A multi-level virtual conductor as a backbone of a DC power routing system

A new control approach for bidirectional DC-DC (BDC) converter is proposed in this paper. This approach aims at controlling a BDC in such a way that makes it behaves like a multi-level virtual conductor. As a matter of fact, the voltage difference between the terminals of any conductor is zero volts. Conversely, the main target of the proposed control approach is to keep the voltage difference between the converter terminals constant at certain value. In other words, the proposed control approach permits the DC-DC converter to transfer the power between two nodes at different voltage levels. In this way, the converter performs like a conductor but unlike the normal conductor, it has voltage deference between its terminals. Thus, the authors call it virtual conductor. This virtual conductor is considered a base to a power routing in dc networks; since it has the ability of transferring the electric power between nodes at different voltage levels. Furthermore, it allows an easy plug-and-play feature. The proposed BDC system configuration has been investigated analytically, using simulation, and experimentally.