An Overview of Digital Twin Technology for Power Electronics: State-of-the-Art and Future Trends

Power electronic systems (PESs) are pivotal in power generation, transmission, and diverse industrial applications. With the increasing shift toward digitalization, digital twin (DT) technology has emerged as a transformative enabler, enhancing the informatization and intelligence of PESs. This paper offers a comprehensive overview of DT applications for PESs, highlighting core features of real-time synchronization, accurate mapping, seamless data interaction, and high-fidelity modeling. Four prevalent DT modeling approaches are reviewed, with a detailed discussion of their respective strengths and challenges in the context of PESs. The paper further examines the role of DT across three critical lifecycle phases—design, control, and maintenance—illustrating how DT optimizes and drives innovation at each phase. By reviewing over 170 publications, this study identifies key trends, implementation challenges, and research gaps, offering valuable insights into the state-of-the-art and future directions for DT in PESs. This work aims to serve as a foundational reference for researchers and practitioners, fostering a deep understanding of the potential of DT and providing a comprehensive grasp of the application in academics and the industry.