New Heisenberg professor researches power electronic converters

As the new head of the "Power Electronics" department at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jens Friebe is dedicated to improving power electronic converters. "This means we are working on making them smaller, cheaper, more resource-friendly, more efficient and more reliable," he explains. In addition to electrical machines, power electronic converters are essential components for feeding renewable energies into the grid, operating electric vehicles or in the power supply units of electronic devices. Magnetic components are often the largest, heaviest and most resource-intensive components here. "My research aims to improve the design of these magnetic components and to assign additional functionalities to them. This is done with so-called auxiliary windings, which specifically decouple electrical voltages from the components and make them usable in the overall circuit," continues Friebe. His research at the University of Kassel will also include the electrification of commercial vehicles, the cost and reliability-optimized design of battery and photovoltaic converters and the influence of cosmic radiation on power semiconductors: "I will try to incorporate these highly topical issues as examples in teaching and laboratories."

Friebe is one of 15 newly funded scientists in the Heisenberg Program. This enables researchers to continue their outstanding projects at a location of their choice, enhance their scientific reputation and thus prepare themselves for a scientific leadership role. In order to be funded, the research project must be of high scientific quality and originality and the researchers must have the necessary qualifications for subsequent appointment to a permanent professorship.

In addition to his new position at the University of Kassel, Friebe is also active in several networking circles and can thus further strengthen the international visibility of power electronics in Kassel. For example, he is also organizing this year's international student competition IEEE International Future Energy Challenge, the final of which will be held at his former place of work in Hanover in July.

Contact:

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jens Friebe
FB 16 - Power Electronics
Phone: +49 561 804-6305
E-mail: friebe[at]uni-kassel[dot]de