We have analyzed 127 publications for this review paper, which discuss applications of Reinforcement Learning (RL) in marketing, robotics, gaming, automated cars, natural language processing (NLP), internet of things security, recommendation systems, finance, and energy management. The optimization of energy use is critical in today’s environment. We mainly focus on the RL application for energy management. Traditional rule-based systems have a set of predefined rules. As a result, they may become rigid and unable to adjust to changing situations or unforeseen events. RL can overcome these drawbacks. RL learns by exploring the environment randomly and based on experience, it continues to expand its knowledge. Many researchers are working on RL-based energy management systems (EMS). RL is utilized in energy applications such as optimizing energy use in smart buildings, hybrid automobiles, smart grids, and managing renewable energy resources. RL-based energy management in renewable energy contributes to achieving net zero carbon emissions and a sustainable environment. In the context of energy management technology, RL can be utilized to optimize the regulation of energy systems, such as building heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, to reduce energy consumption while maintaining a comfortable atmosphere. EMS can be accomplished by teaching an RL agent to make judgments based on sensor data, such as temperature and occupancy, to modify the HVAC system settings. RL has proven beneficial in lowering energy usage in buildings and is an active research area in smart buildings. RL can be used to optimize energy management in hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) by learning an optimal control policy to maximize battery life and fuel efficiency. RL has acquired a remarkable position in robotics, automated cars, and gaming applications. The majority of security-related applications operate in a simulated environment. The RL-based recommender systems provide good suggestions accuracy and diversity. This article assists the novice in comprehending the foundations of reinforcement learning and its applications.

Smart microgrids, as the foundations of the future smart grid, combine distinct Internet of Things (IoT) designs and technologies for applications that are designed to create, regulate, monitor, and protect the microgrid (MG), particularly as the IoT develops and evolves on a daily basis. A smart MG is a small grid that may operate individually or in tandem with the electric grid, and it is ideal for institutional, commercial, and industrial consumers, as well as urban and rural societies. A MG can operate in two methods (stand-alone and grid-connected), with the ability to transition between modes due to local grid faults, planned maintenance, expansions, deficits and failures in the host system, and other factors. Energy storage is the process of storing and converting energy that can be used for a variety of purposes, including voltage and frequency management, power backup, and cost optimization. IoT is designed to deliver solutions for optimal energy management, security protocols, control methods, and applications in the MG, with numerous distributed energy resources (DER) and interconnected loads. The use of IoT architecture for MG operations and controls is discussed in this research. With the use of power grid equipment and IoT-enabled technology, MGs are enabling local networks to give additional services on top of the essential supply of electricity to local networks that operate simultaneously or independently from the regional grid. Additionally, this review shows how hybrid AC/DC MGs are advantageous compared to AC and DC MGs. The state-of-the-art optimization techniques and trends in hybrid MG research are included in this work.

Multiport converters play a significant role in portable electronic and electric vehicle (EV) applications. In literature, different configurations of single-input multi-output (SIMO) converters are presented. Most of the SIMO converters generate the outputs with operating constraints on the duty ratio and charging of inductors. The cross-regulation problem is still a challenge in SIMO converters design. A SIMO topology is proposed in this study to overcome the limitations mentioned earlier. It can generate three different output voltages without constraint on the duty cycle and inductor currents (like iL1 > iL2 > iL3 or iL1 < iL2 < iL3). Cross regulation problems do not exist in the proposed topology, so the load voltage V01 (V02) (V03) is not affected by the variation of output current i03 (i02) (i01). The loads are isolated from each other during control. In the laboratory, a 200 W prototype circuit is developed; simulation and experimental results are validated.