Fraunhofer Institute for Silicon Technology
Fraunhofer Institute for Silicon Technology

Electronic Energy Systems

Highly available and efficient power conversion

Fraunhofer ISIT supports energy transition and expansion of power electronics-based energy conversion to mission-critical applications by developing hardware and software solutions, that enable ultra-high efficiency and availability. Wide-bangdap semiconductor (SiC and GaN) devices are associated to innovative power module design technics and packaging technologies to develop high performance power circuits for hybrid grids and battery integration. Innovative modulation technics and control algorithms are furthermore implemented to minimise loss and expend lifetime through reliability-driven control.  

The Challenge

Hybrid grids, which include MVAC, MVDC, LVAC, and LVDC sub-networks connected using smart-transformers (in particular MMC-based), are the future of the energy distribution system. Power electronics spreads to mission critical applications and applications with high downtime costs, increasing the need for high availability power converters, integrating monitoring, lifetime extension control algorithms, and fault tolerant strategies.

Fraunhofer ISIT offers a unique expertise ranging from chip-level to system-level, including packaging and converter levels. This enables a global optimisation of the entire system for ultra-high efficiency and high availability – with controlled cost. 

Our solution

Our research topics are divided into three main research areas:

 

Active reliability

  • Sensor integration
  • Lifetime analysis
  • Reliability-driven control
  • Multichip power modules
Active reliability
 

Hybrid grids

  • Medium Voltage DC applications
  • New components
  • Grid forming converter
Modular multilevel converter for hybrid grid
 

Battery integration

  • Charging stations
  • Grid support
  • Bidirectionnal power transfert
Battery integration: Power converters for future battery technologies

Your Benefits

The Electronic Energy System is covering a wide field of activities, ranging from power module to power systems and networks, and including converters. In collaboration with our academic partners, we develop cutting-edge research based on an in-depth theoretical understanding of the phenomena at stakes, and supported by experimental validations conducted in our three laboratories: one dedicated to medium-voltage tests, one to low voltage experiments, and one to batteries.

Fraunhofer ISIT offers theoretical and simulations-based analyses, as well as experimental characterisation and tests of power components and systems in its laboratories. 

Learn more about our group!

 

© Fraunhofer ISIT / photocompany itzehoe

Press release / 20.12.2021

Start of a scientific collaboration: New research group at ISIT & CAU

Press release

Reliable drive technologies, energy storage and hydrogen as an energy carrier for electromobility - in order to drive forward the energy transition, the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicon Technology and Kiel University (CAU) are strengthening their cooperation. For this purpose, the two partners have launched a working group "Electronic Energy Systems".

Located at Kiel University's Faculty of Engineering, the research group will receive a total of five million euros in funding in the first phase - half from the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft and half from the state of Schleswig-Holstein. The two partners are pursuing ambitious goals: After three years, the working group already wants to be largely self-supporting. The Electronic Energy Systems Group is headed by Professor Marco Liserre.

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