The world is rapidly shifting to green power resources due to inevitable growing energy needs and increasing environmental concerns. However, the irregular production capacity of renewable energy resources requires additional components in the system for conditioning power quality and to make them a sustainable solution. It imperatively needs an energy storage system, which is crucial for the wind energy conversion system (WECS) to maintain a smooth power supply to loads. However, voltage fluctuations from the wind turbine generator, which are caused by the turbulent nature of wind speed, pose disruptions to the DC charge controller of a battery, and affects battery life. To deal with power fluctuations of the wind turbine generator, this study proposes a WECS that integrates a supercapacitor before the stages of the DC charge controller and the energy storage device. Given that batteries have transient charging and discharging characteristics, a test bench is developed to analyze their patterns during the charging/discharging cycles. The DC charge controller in the proposed WECS is designed to operate in the constant current mode as well as constant voltage mode depending on the state of charge of the battery. The simulations and experiments associated with the performance of WECS with a hybrid energy storage system and conventional system are carried out and presented to substantiate the assertion. To validate the proposed idea, the performance of the WECS and improvement in battery life are examined through the charging pattern of battery before and after the integration of a supercapacitor. The behavior of wind turbine generator variables due to the integration of supercapacitor in WECS is analyzed and discussed in detail. A prototype of WECS combined with an arrangement of a supercapacitor (500 F, 2.7 Vdc) module is built and tested. The simulation and experimental results indicating the impact of the integration of supercapacitor in WECS are presented.

The transition from conventional to electric transportation has become inevitable in recent years owing to the significant impact of electric vehicles (EVs) on energy sustainability, reduction of global warming and carbon emission reduction. Despite the rapidly growing global adoption of EVs in today’s electrical and transportation networks, energy storage in EVs, particularly in regards to bulky size and charging process, still remains a major bottleneck. As a result, wireless charging of EVs via inductively coupled power transfer (ICPT) through coupled coils is becoming a promising solution. However, the efficiency of charging EV batteries via wireless charging is hugely affected by misalignment between the primary and secondary coils. This paper presents an in-depth analysis of various key factors affecting the efficiency of EV battery charging. Finite element analysis (FEA) using Ansys Maxwell^® is performed on commonly used coil designs such as circular and rectangular coils under various misalignment conditions. In addition, various reactive power compensation topologies applied in ICPT are investigated and the behavior of each topology is observed in simulation. It is revealed that circular structures with S–S compensation topology show more robustness in misalignment conditions and maintain the desired efficiency for a wider range of displacement. A critical analysis of coil designs, compensation techniques and the combination of both factors is accomplished and conclusions are presented.

Advancements in power conversion efficiency and the growing prevalence of DC loads worldwide have underscored the importance of DC microgrids in modern energy systems. Addressing the challenges of power-sharing and voltage stability in these DC microgrids has been a prominent research focus. Sliding mode control (SMC) has demonstrated remarkable performance in various power electronic converter applications. This paper proposes the integration of universal droop control (UDC) with SMC to facilitate distributed energy resource interfacing and power-sharing control in DC microgrids. Compared to traditional Proportional-Integral (PI) control, the proposed control approach exhibits superior dynamic response characteristics. The UDC is strategically incorporated prior to the SMC and establishes limits on voltage variation and maximum power drawn from the DC–DC converters within the microgrid. A dynamic model of the DC–DC converter is developed as the initial stage, focusing on voltage regulation at the DC link through nonlinear control laws tailored for Distributed Generation (DG)-based converters. The UDC ensures voltage stability in the DC microgrid by imposing predetermined power constraints on the DGs. Comparative evaluations, involving different load scenarios, have been conducted to assess the performance of the proposed UDC-based SMC control in comparison to the PI control-based system. The results demonstrate the superior efficiency of the UDC-based SMC control in handling dynamic load changes. Furthermore, a practical test of the proposed controller has been conducted using a hardware prototype of a DC microgrid.

The increasing penetration of distributed energy resources (DERs) such as solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, battery energy storage systems (BESSs), and electric vehicles (EVs) in low-voltage (LV) and medium-voltage (MV) distribution networks is reshaping traditional grid operations. This shift introduces challenges including voltage violations, thermal overloading, and power quality issues due to bidirectional power flows. Hosting capacity (HC) assessment has become essential for quantifying and optimizing DER integration while ensuring grid stability. This paper reviews state-of-the-art HC assessment methods, including deterministic, stochastic, time-series, and AI-based approaches. Techniques for enhancing HC—such as on-load tap changers, reactive power control, and network reconfiguration—are also discussed. A key focus is the emerging concept of dynamic operating envelopes (DOEs), which enable real-time allocation of HC by dynamically adjusting import/export limits for DERs based on operational conditions. The paper examines the benefits, challenges, and implementation of DOEs, supported by insights from Australian projects. Technical, regulatory, and social aspects are addressed, including network visibility, DER uncertainty, scalability, and cybersecurity. The study highlights the potential of integrating DOEs with other HC enhancement strategies to support efficient, reliable, and scalable DER integration in modern distribution networks.

Synchronization control of the bidirectional wireless power transfer (BD-WPT) system maintains and locks the required phase difference between the primary and pickup converters. Communication is widely considered for synchronization; however, a delay in signal data transmission may influence efficiency or interrupt power transfer. The switching between grid-to-vehicle (G2V) and vehicle-to-grid (V2G) modes can also be impacted by synchronization delays. This article proposes a new control integrating a lock-in amplifier (LA) to achieve precise phase synchronization between the two sides without employing communication techniques. Integrating an LA enables the controller to convert the received voltage into a distortion-free fundamental signal. In addition to the LA, the BD-WPT system uses a compensation method to mitigate the phase delay caused by high-frequency (HF) signal processing through digital signal processors (DSPs). This compensation method addresses both voltage and current delays in the system. Orthogonal signals from the pickup voltage vector, processed through the LA, are subsequently used in the phase-locked loop (PLL). Current regulation through dq current control is applied to both converters on the primary and pickup sides. The performance of the proposed control has been evaluated through experimental investigation on a 2 kW BD-WPT system prototype; moreover, the overall system efficiency of the BD-WPT system, measured at a receiving dc power of 1.9 kW, reaches 94.634%.

The increasing penetration of Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) such as solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESSs), and Electric Vehicles (EVs) in low-voltage (LV) and medium-voltage (MV) distribution networks is reshaping traditional grid operations. This shift introduces challenges including voltage violations, thermal overloading, and power quality issues due to bidirectional power flows. Hosting Capacity (HC) assessment has become essential for quantifying and optimizing DER integration while ensuring grid stability. This paper reviews state-of-the-art HC assessment methods, including deterministic, stochastic, time-series, and AI-based approaches. Techniques for enhancing HC—such as On-Load Tap Changers, Reactive Power Control, and network reconfiguration—are also discussed. A key focus is the emerging concept of Dynamic Operating Envelopes (DOEs), which enable real-time allocation of HC by dynamically adjusting import/export limits for DERs based on operational conditions. The paper examines the benefits, challenges, and implementation of DOEs, supported by insights from Australian projects. Technical, regulatory, and social aspects are addressed, including network visibility, DER uncertainty, scalability, and cybersecurity. The study highlights the potential of integrating DOEs with other HC enhancement strategies to support efficient, reliable, and scalable DER integration in modern distribution networks.