A dynamic router for microgrid applications: Theory and experimental results

• Energy regulation is implemented efficiently through a new dynamic energy router (DER) in microgrid systems.
• The regulation of the direction and rate of change of the power flow is done without relying on steady-state considerations.
• The microgrid is seen as the interconnection of different multiport devices (charges or loads).
• The new DER is tested using a simple PI scheme and an (approximate) input–output linearizing controller.

Efficient regulation of the energy transfer between generating, storage and load subsystems is a topic of current practical interest. A new strategy to achieve this objective, together with its corresponding power electronics implementation, was recently proposed by the authors. The device is called dynamic energy router (DER) because, in contrast with current practice, the regulation of the direction and rate of change of the power flow is done without relying on steady-state considerations. In this paper it is shown that, unfortunately, the DER becomes non-operational in the (unavoidable) presence of losses in the system. Hence, we propose a new DER that overcomes this problem. Experimental evidence of the performance of the original and new DER is presented.