Test laboratory for medium voltage converters and power semiconductors

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The continuously increasing amount of renewable energy from solar and wind power plants as well as the integration of storage in the transmission and distribution grids leads to a decentralized generation of electrical energy. This also results in a bidirectional flow of electrical energy in a larger scale. Therefore, the electrical grid of the future will be hybrid system, in which power electronics enabling a wide range of grid services will play a major role along with conventional passive grid components.State-of-the-art applications of power electronics in grids are usually limited to low voltage grids (e.g. grid integration of photovoltaics) and high voltage transmission grids (converters for high voltage DC transmission). In the future, the focus will also be put on power electronics for applications in medium voltage distribution grids. Major applications in AC or DC grids will be e.g. solid-state transformers, converters for active connections of grids at different voltage levels, converters for coupling of asynchronous grids, reactive power compensators, power flow controllers or active filters.In addition to the grid applications the medium voltage drives also offer a variety of new research topics. Especially regarding the increase of energy efficiency in industrial processes medium voltage power electronics will be able to contribute substantial improvements. In previous research projects at the Institute of Electrical Engineering (ETI) of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) the converter concepts for the above applications have been investigated and tested based on simulations, hardware-in-the-loop setups and lab-scale low voltage prototypes (<=400V).In order to extend these research projects on full-scale medium voltage converters or their power electronic building blocks (PEBBs), a medium voltage laboratory shall be built at the Institute of Electrical Engineering (ETI). Thus the research results e.g. on converter sizing, modulation and control can be investigated on application-oriented prototypes. Besides tests on passive components (transformers, inductors, capacitors and filters) and different cooling concepts, the research on power semiconductors and their gate control will a major focus of the intended investigations. As a result, the research capabilities of the Institute of Electrical Engineering (ETI) in the key technology field of medium voltage power electronics will be extended. Compared to most of the comparable research institutions this will bring the ETI in a leading position.