A Smart Transformer for the Electrical Power System of Green Airports: Smart Power Management

Recently, the exploitation of renewable energy has been the drive for the development of novel power electronics solutions, with the goal to increase the grid hosting capacity and mitigate the issues of the power systems [1]. However, there has been a shift in the grid control paradigm. The increased adoption of power electronics interfaced sources and loads into the electrical grid changes the way by which the power flow is controlled, may affect the power quality, and could challenge the grid stability if not properly controlled. To sustain the rapid increase in the power generation and the power demand at the same time [e.g., electric vehicle (EV) charging stations], several concepts have been proposed to make the electrical grid "smarter" and more flexible. The smart transformer (ST), as one of the most promising solutions, has become increasingly popular in recent years [2]. The ST is a power electronics-based transformer that is supposed to replace the existing conventional power transformer as an ac-ac converter. Compared to conventional transformers (CTs), the ST takes advantage of electronic control, dc connectivity, smart maintenance [3], and provision of ancillary services [4], [5]. In this way, a gradual upgrade of the electrical grid with increased benefits can be foreseen as the penetration of the STs increases.