A Comprehensive Review of High-Frequency AC Microgrids for Distribution Systems

Continuous advancements in distributed generation, energy storage, electric vehicles, and industrial modernization have forced the electrical distribution system to operate efficiently and controllably. To address these challenges, in addition to ensuring efficient bidirectional power flow while minimizing power losses, a comprehensive grid restructuring is crucial. The deployment of a high-frequency AC (HFAC) microgrid has emerged as a feasible solution, offering the potential to establish a reliable and efficient energy supply that aligns with the demands of the current distribution landscape. This necessitates thorough planning and operational assessments. However, parallel operations of the current HFAC involve multiple power conversion stages. This review outlines insights, challenges, opportunities, and recommendations for future HFAC research directions. The practical feasibility of the HFAC microgrid is tested on a typical IEEE-33 bus system in MATLAB/Simulink by incorporating AC-AC converters and their switching modulation techniques. The promising simulation results and existing research demonstrate that the HFAC microgrid architecture works well, illustrates the need and benefits in the context of the distribution system compared with the existing traditional system, and has possibilities for further extension with multiple case studies. This review can serve as a substantial foundation for researchers in HFAC microgrids to pave the way for promoting energy efficiency to unprecedented heights.