Next generation power inverter for grid resilience: Technology review

Area of Science:

• Electrical Engineering
• Renewable Energy Systems
• Power Electronics

Background:

• Distributed generation (DG) systems are increasingly adopted for clean energy and cost-effectiveness.
• Power electronic inverters are crucial for converting DC power from renewable sources to AC power for the grid.
• Current inverter technologies face limitations in stability, resilience, and adaptability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify limitations in existing inverter technology.
• To explore the integration of new technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT) for enhanced inverter performance.
• To propose a pathway for next-generation inverters that are efficient, trustworthy, and system-resilient.

Main Methods:

• Review of current inverter technology and its challenges against grid resilience.
• Investigation into the necessity and impact of smart inverters on power system enhancement.
• Analysis of features, component requirements, integration challenges, and potential solutions for future inverters.

Main Results:

• Next-generation inverters leveraging IoT offer improved efficiency, trustworthiness, and resilience.
• Smart inverters are essential for enhancing grid resilience, stability, and adaptability.
• Cyber-physical threats introduced by new technologies can be mitigated using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML).

Conclusions:

• The study highlights the limitations of current inverters and proposes a future direction towards smart, AI-enhanced systems.
• Next-generation inverters will integrate IoT and AI/ML to overcome current challenges and ensure grid stability and security.
• A comprehensive approach addressing technological, integration, and security aspects is necessary for successful next-generation inverter deployment.