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PCIM Podcast episode 6, November 2023

„The role of high-power converters in efficient and stable smart grids“ with Prof. Dr.-Ing. Marco Liserre from Kiel University

1 Nov 2023

The design and deployment of power converters are essential for the efficiency and smooth operation of modern smart grids. In episode 6 of the PCIM Podcast, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Marco Liserre, Chair of Power Electronics, Kiel University, and the new host David Hegarty talk about the role of power converters in so many parts of the modern grid.

Widespread use means efficiency makes a huge difference. Modular topologies can be tweaked to push this efficiency and reduce the effects of passive components. Central to this achieving this potential is the use of digital twins, and power-hardware-in-the-loop to enable the synergetic design and prototyping of effective modulation and control – which apart from boosting efficiencies can also improve the handling of faults at the component and system levels.

While this has long been obvious for wind and photovoltaic generation, the spread of charging stations has also created new infrastructure challenges, where smart power converters can play an essential role in grid-forming and -management, contributing to the stability of the whole system.

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Prof. Dr.-Ing. Marco Liserre, Head of the Chair of Power Electronicsat Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel, Germany
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Marco Liserre, Head of the Chair of Power Electronics at Kiel University, Germany

Marco Liserre obtained the MSc and PhD degrees in Electrical Engineering from the Politecnico di Bari in 1998 and 2002 respectively. He has been Associate Professor at the Politecnico di Bari and, since 2012, Professor of Reliable Power Electronics at Aalborg University (Denmark). Since 2013 he is Full Professor and holds the Chair of Power Electronics at the Kiel University (Germany). He has been offered and declined professorships at several universities. He has published more than 700 technical papers (1/3 of them in international refereed journals), one book and 7 granted patents (4 with companies). These works have received more than 50,000 citations. Marco Liserre was selected as a Highly Cited Researcher in the field of Engineering (Clarivate Web of Science) from 2014 to 2021. Several of his students (MSc, PhD and post-docs) are in leading positions in industry and universities worldwide. In 2023, he joined the Fraunhofer ISIT on a part-time basis as deputy director and director of the new division "Electronic Energy Systems", as well as of the Kiel branch of the Fraunhofer ISIT.

He is a member of IAS, PELS, PES and IES. He has served all these societies in various capacities. In PELS, he is Co-Editor of the IEEE Open Access Journal in Power Electronics and Technical Committee Chairman of the Committee on Electronic Power Grid Systems. He has co-chaired several IEEE conferences being several times Chairman. He has received 16 awards from IEEE, PCIM and EPE-PEMC, including the prestigious 2018 IEEE-IES Mittelmann Achievement Award and the 2023 IEEE-PELS R. David Middlebrook Achievement Award. In 2023, he was awarded the title of "Ufficiale" by the President of the Italian Republic. In 2025 he will be Chairman of Powertech 2025 in Kiel.