Abstract

The large-scale integration of renewable energy sources (RESs) and the increasing number of energy-storage (ES) systems connected to the grid will create a big challenge for power flow management at the distribution level. In this new scenario, a solid-state transformer (SST) will be a highly efficient key element for providing highly efficient and controllable power flow in distribution grids. SSTs not only mimic the operation of conventional transformers, which scale the voltage level between primary and secondary terminals, but they also control bidirectional power flow, stabilize voltage, facilitate direct integration of ES, and mitigate harmonics and transients, which can cause the power quality of the grid voltage to deteriorate. This article surveys several proposed structures for SSTs in the literature based on different ways of interconnecting power converter topologies.