Multi-Hop Network Based Coordination of Converters in DC Microgrids

Microgrids with power electronic converters at major interfaces between sources and sinks of energy, such as DC microgrids, present an opportunity for highly specific routing of energy if converters are coordinated appropriately. Developments in SiC power devices are yielding converters with far greater switching frequencies than Si based devices resulting in an order of magnitude reduction of the control time scales as compared to converter systems utilizing conventional IGBTs. In addition there has been continued development toward more modular converter systems. Both of those trends have resulted in the use of FPGA-based control platforms for power electronic systems. Increasing communication and computational capabilities of new FPGA based controllers provides opportunities beyond simply supporting high speed converters. Fast control coordination across the system using a multi-hop communication architecture provides a degree of energy management not previously realizable in microgrids.