The application and challenge of energy router in energy internet

Abstract

The energy internet has emerged as a promising area of research in power systems with distributed generation. Similar to an internet router to connect and switch networks, the energy router within the energy internet plays a crucial role to integrate and distribute the energy flow. This paper provides an overview of the application and challenges associated with energy routers in the energy internet. Firstly, the ability of energy routers to bring together multiple energy sources and information is highlighted. Secondly, the discrepancies in power structure when energy routers are utilised in different voltage‐level power grids are discussed. Besides, the roles, structures, and design requirements of energy routers and how they interconnect with the power system, as well as some practical examples of energy router are delved. Finally, the main challenges faced by energy routers are summarised.