Data-Driven Coordinated Control of Converters in a Smart Solid-State Transformer for Reliable and Automated Distribution Grids

A data-driven smart solid-state transformer (SST) is an attractive building block for reliable and automated distribution power grids. An SST can work as an energy buffer unit in a completely embedded framework, similar to the information internet router, which facilitates a seamless information flow between the local grids and the data centers. An SST connects two or more electric subsystems and then distributes the energy to other subsystems based on a data-driven energy dispatch and intelligent management algorithm. The modern SST-based distribution grid has been envisioned to integrate several renewable energy sources, energy storage devices, and dc or ac loads in a standardized protocol-based plug-n-play technique, which may form a dc or an ac zonal microgrid system. Energy-efficient monitoring, coordination, control management, and economic dispatch are crucial issues for the optimal operation of an SST. This article proposes a data-driven coordinated control strategy for a three-stage multiple active bridge converter-based SST topology, which can ensure improved power quality of the distribution grid. A step-by-step controller design methodology is developed, which can coordinate several control data according to the various SST functionalities. The article presents the simulation and experimental results that validate the effectiveness of the proposed coordinated control approach.