Networked microgrid (NMG) is a novel conceptual paradigm that can bring multiple advantages to the distributed system. Increasing renewable energy utilization, reliability and efficiency of system operation and flexibility of energy sharing amongst several microgrids (MGs) are some specific privileges of NMG. In this paper, residential MGs, commercial MGs, and industrial MGs are considered as a community of NMG. The loads’ profiles are split into multiple sections to evaluate the maximum load demand (MLD). Based on the optimal operation of each MG, the operating reserve (OR) of the MGs is calculated for each section. Then, the self-organizing map as a supervised and a k-means algorithm as an unsupervised learning clustering method is utilized to cluster the MGs and effective energy-sharing. The clustering is based on the maximum load demand of MGs and the operating reserve of dispatchable energy sources, and the goal is to provide a more efficient system with high reliability. Eventually, the performance of this energy management and its benefits to the whole system is surveyed effectively. The proposed energy management system offers a more reliable system due to the possibility of reserved energy for MGs in case of power outage variation or shortage of power.

To improve the voltage gain of step-up converters, the cascaded technique is considered as a possible solution in this paper. By considering the concept of cascading two Z-source networks in a conventional boost converter, the proposed topology takes the advantages of both impedance source and cascaded converters. By applying some modifications, the proposed converter provides high voltage gain while the voltage stress of the switch and diodes is still low. Moreover, the low input current ripple of the converter makes it absolutely appropriate for photovoltaic applications in expanding the lifetime of PV panels. After analyzing the operation principles of the proposed converter, we present the simulation and experimental results of a 100 W prototype to verify the proposed converter performance.

Carrier Aggregation (CA) is one of the main features of LTE-Advanced that improves data rates by allowing the User Equipment (UE) to receive data on more than one Component Carrier (CC). The CA framework was used as the basis for other important 3GPP features like LAA (Licensed Assisted Access) and EN-DC (E-UTRAN New Radio NR – Dual Connectivity). This paper presents some real current measurements of a recently launched smartphone in intra and inter-band CA combinations up to 3 CCs. The experimental results show that 2 CCs of 10+10 MHz consumes 15% more energy during transmission than a scenario without CA with the same bandwidth. The energy consumption for inter and intra-band scenarios remains almost the same. It is higher for 3 than 2 CCs in about 7%. Measurements presented on this paper differ in 61% in some scenarios when compared with a work from 2012 and a device 6 generations older.

The LLC resonance half-bridge converter is one of the most popular DC-DC converters and could easily inspire researchers to design a high-efficiency and high-power-density converter. LLC resonance converters have diverse operation modes based on switching frequency and load that cause designing and optimizing procedure to vary in different modes. In this paper, different operation modes of the LLC half-bridge converter that investigate different optimization procedures are introduced. The results of applying some usual optimization methods implies that for each operation mode some specific methods are more appropriate to achieve high efficiency. To verify the results of each optimization, numerous simulations are done by Pspice and MATLAB and the efficiencies are calculated to compare them. Finally, to verify the result of optimization, the experimental results of a laboratory prototype are provided.

The power-sharing possibility amongst microgrids (MGs) in networked microgrids (NMGs) offers multiple profits to the NMG by employing an applicable energy management system. An efficient energy management system can provide an adequate compromise in terms of the component sizing of NMGs through MG collaboration. This paper proposes a procedure to size the component for an isolated networked hybrid microgrid. The proposed design procedure relies on the optimum operation of individual MGs. The defined Reduced Factor (RF) identifies the possible size reduction for the dispatchable components, such as diesel generators and the energy storage system of each MG. The introduced RF is based on the operating reserve evaluation obtained from the optimal operation of individual MGs and the correlation between load profiles. Eventually, the simulation and practical results of a networked hybrid MG consisting of three MGs are presented to verify the proposed component sizing procedure. The practical results verify the theoretical expectations. The results show that NPC and capital costs are reduced up to 13% and 17%, respectively.

To improve the voltage gain of step-up converters, cascaded technique is considered as a possible solution in this paper. By considering the concept of cascading two Z-source networks in a conventional boost converter, the converter takes the advantages of both impedance source and cascaded converters. However, by applying some modifications, the proposed converter provides high voltage gain while the voltage stress of switch and diodes are still low. Moreover, the low input current ripple of the converter makes it absolutely appropriate for photovoltaic applications in order to expand the lifetime of PV panels. After analyzing the operation principles of the proposed converter, simulation and experimental results of a 100W prototype are presented to verify the proposed converter performance.