Intelligent Power Grids and Highly Efficient Power Electronics for Sustainable Mobility Concepts

Electromobility At the Chair for Power Electronics at Kiel University, research is carried out on various factors in electromobility in numerous research projects. The focal points include: intelligent power grids and highly efficient power electronics for economical operation of the charging infrastructure.

One example is the project KielFlex (KIEL as a model city of the FLEXible power grid). It aims to reduce NO2 emissions by electrifying public transport in Kiel. The existing network infrastructure should be used and investments in new network infrastructure are to be minimized. The flexibility in the charging processes should be exploited and the extent to which the infrastructure of the charging stations for electric vehicles can be used to manipulate the power consumption of loads in the network is being investigated.

The project is funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy of the Federal Republic of Germany with a budget of € 6.6 million. Participating in the project are ABB, the proprietary company holdings of the state capital Kiel, the Fraunhofer research institute IFF Magdeburg, the Kieler Verkehrsgesellschaft (KVG), the network operator Stadtwerke Kiel, SWKiel Netz and the associated partner Seehafen Kiel.

The project "Twice as fast, twice as safe" is a research project funded by the EKSH in cooperation with two local companies. The project aims to develop the next generation of fast charging stations for electric vehicles with power semiconductors based on silicon carbide (SiC). By using SiC semiconductors, a higher degree of efficiency and a higher power density can be achieved. As part of the project, techniques for condition monitoring of capacitors and methods for short circuit detection and interruption of power semiconductors are investigated as basic technologies for reliable and safe fast charging stations.

In addition to conventional wired charging processes, research is also carried out at the chair for power electronics in the field of wireless energy transmission. The focus is on optimized strategies that use a combination of advanced GaN semiconductors and simultaneous data transmission to ensure efficient, safe and precisely regulated operation even in demanding special applications such as underwater technology.

In the field of battery technology, the project BAEW - laboratory for reliable battery-supported energy conversion researched on new battery systems for electromobility. The interdisciplinary laboratory should lead to a fundamental improvement in electromobility through innovative battery technology paired with the appropriate power electronics.

test stand As part of the project PE-Region Platform is being researched into the implementation of innovative electric drives. For this purpose, a test bench was developed that offers the possibility of examining the challenges for the operation of high-speed electric motors.

The current configuration of the test bench includes the following components: multilevel inverter topology, permanent magnet synchronous machine, eddy current brake and a dSpace Microlabbox. The multilevel inverter topology consists of a combination of Si-IGBTs and innovative SiC MOSFETs. The eddy current brake is used as a load to emulate various usage profiles for electric vehicle applications. The installed liquid cooling system improves the heat dissipation from the inverter, the motor and the load.

Bio-inspired Computation

  • color_key Prof. Dr. Jan Steinkühler
Communications

  • color_key Prof. Dr. Stephan Pachnicke
Computational Electromagnetics

  • color_key Prof. Dr. Ludger Klinkenbusch
Digital Signal Processing and System Theory

  • color_key Prof. Dr. Gerhard Schmidt
Information and Coding Theory

  • color_key Prof. Dr. Peter A. Höher
Integrated Systems and Photonics

  • color_key Prof. Dr. Martina Gerken
Microwave Engineering

  • color_key Prof. Dr. Michael Höft
Nanoelectronics

  • color_key Prof. Dr. Hermann Kohlstedt
Networked Electronic Systems

  • color_key Prof. Dr. Robert Rieger
Power Electronics

  • color_key Prof. Dr. Marco Liserre
Theoretical Electrical Engineering

  • color_key Prof. Dr. Jan Trieschmann