The main objective of this paper is to present a comprehensive review of soft open point (SOP), an emerging power electronics technology to maximize future distribution networks’ (DNs) resiliency and flexibility as well as increase hosting capacity for distributed energy resources like photovoltaics and electric vehicles. The SOP is currently an active area of research and ongoing development of new control techniques for SOP and optimization algorithm for the optimal use of SOP in DNs produces new techniques until DN operators use it comprehensively in their systems. The motivation for this work is to present the research that has been completed for the SOP and summarize the duties of SOP in DNs according to the literature and propose advanced duties for SOP according to modern standards. Finally, future research directions are mentioned to pave the way for research in the coming years to drive the DNs towards more flexibility and ‘Robust’ from controllability, stability, and protection structure point of view.

This article proposes, analyzes, and tests an improved high voltage gain dc-dc converter based on a single-ended primary-inductor converter (SEPIC). The proposed magnetically coupled quadratic modified SEPIC converter (MCQ-MSC) employs a coupled transformer with an optimized design to obtain a high voltage boost factor by controlling the transformer's turn ratio along with the switching duty cycle. Thanks to the unique structure of the coupled transformer, high voltage gain is obtained at low turns ratio, which is highly desirable for high voltage applications and the compact size of the converter. In addition to the coupled transformer, a voltage-boosting module is utilized to achieve a very high output voltage for a low switching duty cycle. The proposed inverter has a single switch with a wide control range of duty cycle (0<D<1), causing low conducting losses and high efficiency. Furthermore, a clamping circuit is successfully designed to remove the leakage inductance effects of the coupled transformer on the power switch. The proposed MCQ-MSC drains a continuous current from the input dc source, which makes it a suitable choice for renewable energy sources (RES). The hardware prototype of the proposed converter is tested to verify the mathematical expressions and theoretical results.

Power Quality (PQ) improvement in distribution level is an increasing concern in modern electrical power systems. One of the main problems in LV networks is related to load voltage stabilization close to the nominal value. Usually this problem is solved by Smart Distribution Transformers, Hybrid Transformers and Solid-state Transformers, but also Dynamic Voltage Conditioner (DVC) can be an innovative and a cost effective solution. The paper introduces a new control method of a single-phase DVC system able to compensate these long duration voltage drifts. For these events, it is mandatory to avoid active power exchanges so, the controller is designed to work with non-active power only. Operation limits for quadrature voltage injection control is formulated and reference voltage update procedure is proposed to guarantee its continuous operating. DVC performance for main voltage and load variation is examined. Proposed solution is validated with simulation study and experimental laboratory tests. Some simulation and experimental results are illustrated to show the prototype device's performance.

In recent years, energy production by renewable sources is becoming very important, and photovoltaic (PV) energy has became one of the main renewable sources that is widely available and easily exploitable. In this context, it is necessary to find correct tools to optimize the energy production by PV plants. In this paper, by analyzing available solar irradiance data, an analytical expression for annual DC power production for some selected places is introduced. A general efficiency curve is extracted for different solar inverter types, and by applying approximated function, a new analytical method is proposed to estimate the optimal size of a grid-connected PV plant linked up to a specific inverter from the energetic point of view. An exploitable energy objective function is derived, and several simulations for different locations have been provided. The derived analytical expression contains only the available data of the inverter (such as efficiency, nominal power, etc.) and the PV plant characteristics (such as location and PV nominal power).

Power quality in LV distribution networks is already a concern in many European countries especially where there is a strong presence of renewable energy generation. Therefore there is a growing interest in new solutions able to improve the power quality level of such a system. Among them, an interesting solution is represented by the open unified power quality conditioner (Open UPQC) proposed within the present work. The system consists of a single or three-phase ac/dc power converter installed at customer's premises and a main single or three-phase ac/dc power converter in the MV/LV substation. The paper discusses the design, simulation and implementation phases related to an Open UPQC installed in a real LV distribution grid in the city of Brescia (Italy) within the smart domo grid project, co-funded by the Italian Ministry of Economic Development. Results from the field installation show the effectiveness of the proposed solution to face power quality issues in distribution networks.

Electric power systems are facing tremendous changes and power electronic devices are playing an increasingly crucial role in this transformation. In this contest, the study of power electronic devices behavior becomes of the utmost importance, and in particular, evaluation of their losses to understand their performance. Several methods can be found in literature to evaluate power or energy losses, but each of them is associated with shortcomings (such as missing an important factor or having narrow current or voltage range) that in practice become a strong limit to implement them or in a simulation process. To overcome this problem, this paper evaluates existing methods and proposes new loss calculation methods for power electronics losses that can be used within simulation tools at any converter configuration and application range, splitting power electronic losses into switching and conduction losses. The proposed new approach formulates each loss calculation procedure in a systematic way. The presented methods are implemented in Matlab Simulink and simulation results are compared with data obtained from the Semikron SemiSel v4 online tool, which is used as a benchmark. The outcomes reveal that, with this new approach, the proposed methods can cover wider working operation range compared to the existing methods having better accuracy.