Research Interests

Control

Traditionally, my main research focus has been on high-performance control and modulation methods in the time-domain for three-phase power converter systems with the vision of maximizing their effectiveness. This is equivalent to designing algorithms that fully utilize the capability of the power electronics hardware. To achieve this, starting in 2002, I spearheaded the development and introduction of model predictive control (MPC) methodologies to the field of power electronics when MPC was largely unknown in the power electronics community.

Three such approaches have been developed over the past years, namely Model Predictive Direct Torque Control (MPDTC), Model Predictive Pulse Pattern Control (MP³C), and long-horizon finite control set MPC with applications in high-power drives and grid-connected converters. In the past, I had also worked on switch-mode dc/dc converters and a few other application domains including wide-area control schemes for power systems.

Systems

In my role as R&D platform manager of the ACS6000 and ACS6080 drive platforms my research interests cover the whole range of high power electronics including power hardware, control hardware, control software and firmware, system aspects and (special) applications of the medium-voltage drives portfolio. The main topics of relevance are:

• Hardware aspects including transformers, circuit breakers, semiconductors, packaging, topologies, thermal losses, water and air cooling, mechanical integration, auxiliary circuits, active and passive filters, electrical machines, and excitation units.
• Software and control topics including measurement and control hardware, protection, control software, firmware and algorithms, application software, simulation methods, hardware-in-the-loop systems, digitalization, analytics, and predictive maintenance.
• System aspects including grid code compliance, grid forming and grid supporting methods, interoperability of converters, loss models and thermal hotspots of electrical machines, mechanical shaft resonances, bearing currents, and drive system efficiency.
• Applications ranging from the traditional markets in Metals, Mining, Marine, and Oil&Gas to more recent applications in test stands, grid simulators, static frequency converters for shore-to-ship and shore-to-platform power, and offshore wind power generation. A particular focus is on so-called special applications, for which one-of-a-kind solutions are developed.

Strategy

As a Corporate Executive Engineer I have a much wider role in which I act as a technical consultant and support the decision making process regarding portfolio, strategy and roadmap. This role requires an intimate knowledge of power converter technologies, markets, customer needs, applications, competitors, standards and regulations, intellectual property, future developments and academic research.