verified through simulations and experimentally validated with a laboratory prototype.

Hybrid Energy Storage Systems (HESSs) have gathered considerable interest due to their potential to achieve high energy and power density by integrating different storage technologies, such as batteries and capacitors, to name a few. Among the various topologies explored for HESSs, the multi-output multilevel converter stands out as a promising option, offering decoupled operation of the AC ports while maintaining an internal balance among the diverse storage units. In this paper, the operation and restrictions of a HESS based on a multi-output multilevel converter with a carrier-based modulation scheme are presented. The study provides compelling evidence of the correct operation of the proposed modulation scheme and highlights its advantages, including simplicity and stability.

Electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure will play a critical role in decarbonization during the next decades, energizing a large share of the transportation sector. This will further increase the enabling role of power electronics converters as an energy transition technology in the widespread adoption of clean energy sources and their efficient use. However, this deep transformation comes with challenges, some of which are already unfolding, such as the slow deployment of charging infrastructure and competing charging standards, and others that will have a long-term impact if not addressed timely, such as the reliability of power converters and power system stability due to loss of system inertia, just to name a few. Nevertheless, the inherent transition toward power systems with higher penetration of power electronics and batteries, together with a layer of communications and information technologies, will also bring opportunities for more flexible and intelligent grid integration and services, which could increase the share of renewable energy in the power grid. This work provides an overview of the existing charging infrastructure ecosystem, covering the different charging technologies for different EV classes, their structure, and configurations, including how they can impact the grid in the future.

Electromobility has been growing rapidly in recent years, as a result of green and sustainability policies that promote it, but its growth has been hampered by having less autonomy than combustion vehicles, not being able to directly replace them especially in heavy-duty electric vehicles powertrains. The main objective of this work is to propose an improvement to an already implemented Bidirectional Dual-Active-Bridge (DAB) Partial Power Converter (PPC) topology, seeking to boost efficiency by testing different modulations. The modulation study applied to PPC is interesting in order to identify the cases where the RMS current in the transformer is minimized. Results of the study shows that efficiency of the DAB-based PPC can be optimized by using the correct modulation, with a possible maximum efficiency of 99.41% at 6.526 kW.

Hybrid Energy Storage Systems (HESSs) are based on different storage elements such as batteries or ultra capacitors (UC), aiming to implement a system with high energy and power density. These HESSs using multi-modular power converters to incorporate in each power electronics module a different storage element and then, these modules are interconnected to create the total system. On the other hand, the Modular Multilevel Series Parallel Converter (MMSPC) not only allows dynamic interconnection among the modules in series connection but also in parallel connection. This extra switching state among the modules allows new features and operation modes. In this paper, a HESS based on MMSPC topology is presented. The novel HESS-MMSPC topology is simulated with UC and batteries as storage units, and this proposed system is interconnected to an electrical grid. The control strategy and evaluation of the operation of the proposed system are presented.