Energylandscape

Institute

Center for Flexible Electrical Networks

Director:

Univ.-Prof. Dr. Rik W. De Doncker

Short name:

FEN

Info:

The Center for FEN is an association of institutes of the RWTH Aachen University and of industrial partners from different disciplines. In order to successfully cope with the challenges of our future energy supply, a high degree of transdisciplinary research and collaborations is necessary, because many different areas of expertise are involved. In the Center for FEN, this transdisciplinary research between academia and industry is conducted under one roof.
The aim of the Center for FEN is to investigate and to develop the flexible power grid in response to the changes of the electrical supply system occurred in recent years: The existing three-phase alternating current (ac) supply system was designed for a top-down distribution with few bulk power stations. While this was an appropriate solution for the requirements and available technologies from the past, the situation has now changed fundamentally. Sustainable energy sources and new electronic power conversion technologies have become technically and economically feasible now and a constraint to ac technology is no longer a must, but an obstacle. Ultimately, the common aim is to achieve a sustainable, reliable and affordable energy supply in the future.
The transdisciplinary research of the Center for FEN concentrates on the integration and development of direct current technology (dc) at all voltage levels (low-, medium- and high-voltage) and on grid solutions for ac and dc grids, leveraging on communication technology, cloud services, integration of energy storage and societal aspects. The research activities of the Center for FEN are located amid the RWTH Aachen Campus.
The Center for FEN is organized into three consortia associated with the main voltage levels (low, medium, high voltage) in the electrical utility grid. Each consortium is headed by a professor of the RWTH Aachen University and is supported by a Chief Scientific Officer assigned to the consortium.

Street:

Campus-Boulevard 79

Postal Code:

52074

City:

Aachen

Contact:

Telefon: +49 241 80 22471
Email: info@FENaachen.net

Internal contact:

chaag@fenaachen.net

Website:

www.FENaachen.net

Resources
- Oil
  - Extraction
  - Unconventional Oil
- Gas
  - Extraction
  - Unconventional Gas
    - Tight Gas
    - Coalbed Methane
- Coal
  - Extraction
    - Energy Market
      - Technological Issues
        Efficiency
      - Environmental Issues
        Sustainability
      - Economic Issues
        Risk Analysis
      - Political Issues
      - Social Issues
    - System Engineering
      - Efficiency
    - Components & Materials
  - Petrology
- Nuclear
  - Extraction
- Biomass
  - Energy Market
  - System Engineering
  - Components & Materials
    - Novel Energy Sources
    - Alternative Energy Sources
- Other Renewables
  - Utilization of CO2
- Other
  - Pit and Quarry
    - System Engineering
      - Extraction
    - Energy Market
      - Sustainability
  - Unconventional Energy Sources
  - Rare Earths
- Solar
  - Forecasting
  - Location Analysis
- Water
- Wind
  - Forecasting
  - Location Analysis
- Geothermal
Infrastructure
- Electricity
  - Transmission
    - Energy Market
      - Technological Issues
      - Economic Issues
      - Environmental Issues
      - Social Issues
      - Political Issues
    - System Engineering
    - Components & Materials
    - Network planning and operation
    - Reliability and security of supply
  - Distribution
    - Energy Market
    - System Engineering
    - Components & Materials
    - Network planning and operation
    - Reliability and security of supply
- Gas
  - Energy Market
    - Technological Issues
    - Social Issues
    - Political Issues
    - Environmental Issues
    - Economic Issues
  - System Engineering
    - Pipeline Technology
  - Components & Materials
  - Network planning and operation
- Heat
  - Heat Transmission
    - System Engineering
      - High Pressure Heat Transmission
      - Trickle Films
    - Components & Materials
      - Machine Tools
- ICT
  - Energy Market
  - System Engineering
    - Complex Optimization Planning
  - Components & Materials
- Heat/Cold
  - Heat and Moisture Transfer
- Overlay Grid
- Analytics
  - Neutron Analytics
Storage
- Electricity
  - Battery Systems
    - Energy Market
      - Economic Issues
        Profitability Analysis
      - Environmental Issues
      - Political Issues
      - Social Issues
      - Technological Issues
        Grid Integration
    - System Engineering
      - Modelling & Simulation
      - Diagnostics
      - System Design
    - Components & Materials
      - New Materials
      - Power Electronics
      - Battery Design
  - Capacitor Systems
  - Magnetic Systems
  - Flywheel Systems
  - Hydro Power Plants
  - Hydraulic-Mechanic Systems
  - Power to Gas
- Gas
  - Energy Market
  - System Engineering
    - Liquid Storage
      - Long-Term CO2 Storage
    - Solid Storage
    - Hydrogen Storage
  - Components & Materials
- Heat/Cold
  - Latent Heat
    - Energy Market
    - System Engineering
  - Thermochemical/Sorption
    - Energy Market
    - System Engineering
      - Cold Supply
      - Climate Control
    - Components & Materials
  - Other
  - Geological Reservoirs
Conversion - Usage
- Distributed Generation
- Heating/Cooling
  - Magnetocalorics
- Demand Side Management
- Production Processes
  - Components & Materials
    - Energetic Configuration of Machine Tools
    - Turbine Material Development
    - Novel Materials
      - Ultra High Temperature Materials
      - High Temperature Materials
      - Synthesis of Solid-State Materials
  - Energy Market
  - System Engineering
    - Energy Efficiency in Production Processes
    - Energy Conversion Engines
- Mobility
  - Electricity
    - Passenger Cars
      - Energy Market
        ICT
        Grid Integration
        Environmental Issues
      - System Engineering
        Modelling & Simulation
        Design & Optimization
        Controlling Engineering
        Production Technology
        Mobilty Concepts
      - Components & Materials
        Power Electronics
        Electrical Drives
        Battery Systems
        Fuel Cell Systems
    - Commercial Vehicles
      - System Engineering
        Production Technology
      - Components & Materials
    - Railway
    - Aircraft/Spacecraft
      - Components & Materials
        APU
  - Petrol/Diesel
    - Passenger Cars
      - Market
      - System Engineering
        Injection Process
        Control Engineering
      - Components & Materials
    - Commercial Vehicles
      - System Engineering
      - Components & Materials
        Driving Assistant Systems
    - Railway
    - Aircraft/Spacecraft
  - Gas
    - Passenger Cars
    - Commercial Vehicles
  - New/Alternative Fuels
    - Biomass
  - Hybrid
    - System Engineering
      - Control Engineering
- Building Services
  - Heating/Cooling
    - District Heating
    - Heat Pump
    - Geothermal
    - Unconventional Energies
    - Solar
  - Air Conditioning
  - Energy Efficiency
    - System Engineering
      - Heat Recovery
      - Sustainable Energy Supply
      - Hybridization
      - Improving Building Shell
    - Energy Market
    - Components & Materials
      - Construction Material Recycling
      - Hybridization
  - Building Concepts
    - Life Cycle Analysis
    - System Optimization
  - Power-to-X
Conversion - Generation
- Water
  - System Engineering
    - Pumped storage Hydropower Plant
    - Hydro-Electric Power Plant
    - Run-of-River
  - Components & Materials
    - Machine Concepts
  - Energy Market
- Wind
  - Energy Market
    - Environmental Issues
  - System Engineering
    - Modelling & Simulation
      - Aerolastic Analysis
      - Improving Operational Behavior
    - Design & optimization
    - Measurement & Control
  - Components & Materials
    - Electrical Drives
    - Power Electronics
    - Hollow Shafts
    - Transmission
- Solar
  - Photovoltaics
    - Energy Market
    - System Engineering
      - Certification
    - Components & Materials
      - Power Electronics
      - Semiconductors
      - Solar Cells
  - Solar Thermal Power
    - Energy Market
    - System Engineering
      - Solar Power Tower
      - Parabolic Trough
      - Fresnel
    - Components & Materials
      - Power Electronics
      - Molten Salt Storage Systems
      - Collectors
      - Recievers
  - Organic Photovoltaics
- Biomass
  - Energy Market
  - System Engineering
    - Fuel Production
      - Liquid Fuels
      - Gaseous Fuels
        Biogas
      - Solid Fuels
      - Process Optimization
    - Emission Reduction
      - Novel Catalytic Systems
      - Particle Filter
    - Power Plant Technology
      - Low Temperature Combustion
  - Components & Materials
    - Gas Separation Membranes
    - Emission Reduction
      - Particle Filter
      - Catalytic Systems
    - Steam Turbines
- Geothermal
  - System Engineering
    - Mine Heap Smouldering
    - Energy Saving Potential
  - Energy Market
    - Acceptance and Communication
  - Components & Materials
- Marine
  - Wave Power
  - Tidal Power
  - Marine Current Power
- Nuclear
  - Nuclear Fission
    - Energy Market
      - Quality Management
    - System Engineering
      - H2-Recombiner
      - Reactor Concepts
        High Temperature reactor (HTR)
        Light Water Reactor (LWR)
      - Safety
        Storage
        Environment
        Characterization of Radioactive Waste
        Radiation Protection
        Health
        Radiation Protection
      - (Final) Storage
        Characterization of Radioactive Waste
    - Components & Materials
      - Fuel Optimization
      - Steam Turbines
  - Nuclear Fusion
    - Energy Market
    - System Engineering
    - Components & Materials
- Coal
  - Energy Market
    - Economic Issues
    - Environmental Issues
      - Sustainability
    - Social Issues
    - Technological Issues
    - Political Issues
  - System Engineering
    - Plant Technology
      - Electricity Generating Costs
      - Environmental Compatability
        Fine Dust Measurement
      - Availability
      - Flue Gas Conditioning
        CO2 Separation and Dumping
      - Combustion Optimization
    - Reconditioning
      - Pyrolytic Processes
    - Combustible Characterization
    - Carbon Capture Storage (CCS)
    - Underground Coal Gasification (UCG)
  - Components & Materials
    - Resource Optimization
    - Burner Development
    - Steam Turbines
    - Gas Separation Membranes
- Gas
  - Energy Market
  - System Engineering
  - Components & Materials
    - Gas Turbines
    - Steam Turbines
- Oil
- Other
  - Municipal Solid Waste
    - Components & Materials
      - Resource Recycling
    - System Engineering
      - Emission Reduction
- Hydrogen
  - Methods of Production
    - Energy Market
      - Environmental Issues
    - System Engineering
      - Electrolysis
    - Components & Materials
      - Elektrolyzer
  - Power Generation
    - Energy Market
    - System Engineering
      - Design & Optimization
      - Modelling & Simulation
    - Components & Materials
      - Power Electronics
      - Fuel Cells
      - Next Generation Materials
System
- Environmental Issues
  - Sustainability
    - Location Analysis
    - Fossile Fuels
      - Gas Separation
    - Importance of Biomass
  - Environmental Management
    - Nuclear Waste Management
  - Resource Preserving Constructions
  - Environmental Assessment
  - Second Generation Biofuels
  - Influence of Greenhouse Gases
  - Energy Balance of the Atmosphere
  - Energy & Water Nexus
  - Environmental Geochemistry
- Economic Issues
  - Macro-Economic Effects
  - Energy Consulting
  - Energetic and Environmental Assessment
  - Assessment of Energy Demand
  - Energiewende in Companies
  - Emissions Trading
  - Primary Energy Consumption & Economic Developement
  - Efficiency
  - Exploration Strategies and Quality Management
  - Deposit Economics
- Political Issues
  - Environmental Policy
    - Emission Trade
      - Legal Issues
    - Use of Biofuels
  - Energy Policy
    - Plant Engineering
      - Legal Issues
- Social Issues
  - Social Acceptance
    - Acceptance of Different Energy Forms
  - Costumization
  - Renewable Energy Laboratories for Children
  - Awareness for Sustainalbe User Behavior
  - Energy Demand of Private Households
  - Safety
- Technological Issues
  - Control Engineering
    - Model-Based Control of Low Temperature Combustion
  - Modeling and Simulation
    - Numeric Flow Simulation
      - Different Flow Reactors in Diesel Motors (TMFB)
    - Thermal and Energetic Simulation in Buildings
    - Numeric Basin Simulation
    - Mineral Vein Dynamics Modeling
    - Numerical Modelling of Sedimentary Processes
    - Reservoir Characterization
      - Geological Mapping
      - In-Situ Characterization
    - Power Plant Scheduling
    - Market Simulation
  - Components & Materials
    - Refractory Ceramics in Energy Technology
    - Machine Elements
      - Abrasion and Exhaustion
      - Dynamic and Energetic Behaviour of Power Drives
      - Energy Saving Drives in Mobile Engines
      - Steam and Gas Turbine
    - Description of Material Properties
    - Ceramics and Metallic Materials
      - Characterization of Mechanical Behaviour
      - Structural Testing
  - System Engineering
    - Efficiency Increase
      - Steam Turbine
      - Gas Turbine
      - Engines
    - Innovation Platforms
    - Ab Initio Calculation
      - Thermodynamic Characterisitcs of Solid-State Materials
    - Low Emission Combustion
    - Algorithm Development
    - High Temperature Air Separation for Oxyfuel Combustion
    - Human Computer Interaction
    - Virtual Production Processes
  - Substitutable Forms of Energy
  - Tectonics and Sedimentation

The Project

This database was created as part of a cooperation project between the RWTH Aachen University and the Research Center Jülich. It provides comprehensive overview of the main research areas in energy of the two institutions.

Feedback

For questions and feedback please contact: contact@energylandscape.rwth-aachen.de

JARA Energy

JARA Energy is a research initiative between the RWTH Aachen University and Research Center Jülich. The research activities of JARA-ENERGY are grouped along the energy value-added chain and can be broken down into Energy management and system analysis as well as materials and production technologies as cross-sectional topics and energy and sources, energy conversion, transport and networks, storage and mobility. Currently, there are about 50 members who participate actively in the interdisciplinary research of cooperative solutions for tomorrows energy supply.