Control strategies for DC networks: A systematic literature review

This paper presents an overview of the state-of-the-art of research on control strategies or energy management systems for DC networks and microgrids. For this purpose, a systematic literature review was performed, which classified the research on the topic and identified the interconnections between the different approaches described in the publications selected. The work reviewed was initially classified into two main categories, based on a set of distinguishing characteristics identified in the control strategies. These categories were the following: (1) active load sharing (which includes the subcategories of centralized control and of master-slave control; (2) droop control methods. A third ad hoc category was also established for the approaches that did not fit in the other two categories. Additionally, secondary topics affecting the control strategies were also analyzed, such as the configuration of DC networks, commonly used control methods and factors, communication system relevance, and finally, the simulation and experimental techniques used for validation. Moreover, this systematic review permitted the identification of current research gaps as well as the proposal of new research lines. The results obtained not only are useful as a guide for researchers, who are starting out in the field, but they also highlight interesting research questions that more experienced researchers can actively pursue.