APEC 2023

Use the opportunity and meet our experts at APEC 2023 in Orlando!

Fraunhofer ISIT will present the following topics at APEC 2023:

Solid State Transformers (Smart Energy Router)

To further drive the shift toward sustainability and efficiency in distribution grids, novel technological solutions are needed that can handle more electric vehicle charging stations and distributed renewable energy sources. These solutions must manage bidirectional power flows, actively adapt to changes in the grid, and be easily reconfigurable at peak performance. This leads to the innovations needed for modern distribution grids to become smarter, more resilient, and better prepared to meet the demands of a rapidly changing energy landscape.

The Smart Energy Router (SER) provides solutions for integrating fast charging stations for electric vehicles, as well as the ability to serve critical MW loads, such as hyperscale data centers. These types of systems present challenges to the grid and require support to ensure adequate performance and continuous operation. In this context, SER's network services include reactive power support, MV/LVDC connectivity, and voltage/frequency control.

Super-HEART

With Super-HEART, Fraunhofer ISIT and Kiel university target the development of a high availability power converter for multi-source integration, for applications that are critical and have high downtime-costs. Together with academic partners, we have gained extensive experience in the development of multiport isolated DCDC power converters (>20 kW), with an emphasis on high availability and fault-tolerance.  For high efficiency and power density, we use SiC, GaN or planar transformers, and custom high performance super-capacitors.

GaN-based Converter

As novel power devices spread from research to consumer market, to industry, their full potential remains yet to be fully assessed. With optimal design taking into account the specificies of the devices, low- to medium- power GaN-based power converter featuring record values of 200 kW/l power density, efficiencies above 99 %, and switching frequencies *above* 1 MHz are not uncommon anymore.

Modular Multilevel Converter

Highly efficient converters are widely used where energy transition translates into electrification of our society. Modular multilevel converter (MMC) depicting higher efficiency, improved power quality, inherent fault-tolerance, and enhanced density are replacing legacy 2-level inverters. Fraunhofer ISIT is developing a wide range of expertise and facilities including a 10 kV – 500 kVA MMC with 5-10 full-bridge modules per arms, based on 1.7 kV IGBTs. Together with our customer in our medium-voltage laboratory equipped for test up to 10 kV – 1.6 kA, with state-of-the-art test equipment and auxiliary converters (e.g., 500 kVA 3Ph NPC) and batteryemulation capabilities, we are developing solutions including MV-power converters and control strategies for grid forming and energy storage systems.