With the founding of the Institute for Power Electronics and Electrical Drives (ISEA) in 1965, our Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology at RWTH Aachen University began a research tradition in the fields of power electronics, electrical drives, and electrochemical energy storage that continues to this day. At a time when the faculty itself was still in its infancy, ISEA laid the foundation for a close connection between basic research and industrial application.
Over six decades, a small team of around ten employees has grown into one of the most internationally renowned institutes in its field, with more than 150 employees today. For almost 30 years, ISEA has been headed by Professor Rik W. De Doncker, whose work has had a significant influence on modern power electronics in particular.
From the outset, one of the institute’s central research goals has been the development of emission-free electric drive systems. Applications for rail vehicles and the first electric vehicles were investigated at an early stage – long before electromobility became a key social issue. ISEA has made significant scientific contributions to the digital control of rotating field machines, PWM space vector modulation, and the further development of the switched reluctance machine (SRM), among other things. With the introduction of Direct Instantaneous Torque Control (DITC) in 2000, the SRM was established as a robust, cost-effective, and rare earth-free alternative in the drive sector.
ISEA also provided lasting impetus in the field of power electronics. Particularly noteworthy is the dual active bridge developed by Professor De Doncker, which is now used as a central circuit concept in numerous DC/DC converters. Its fields of application range from vehicle and industrial drives to household appliances, renewable energy systems, battery storage, and DC networks.
Since the 1970s, battery storage research has also been an integral part of the institute’s work. While the initial focus was on lead batteries, lithium-ion technology has been specifically expanded since the turn of the millennium. Germany’s largest university battery testing center was established at the Rothe Erde site, supplemented by a 5 MW storage system. Current research focuses on modeling and life cycle prediction, the development of battery management systems, industrial electrode manufacturing, and AI-supported methods for operation and analysis.
The last twenty years have also been marked by targeted structural development: new professorships, the establishment of the E.ON Energy Research Center (E.ON ERC), the Flexible Electrical Networks (FEN) research campus, and the construction of the new CARL research building, which now houses most of ISEA. The research environment is complemented by the Helmholtz Institute Münster (HI MS) under the direction of Professor Martin Winter.
photo: heroal
With excellent laboratory equipment, over 230 completed doctorates, more than 1,000 theses, and over 2,000 scientific publications, ISEA is a prime example of our faculty’s research strength and support for young scientists. After 60 years, the institute remains a key driver of scientific innovation and academic education in the field of electrical energy technology.
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