Prof. Dr. Eberhard Waffenschmidt (1.v.l.) und Prof. Dr. Ingo Stadler (2.v.l.) vom Institut für Elektrische Energietechnik (IET) der Technischen Hochschule Köln haben mit dem GridMaximizer ein System entwickelt, das die Auslastung bestehender Stromnetze erhöht. Foto: TH Köln
As the adoption of electric mobility continues to grow, the capacity of the charging infrastructure is becoming an increasingly important focus. In the future, numerous charging stations for electric vehicles will draw high amounts of power from the grid at times. To ensure a reliable power supply, grid overloads must be prevented even when many vehicles are charging simultaneously. Prof. Dr. Eberhard Waffenschmidt and Prof. Dr. Ingo Stadler from the Institute for Electrical Power Engineering (IET) at the Cologne University of Applied Sciences have developed GridMaximizer, an innovative solution to this challenge. The system increases the utilization of existing power grids by linking the measurement data from individual charging stations. This allows the current grid status to be monitored decentrally and the maximum available charging power to be determined.
As the central service provider for the innovation2business.nrw network, PROvendis offers interested companies the opportunity to license and jointly further develop the technology. In this interview, the inventors explain, among other things, how GridMaximizer works, what makes the technology unique, what advantages it offers over existing approaches, and what the path to a potential market launch looks like.
How did the idea for GridMaximizer come about?
Prof. Dr. Stadler: That was quite a few years ago now, well before Section 14a of the Energy Industry Act was revised and everyone is talking about it today. There were repeated reports in newspapers and on television aimed at preventing electric mobility by making the claim: “But if everyone charges at the same time, our power supply will collapse!” It was always clear to us that if we knew the status of the distribution grids, we could integrate a great deal of electric mobility without causing bottlenecks. This led to our initial research efforts.
What makes this invention special?
Prof. Dr. Waffenschmidt: By collecting measurement data decentralized—for example, at charging stations—and sharing it within a low-voltage grid, we can determine the grid’s status, or at least estimate it accurately. If too many cars are charging at the same time (or heat pumps are heating, or photovoltaic systems are feeding power into the grid), we can reduce the power output at certain points just enough to ensure that voltages, currents, and power levels remain within the normal range everywhere.
What advantages does this technology offer over existing approaches?
Prof. Dr. Stadler: The advantage is that our concept operates in a decentralized manner without the need for a central control room. By exchanging measurement data, the status can be determined at each network node, and actions can be derived from that.
For which application areas is GridMaximizer particularly well-suited?
Prof. Dr. Stadler: The idea originated in the context of electric mobility, but it can be applied to all flexible loads, particularly heat pumps with thermal storage or battery storage systems.
When did you realize that the invention should be protected by intellectual property rights?
Prof. Dr. Waffenschmidt: Through my experience in industrial research, I’ve developed a knack for identifying promising topics. We believed that our approach was truly novel and that, if successful, its applications would be far-reaching. Its successful implementation will render much of the conventional grid expansion—involving large amounts of copper and aluminum buried underground—obsolete.
What kind of support did you receive from PROvendis?
Prof. Dr. Waffenschmidt: PROvendis handled the entire patent application process on behalf of the Cologne University of Applied Sciences, and they guided us well through this highly formal process.
What happens next, and what are the next steps on the path to bringing your invention to market?
Prof. Dr. Stadler: We have since been able to develop the idea in various research projects and are now at the point where, for the first time, we are moving from the lab into the real world in collaboration with a network operator. But that is by no means the end. We are looking for commercial partners to roll out and further develop the idea.
You are currently viewing a placeholder content from Google Maps. To access the actual content, click the button below. Please note that doing so will share data with third-party providers.
More InformationYou are currently viewing a placeholder content from OpenStreetMap. To access the actual content, click the button below. Please note that doing so will share data with third-party providers.
More InformationYou are currently viewing a placeholder content from Mapbox. To access the actual content, click the button below. Please note that doing so will share data with third-party providers.
More InformationYou need to load content from reCAPTCHA to submit the form. Please note that doing so will share data with third-party providers.
More Information
