We focus on applied research and development involving power electronics systems, drive technology, embedded systems, and software.

The ELSYS Institute was founded in 2000. In August 2006, Prof. Norbert Graß (Faculty of Electrical Engineering) took over as head of the institute. As a result, the institute gained a new focus, specializing in power electronics and electrical energy technology. ELSYS currently employs 15 research staff, eight master’s students, and a team assistant. Numerous students are involved in the institute’s activities in accordance with their academic progress and their capabilities.

In 2007, ELSYS was designated a “Centre of Competence” in the European Centre of Power Electronics (ECPE) network. ELSYS is actively involved in the ECPE mission, which aims to increase Europe’s innovative strength, to maintain Europe’s leading position in key future research directions such as energy production, energy distribution, energy use, and energy saving, and to further build upon that position in order to boost the competitiveness of the European power electronics industry.

In 2008, Prof. Armin Dietz (Faculty of Electrical Engineering), whose research focuses on drive systems and energy efficiency, was secured as the new head of the ELSYS Institute; he also acts as chair of the drive systems group at Energie Campus Nürnberg, among other roles.

Research areas:

• Smart grids, voltage quality
• Electromobility, integration of electric vehicles into the grid
• Power electronic sources and loads
• Energy-efficient power converters and drive systems
• Energy management
• Data connection of power electronic systems
• Control and regulation via hardware and software
• Modelling and simulation of power electronic systems and drives
• Vibration analyses and techniques for active vibration damping