High-Frequency Link Multi-port Converters: An Overview of Topologies, Challenges and Prospects

The rapid development of renewable energy, electric vehicles and energy storages have dramatically increased the demand for isolated multi-port converters. In particular, multi-port converters with the high-frequency link (HFL) has received extensive attention due to the advantages of simple conversion stages, high scalability, and convenient modularization. The HFL functions as an intermediary bus, capable of connecting multiple ports in any topology that generates HF AC waveforms. This configuration differs significantly from traditional AC buses due to the high frequency, which may introduce oscillation issues. Additionally, challenges arise from inter-port coupling and protection concerns. To enhance understanding and utilization of these converters, this paper provides a review in terms of topologies, challenges, and prospects.