Due to the high dependency between reliability of power device and its junction temperature, monitoring their thermal behavior in real time is very essential. In this paper, a lookup table-based electro-thermal real-time simulation model is developed to quickly estimate the junction temperature of the power devices. Output series interleaved boost converter with high voltage gain and low input current ripple, which is dedicated for fuel cell application, is selected as a case study. The thorough design and implementation process are presented and the developed model is simulated with a 200 nanoseconds time step on NI FlexRIO PXIe-7975R real-time platform. Moreover, the effectiveness and accuracy of the FPGA-based electro-thermal model are validated by comparison the results from PLECS software.

Microgrids are increasingly popular small-scale power systems with local generation, storage and loads. Interconnecting several microgrids together could provide a flexible structure for power distribution and enable large renewable and distributed penetration levels, as well as coordination between microgrids when disturbances occur. This paper proposes a control strategy for such connected microgrids. Although a microgrid aims to operate independently in normal conditions, several microgrids can support each other in case of contingencies or insufficient generation. Such coordination aims at reducing load shedding and generation curtailment, and is achieved by coordinating the output power of microgrids. Each microgrid is equipped with an agent to achieve self-control and to negotiate with other microgrids, for example to request power to its neighbors to support its loads. The Newton-Raphson and consensus methods are used to calculate the output power of each microgrid. The control strategy is validated using simulations on an IEEE 13-node test feeder.

Due to their properties such as high energy density, lithium-ion battery packs are more and more widespread for many kinds of applications. Although a classical Battery Management System (BMS) can improve the performance and safety of a battery pack, it cannot deal with issues related to aging and cell faults. This paper presents a fault-response approach for battery packs operating at the cell level. It uses a reconfigurable topology combined with agents, that can increase the resilience of a pack in the face of faults. A co-simulation technique based on Matlab/Simulink and the JADE platform is used to test and validate the proposed approach.

In recent years, the frequency of natural disasters has increased, and has lead to significant damage on power systems, sometimes even leading to blackouts. In this paper, we focus on improving power system resilience considering a multiple energy supply system, with electricity, natural gas and hydrogen. We use the Monte Carlo method to analyze the potential consequences of natural disasters and human decisions under natural disasters. Outage and investment costs are then computed to estimate the resulting costs for a utility company. We simulate a multiple energy supply system in three cases and twelve configurations to investigate the relationship between resilience and costs. Results show that as the resilience increases, the outage cost decreases. Multiple energy supply systems can thus improve power system resilience.

Smart homes hold the potential for increasing energy efficiency, decreasing costs of energy use, decreasing the carbon footprint by including renewable resources, and transforming the role of the occupant. At the crux of the smart home is an efficient electric energy management system that is enabled by emerging technologies in the electricity grid and consumer electronics. This paper presents a discussion of the state of the art in electricity management in smart homes, the various enabling technologies that will accelerate this concept, and topics around consumer behavior with respect to energy usage.