Power Electronics, Control, and Protection Systems for Smart Grid Applications

Dear Colleagues,

This new era is transitioning the energy industry with reliable and efficient power generation, and the arrival of smart technology has opened up a slew of new possibilities. The smart grid is an information network for electricity transmission and distribution. The basic idea of the smart grid is to use information and communication technology (ICT) to enable energy suppliers and consumers to be able to balance each other's energy usage and generation at the lowest possible cost. Power electronics are integral to transforming, transporting, and distributing electricity—from homes to power plants, from power plants to businesses, and between power suppliers.

In recent years, the demand for the integration of renewable energy has been significantly increased. This circumstance is due to the result of several environmental consequences that followed up due to unsustainable practices. This reason validated the use of renewable energy sources in power transmission infrastructure. A smart grid is a mechanism that reduces the overall power system's impact of extensive renewable energy adoption. However, the adoption of renewable energy sources into power lines may decrease the reliability of the system. Controlling the output of renewable energy-generated power is typically difficult. If used in large quantities, it can cause periodic oscillations and local voltage fluctuations throughout the entire transmission system. As a result, there is a need to build a power generation system capable of controlling renewable energy that can produce energy at incredible velocities and with great accuracy. Power electronics technology is critical to achieving such control. Smart grid power electronics are expected to include a function that can tolerate frequency or voltage changes and a function that allows them to integrate with a distribution grid securely. Power electronics exhibit a series of high functionalities. It includes voltage level conversion, power regulation, active power control flow and many more. However, the widespread use of power electronic devices has posed new challenges to overall system design. Many intelligent grid applications rely on power electronics converters to provide active power flow regulation to meet particular performance requirements. However, power electronics converters with a high penetration rate can damage grid power quality by creating powerful grid resonances, posing severe dangers to distribution networks and equipment connected to them. Additionally, widespread usage of power electronics converters, the power system is characterised by low inertia and multi-time scale operation. When essential energy systems work under extreme conditions, their cyber security, integrity, and reliability are degraded.

This special issue aims to collect research relevant to modelling and estimating power electronics that can pave the way for control and protection for smart grid applications. The Smart Grid will mature over the coming years and we believe we are entering an era where widespread deployment of the Smart Grid is realistic. We anticipate that within a few years, power electronics and controls will be as ubiquitous as direct current (DC) power supplies and solid state relays.

The list of topics of interest includes but are not limited to the following:

• New automatic design methodologies for power electronics
• Advancements that facilitate resilience and performances in power electronics
• Fault diagnosis and failure prognosis tools for power electronics in smart grid
• Empirical research on failure mechanism and failure modes in power electronics
• Modelling of relays, relaying systems, and instrument transformers for smart grids
• Best standards and code of practices for power electronics in smart grid
• Grid distortion and disturbance impacts on power converters
• Advanced Power Conversion and Control Technologies for smart grid applications
• Reliability of Smart Modern Power Electronic Converter Systems
• Future challenges of power electronics and innovative ideas to overcome them
• Methods to identify solutions for alternating-current coupling issues, and compensation mechanisms for power flow disturbances
• Empirical researches on Modular power converters and interface circuits

Dr. Andino Maseleno
Dr. Ashutosh Dhar Dwivedi
Dr. J. Alfred Daniel
Guest Editors

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