Review of Energy Routers: Category Research Aspects and Related Technologies

In context of the emerging energy internet, the energy router (ER) is one of the core components of multi-port energy conversion and active energy flow regulation. In this paper, ER is classified into three categories based on its functional characteristics: electrical ER, information ER, and multi-energy ER. Based on the differences between the categories, this paper divides the research on ER into four aspects: power conversion, which focuses on multi-port power conversion; energy routing, which is concerned with the optimization of power flow between ports; information processing and optimal control, which is characterized by an emphasis on intelligence, the coupling of information and energy flow; multi-energy, which has the comprehensive utilization of multiple energies as its main objective. Building on these four research aspects, this paper explores the topologies, control strategies, and optimization methods of ER and related techniques. It compensates for the limitation in coverage due to existing research focusing only on specific application scenarios. This paper also explores the potential of ER to promote the economic and stable operation of power grids. Finally, an outlook is provided on the prospective roles and applications of ER in next-generation energy systems.