Converter Layer Research Articles

Fabrication of solid-state plasmonic solar cell device using FTO|TiO2|Ag-nanoparticle assembly to generate hot electrons surpassing Schottky barrier

This work presents a detailed investigation into the fabrication and performance evaluation of plasmonic solar cells, where a thin film of silver nanoparticles is deposited onto a TiO₂ layer, with the silver film itself functioning as the active layer for light absorption and energy conversion. The study compares two deposition techniques—DC Magnetron Sputtering and Thermal Vapor Deposition (TVD)—revealing significant differences in the resulting device performance. The device fabricated using TVD demonstrated a significantly higher open circuit voltage of 440.3 mV and short circuit current density of 1.6 mA/cm² compared to the device fabricated via DC Magnetron Sputtering, which recorded an open circuit voltage of 56.92 mV and a short circuit current density of 0.03 mA/cm². These results indicate that TVD offers superior electron-hole separation, reduced recombination losses, and enhanced light absorption efficiency. The main contribution of this work lies in demonstrating that the TVD technique significantly improves the photovoltaic performance of plasmonic solar cells compared to DC Magnetron Sputtering. The study validates the hot-electron mechanism at the TiO2|Ag junction using Kelvin probe force microscopy, contributing valuable insights into the role of plasmonic effects in enhancing solar cell efficiency. Additionally, it underscores the potential of TVD for developing advanced solar cell technologies with higher energy conversion efficiency.

Low-Cost and Paper-Based Micro-Electromechanical Systems Sensor for the Vibration Monitoring of Shield Cutters.

Vibration sensors are widely used in many fields like industry, agriculture, military, medicine, environment, etc. However, due to the speedy upgrading, most sensors composed of rigid or even toxic materials cause pollution to the environment and give rise to an increased amount of electronic waste. To meet the requirement of green electronics, biodegradable materials are advocated to be used to develop vibration sensors. Herein, a vibration sensor is reported based on a strategy of pencil-drawing graphite on paper. Specifically, a repeated pencil-drawing process is carried out on paper with a zigzag-shaped framework and parallel microgrooves, to form a graphite coating, thus serving as a functional conductive layer for electromechanical signal conversion. To enhance the sensor's sensitivity to vibration, a mass is loaded in the center of the paper, so that higher oscillation amplitude could happen under vibrational excitation. In so doing, the paper-based sensor can respond to vibrations with a wide frequency range from 5 Hz to 1 kHz, and vibrations with a maximum acceleration of 10 g. The results demonstrate that the sensor can not only be utilized for monitoring vibrations generated by the knuckle-knocking of plastic plates or objects falling down but also can be used to detect vibration in areas such as the shield cut head to assess the working conditions of machinery. The paper-based MEMS vibration sensor exhibits merits like easy fabrication, low cost, and being environmentally friendly, which indicates its great application potential in vibration monitoring fields.

Design and optimization of (FA)2BiCuI6-based double perovskite solar cells using kesterite CBTS as hole transport layer for high power conversion and quantum efficiency

This work introduces the design of a novel architecture for double perovskite solar cells (DPSCs) utilizing (FA)2BiCuI6, known for its enhanced stability relative to single perovskite materials for production of efficient, ultra-thin solar cells. The proposed architecture features a unique device configuration of ITO/WO3/(FA)2BiCuI6/Cu2BaSnS4/W, incorporating a Kesterite type Cu-based quaternary chalcogenide material, Cu2BaSnS4 known as CBTS, is used as hole transport layer (HTL) with a bandgap of 1.9 eV, WO3 as the electron transport layer (ETL) with a 2.6 eV bandgap, and (FA)2BiCuI6 as the absorber layer with a 1.55 eV bandgap. The study provides an in-depth theoretical analysis of the energy band structure, defects, and quantum efficiency of the DPSC, highlighting the device’s post-optimization photovoltaic parameters. Remarkably, the optimized DPSC demonstrated superior performance with a PCE of 24.63%, Voc of 1.16 V, Jsc of 25.67 mA cm−2, and FF of 82.87%. The research also explores the effects of various factors on photovoltaic performance, including temperature, interface defect, and generation and recombination rates, as well as work function of back contact materials. The results underscore the exceptional potential of (FA)2BiCuI6, especially when combined with the HTL CBTS, in significantly reducing sheet resistance and enhancing the overall performance of solar cells. The design is validated using the SCAPS-1D simulation software tool.

Tackling toxicity and stability using eco-friendly metal-halide ion substituted perovskite nanocrystals for advanced display color conversion

In recent years organic–inorganic hybrid halide perovskites nanocrystals have made a remarkable impact in display color converting layer application. However, lead toxicity and stability issues always pose arduous challenges. In this regard, the incorporation of a suitable metal ion to reduce toxicity and enhance stability is a widely tested method. In this study, we used a simple ligand-assisted reprecipitation (LARP) technique to simultaneously introduce metal ion and halide ion substitution by synthesizing MAPb1-xZnxBr3-2xCl2x nanocrystals (NCs). Being eco-friendly with a smaller ionic radius than lead ion, zinc metal ion was chosen as a substitute. With the variation of Zn2+ concentration, the highest quantum yield of 95 % was recorded with an emission width of 21 nm. Temperature-dependent photoluminescence (PL) studies revealed the higher optical phonon-exciton interaction after Zn2+ incorporation leading to radiative transition in NCs. Variation of PL peak energy with temperature revealed the reduced thermal chromaticity of Zn2+ incorporated NCs making them suitable for display application. Further, these NCs maintained a stable cubic structure and luminescence up to 150 °C, indicating higher thermal stability. The MAPb0.9Zn0.1Br2.8Cl0.2 (x = 0.1 or 10 mol%) NCs embedded in PMMA (poly (methyl methacrylate) polymer matrix coated LED emits narrow width, green light with color coordinate (0.15, 0.79), which is closer to green coordinate (0.17, 0.79) in Rec.2020. This helps to reproduce close to 97 % color gamut of Rec.2020. This research paves the way for finding less toxic and stable green light-emitting materials instead of cadmium-based molecules.

Conversion of fast neutrons for neutron radiography with TPX2 detector

Abstract The Timepix2-based hybrid-pixel detector with a 500 μm thick silicon sensor was employed for fast-neutrons registration to be applied in neutron radiography of metallic printed circuit heat exchanger (PCHE). Two energies of neutrons were experimentally tested. The detection of 3.55 MeV neutrons from the deuteron–deuteron (DD) reaction was compared to 15.7 MeV neutrons from the deuteron–tritium (DT) neutron generator. In order to distinguish the signal induced by the registered neutrons from the accelerator background, filtration of the recorded particle spectral tracks was applied. The benefit of applying hydrogen-based converter layer for 3.55 MeV neutrons was observable. On the other hand, in the case of 15.7 MeV neutrons, the direct registration by interaction with the sensor Si significantly dominates the conversion.

Development of a silicon-based thermal neutron detection system

Neutron detection systems are of increasing importance in applications from basic science to medical applications and reactors. 3He proportional counters remain the most popular choice for monitoring thermal neutrons with a detection efficiency of around 60%, however, due to 3He global shortages, a new generation of detection technologies will be required to meet the rising demand. As a result, extensive research is being conducted to investigate alternative methods of neutron detection. This work presents such a system and demonstrates its calibration and evaluation using an AmBe neutron source. The detection system involves silicon sensors coated by converter layers to make the detectors sensitive to thermal neutrons via neutron capture and measurement of the resulting secondary charged particles. The detection system is presented in two configurations, a single and a multi-layer configuration, where the latter is used to increase the total detection efficiency. In addition, the system is capable of determining coincident signals from a single neutron capture, a feature which allows background suppression and an increase in the purity of the neutron signal which is particularly useful in mixed radiation environments.

Multifunctional tri-layer aramid nanofiber composite separators for high-energy-density lithium-sulfur batteries

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) battery has attracted much attention due to their high theoretical energy density. However, severe shuttling effect, sluggish reaction kinetics and uncontrolled dendrite formation of Li anode greatly deter their practical applications. Different to conventional separator engineering strategies that are always focused on surface coating of functional interlayer on commercial polyolefin separators, herein, we proposed a structural engineering tactic by rationally tuning the porous structure and composition of the p-aramid nanofiber (ANF) composite separator to address simultaneously the above problems. A two-step film-casting process combined with a phase inversion approach was developed to fabricate a multifunctional tri-layer ANF composite separator. This innovative separator was especially engineered to comprise a conductive and catalytic NiFe2O4 modified multi-walled carbon nanotubes/ANF layer for rapid and efficient conversion of lithium polysulfides, a microporous ANF layer for fast ion transport, and a dense nanoporous ANF layer for lithium dendrite inhibition. This tri-layer ANF-based separator possessed high porosity, excellent thermal stability, and superb electrolyte wettability. Batteries with the tri-layer ANF- based separator exhibited outstanding cyclic stability with high capacity of >3 mAh cm−2 at high sulfur loading (4 mg cm−2) and high current density (4 mA cm−2). This work opens up new opportunities for design of functional separators based on high performance polymers using the structural engineering strategy.

Polymer nanocomposite for protecting photovoltaic cells from solar ultraviolet in space

Abstract Polymer nanocomposite coatings of solar photovoltaic cells that absorb solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation and convert it into visible and near-infrared (NIR) light can increase the operational lifetime and the energy efficiency of the cells. We report a polymer nanocomposite spectrum converting layer (SCL) made of colorless polyimide CORIN impregnated with the nanoparticles (NPs) of fluoride NaYF4 doped with three-valent ions of Europium at a molar concentration of 60%. The NPs were the nanocrystals (179 ± 35 nm in size) in thermally stable hexagonal beta-phase. The visible-NIR photoluminescence quantum yield of the nano-powder was ∼69%. The SCLs were applied using the open-air multi-beam multi-target pulsed laser deposition method to silicon heterojunction (SHJ), copper-indium-gallium-selenide (CIGS), and inverted metamorphic multijunction (IMM) solar cells. The cells were exposed to UV radiation from a 365 nm light emitting diode. The I–V characteristics of the cells were measured with a solar simulator using AM0 filter. The proposed SCLs improved the UV stability of all three types of the cells: the power degradation of SHJs and IMMs cells was stopped or slightly reversed and the degradation rate of CIGSs decreased by ∼25%. The proposed SCLs have great commercial potential, especially for applications to space power.

Elastic, Janus 3D evaporator with arch-shaped design for low-footprint and high-performance solar-driven zero-liquid discharge

Solar-driven zero-liquid discharge (ZLD) is a promising wastewater management strategy for freshwater recovery and solid waste harvesting. However, practical application of the solar-driven ZLD is severely constrained due to its low evaporation efficiency, large footprint, and rapid salt accumulation. Here, we present a Janus arch-shaped solar-driven evaporator (▪) comprising a hydrophobic top photothermal layer for effective light absorption, solar-thermal conversion, and vapor evaporation, which exhibits an evaporation rate of 2.82 kg∙m−2∙h−1 in pure water. The design also includes shapable delignified longitudinal wood (D-L-wood) serving as the hydrophilic bottom water transport layer, which enables dual-directional saltwater transportation and salt crystallization. D-L-wood, with numerous aligned channels, exhibits a low thermal conductivity of 0.04 W·m−1·K−1 along perpendicular direction and can effectively localize heat on the photothermal layer of the evaporator. D-L-wood has excellent hydrophilicity, and the salty water can be transferred quickly along both ends of the wood, providing sufficient salty water for rapid evaporation. The anisotropy of the wood makes the heat transfer quickly along the channel, improving the thermal management ability of the evaporator. Moreover, during vapor evaporation on the hydrophilic-hydrophobic interface, salt is crystallized at the hydrophilic layer, resulting in an enhanced anti-salt performance, a 1.5 folds evaporation rate compared with non-Janus evaporator after 15 h test. Under the conditions of a salt concentration of 3.5 %, a high salt harvest performance of 62.4 g∙m−2∙h−1 can be obtained under AM 1.5 solar irradiation. The arch-shaped design fully utilizes the upper space and effectively reduces evaporator footprint, resulting in an evaporation area to footprint ratio of 1.57:1. The designed evaporator can also be utilized for ZLD treatment of other heavy metal polluted water including Cu2+, CrO42−, Co2+, and so on. Therefore, the Janus-arch-shaped, solar-driven evaporator enables a potentially low-footprint, low-cost, scalable, and practical ZLD strategy for sustainable wastewater treatment.

Analysis and Control of Cascaded Energy Storage System for Energy Efficiency and Power Quality Improvement in Electrified Railways

Energy-efficient and grid-friendly railway power system is critical for the sustainable development of electrified railways. In this paper, a cascaded energy storage system (CESS) is investigated for energy efficiency and power quality improvement of the railway power system. First, the detailed operation principles of the CESS for multiple control objectives, including regenerative braking energy (RBE) utilization, reactive power compensation, and negative sequence current suppression, are analyzed. On this basis, a hierarchical power flow control strategy is developed for achieving the power flow management and control of multiple objectives for CESS. Specifically, a multi-objective power flow management strategy is designed in the system layer to allocate the power references for the CESS under sufficient and insufficient capacity scenarios. In the sufficient capacity scenario, the power references are directly obtained by the operation principles. In the insufficient capacity scenario, the power references are allocated through a three-stage optimization method considering the power shaving rate, grid power factor, and grid imbalance degree. Subsequently, the power references from the system layer are tracked in the converter layer to achieve power flow control. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed hierarchical power flow control strategy is verified through experimental results. The results show that the proposed CESS can achieve superior performance on RBE utilization and power quality improvement under complex operating conditions in electrified railways.

Perovskite Solar Cells with Extremely High 24.63% Efficiency through Design of Double Electron Transport Layers and Double Luminescent Converter Layers

AbstractIntroduction of fluorescent down‐conversion layer inside perovskite solar cells (PSCs) can highly improve the ultraviolet response of the devices and the light stability. However, such a device is usually confronted with the problem of inter‐diffusion with the perovskite absorber layer, which severely limits its further development. To address this problem, herein, this work employs an interfacial dual electron transport layers (ETLs) strategy, sandwiching Cd‐CsPbCl3:Mn2+ luminescent quantum dots within gap of the ETLs, which not only reduces the interface energy level offset, but also improves the nucleation and crystallization kinetics of perovskite films and prevents their diffusion to the perovskite absorber layer. As a result, the efficient synergy effect effectively elevates both the open‐circuit voltage and fill factor of the PSCs, reaching maximum values of 1.181 V and 81.14%, respectively, finally delivering progressively increased device power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 24.32% with significantly improved light stability. To further improve the ultraviolet response, this work further adopts the strategy of dual fluorescent conversion layers inside and outside the PSCs, and finally obtains PCE of 24.63%, which is the best for various luminescent conversion cells. This work opens a new door for the development of efficient and stable photoluminescence conversion PSCs.

Tailoring Interfaces for Enhanced Methanol Production from Photoelectrochemical CO2 Reduction.

Efficient and stable photoelectrochemical reduction of CO2 into highly reduced liquid fuels remains a formidable challenge, which requires an innovative semiconductor/catalyst interface to tackle. In this study, we introduce a strategy involving the fabrication of a silicon micropillar array structure coated with a superhydrophobic fluorinated carbon layer for the photoelectrochemical conversion of CO2 into methanol. The pillars increase the electrode surface area, improve catalyst loading and adhesion without compromising light absorption, and help confine gaseous intermediates near the catalyst surface. The superhydrophobic coating passivates parasitic side reactions and further enhances local accumulation of reaction intermediates. Upon one-electron reduction of the molecular catalyst, the semiconductor-catalyst interface changes from adaptive to buried junctions, providing a sufficient thermodynamic driving force for CO2 reduction. These structures together create a unique microenvironment for effective reduction of CO2 to methanol, leading to a remarkable Faradaic efficiency reaching 20% together with a partial current density of 3.4 mA cm-2, surpassing the previous record based on planar silicon photoelectrodes by a notable factor of 17. This work demonstrates a new pathway for enhancing photoelectrocatalytic CO2 reduction through meticulous interface and microenvironment tailoring and sets a benchmark for both Faradaic efficiency and current density in solar liquid fuel production.

Modeling and admittance recursive simulation of anti-reflective coatings for photothermal conversion: synergy between subwavelength structures and gradient refractive index layers.

In the field of photothermal conversion, light-absorbing layers show limitations such as low solar energy utilization and excessive surface reflection. This paper proposes a new anti-reflective coating consisting of a gradient-doped fluorescent glass film covering a subwavelength structural layer for photothermal conversion. Its transmittance was simulated using equivalent medium theory and the admittance recursion method. The subwavelength structure provides a refractive index gradient, and its shape solves the problem of the sharp decrease in transmittance at high angles of incidence. Subsequently, we adjust the material parameters of the gradient refractive layers and control the thickness of each layer to minimize interlayer Fresnel reflections. Finally, the efficient light-trapping ability of the model was verified by calculating and comparing the transmittances of the optimized model and bare glass. Notably, within the visible spectrum, our model achieves an average transmittance of over 95% across wavelength and angle ranges, effectively suppressing surface reflections. At a larger light incident angle, the transmittance increases by 29.7%, and the minimum angle transmittance reaches 92.7%. This study proposes an innovative method to enhance the performance of transmission layers in photothermal conversion devices.

Study of a metal-halide perovskite CsPbBr3 thin film deposited on a 10B layer for neutron detection

Metal halide perovskite materials have received significant attention in recent years due to their promising properties and potential applications, particularly their use as scintillator detectors, which is rapidly emerging due to their promising advantages as detectors, such as low costs, fast response, high quantum yield, strong absorption, scalability, flexibility, and emission wavelength tunability. Given the effectiveness of perovskites as α particle detectors and the potential of 10B as a neutron converter, in this paper a 10B converting layer was coupled with an all-inorganic lead halide perovskite (CsPbBr3) layer aiming to create a thermal neutron detector. Specifically, a 1 µm thin film of 10B and a 1 µm thin layer of CsPbBr3 were deposited on a suitable substrate using a laser ablation process. The fabricated detector was subjected to a comprehensive characterization, including structural, morphological, and detection properties. As output, the films exhibit macroscopically uniform behavior and good adhesion to the substrate. In terms of thermal neutron efficiency, an efficiency of (7.9 ± 0.3)% was determined with respect to a commercial detector (EJ-426), which corresponds to an intrinsic efficiency of (2.5 ± 0.1)%. Also, Monte Carlo simulations were conducted, and the optimum value of the 10B layer thickness was found to be 2.5 µm.

Boosting the performances of protonic solid oxide fuel cells for co-production of propylene and electricity from propane by integrating thermo- and electro- catalysis

Protonic solid oxide fuel cells (p-SOFC) integrated with clean thermal energy sources are promising platforms for decarbonized chemical production in addition to power generation, such as on-purpose propylene production from propane dehydrogenation (PDH). The catalytic performance of the conventional nickel-cermet-based anode materials in p-SOFC for propane conversion is restrained by their low active surface area and proneness to coking. In this work, by integration of a highly efficient industry-relevant thermal catalyst PtGa/ZSM-5 for PDH reaction, we demonstrate that both the electrochemical and catalytic performance of the propane-fueled p-SOFC can be effectively enhanced. The PtGa catalyst integrated p-SOFC exhibits a peak power density of 93 mW cm−2 at 600 °C, which is greater by about 100% and 50% than that without catalyst or with a perovskite-based (Pr0.3Sr0.7)0.9Ni0.1Ti0.9O3 (PSNT) catalyst layer, respectively. The PDH activity and olefin selectivity of the PtGa catalyst is also significantly higher than that of the PSNT catalyst. In addition, much improved coke tolerance and propylene selectivity (over 90%) compared to the catalyst-free Ni-cermet anode materials were achieved by integrating the industrial catalyst layer. The propane conversion can be further improved by an applied current density, whereas the olefin selectivity is almost unaltered. The excellent performance of the PtGa catalyst integrated p-SOFC is attributed to the high surface area, intrinsically high catalytic activity, selectivity, and anti-coking properties of the catalytic layer for propane conversion. This work provides a general approach and a case study for boosting the performances of p-SOFCs in chemical production by integrating thermo- and electro- catalysis.

La0.5Ce0.5O1.75-Catalytic Layer for Methane Conversion into C2 Products Using Solid Oxide Fuel Cell

Methane (CH4), the major constituent of natural gas and biogas, is an abundant source to obtain value-added hydrocarbons. The oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) is a direct catalytic route to convert CH4 towards C2 hydrocarbons, ethane (C2H6) and ethylene (C2H4). Using a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) is a strategy to overcome some challenges of fixed-bed catalytic reactors. In this context, we have studied the La0.5Ce0.5O1.75 (LCO) oxide as a catalytic layer in a SOFC for methane conversion to C2. The activity test was carried out at different O2-/CH4 ratios, varying the anode gas composition, and applied currents.

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Solid‐state bright blue (425 nm), yellow (550 nm) and red (640 nm) fluorescent carbon dots were prepared within 5 min using same precursors without the dispersion in solid matrix. The photoluminescence quantum yields (PLQYs) were measured to be 54.68%, 17.93%, and 2.88%, respectively. The structure of monodispersed SFM‐CDs is consistent with the model of 5‐oxo‐3,5‐dihydro‐2H‐thiazolo [3,2‐a] pyridine‐7‐carboxylic acid (TPCA) embedded on the surface of carbon core, and their dilute solutions all exhibit the PL of TPCA. The degree of carbonization increases gradually, resulting in size enlargement from B‐CDs to R‐CDs, and the content of disulfide bonds is significantly increased simultaneously, which makes them present cross‐linked aggregation in the solid state, thus showing the emission of carbon nuclei. Given the excellent solid‐state fluorescence performance of SFM‐CDs, they are used as the fluorescent converter layer of high‐quality multi‐color LEDs and WLEDs. More details are discussed in the article by Lu et al. on page 1007—1014.image

Disulfide Crosslinking‐Induced Aggregation: Towards Solid‐State Fluorescent Carbon Dots with Vastly Different Emission Colors†

Comprehensive SummarySolid‐state fluorescent multi‐color carbon dots (SFM‐CDs), prepared using the same precursor(s) without the need for dispersion in a solid matrix, are highly demanded for a wide range of applications. Herein, we report a microwave‐assisted strategy for the preparation of SFM‐CDs with blue, yellow and red emissions within 5 min from the same precursors. The as‐prepared B‐CDs, Y‐CDs, and R‐CDs possessed bright fluorescence at 425 nm, 550 nm, and 640 nm, and photoluminescence quantum yields (PLQYs) of 54.68%, 17.93%, and 2.88%, respectively. The structure of SFM‐CDs consisted of 5‐oxo‐3,5‐dihydro‐2H‐thiazolo [3,2‐a] pyridine‐7‐carboxylic acid (TPCA) immobilized on the surface of a carbon core, with the size of the carbon core and degree of disulfide crosslinking between CDs both increasing on going from the B‐CDs to the R‐CDs, as verified by mechanochromic experiments. The excellent solid‐state fluorescence performance of the SFM‐CDs allowed their utilization as the fluorescent converter layer in multi‐color LEDs and white LEDs with a high color rendering index.

Optically asymmetric down-shifting films for highly efficient photovoltaics

Quantum dots (QDs) have been regarded as promising spectral converters for photovoltaic (PV) devices owing to their excellent photoluminescence (PL) characteristics. Herein, we report a highly-efficient QD hierarchical (QD-Hie) film that elevates the PV performance by integrating QDs with micro/nano hierarchical structures. The proposed film was designed to ensure low reflectance for incident light (air-to-device) and high reflectance for escape light (device-to-air), obtaining a light-trapping effect to increase the absorption of PVs at wide incident angles. The trapped ultraviolet photons in our film promoted the downshifting property of the QDs and amplified the generation of visible photons, thereby enhancing the PL characteristics of QDs up to 3.71 times with independency of the incidence angle. Furthermore, the hierarchical structure restricts the outward release of converted QDPL, ensuring high availability of the down-shifted photons to PVs. The optical benefit of our film was maximized by attaching them on both sides of bifacial semi-transparent dye-sensitized solar cells, resulting in the short-circuit current density (JSC) improvement of up to 25.97% under AM 1.5G illumination. Along with its high versatility and outstanding JSC increments, our study presents a new perspective of advanced spectral converting layers and provides practical viability for various optoelectronic devices.

Integrated Regenerative Braking Energy Utilization System for Multi-Substations in Electrified Railways

This article proposes an integrated regenerative braking energy utilization system (RBEUS) to improve regenerative braking energy (RBE) utilization in electrified railways. The proposed RBEUS uses a traction substation energy storage system and two sectioning post converters to achieve coordinated RBE utilization in three consecutive traction substations via power-sharing and storage, and the power quality can also be improved. A hierarchically coordinated control strategy is developed based on the operation principle to provide real-time power management and control for the RBEUS. In the system layer, a centralized power management strategy is designed for operation mode management and active power command generation. It uses a sequential quadratic programming-based algorithm to solve the objective function to achieve optimal RBE utilization under different operation modes. In the converter layer, local controllers of the RBEUS enable converters to respond to the active power commands from the system layer and reactive power commands generated by themself for power flow control. The effectiveness of the proposed RBEUS is comprehensively verified by using a hardware-in-the-loop experiment. Besides, a comparison analysis of the proposed RBEUS and literature methods is conducted to testify the superiority of the RBEUS. The feasibility of RBEUS implementation is also discussed from fault protection and economy.