The Windy Cities doctoral program

The Windy Cities doctoral program was set up in 2016 as a cooperation between the University of Stuttgart, the Stuttgart University of Applied Sciences and the Esslingen University of Applied Sciences. It is funded by the Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts Baden-Württemberg and involved 12 doctoral international students from different areas of expertise – chemistry, aerodynamics, urban planning and visualization, data science, electronics, etc. At the beginning of the program, the main representative person for the doctoral program was Prof. Dr. Bernd Plietker from the University of Stuttgart, however in 2020 we was replaced by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Elias Klemm from the University of Stuttgart. The supervising professor at Esslingen University is Prof. Dr.-Ing. Martin Neuburger from the Mechatronics and Electrical Engineering Faculty of the Göppingen campus. At the moment, the term of the program is coming to an end and most of the doctorates are close to completion or have completed their work - scheduled end of the program is planned for the end of 2021.

People to contact:

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Martin Neuburger

Stanislav Piriienko

Further information about the project

To the homepage of the doctoral research group

The doctoral group studies the use of small-scale wind turbines in urban areas in order to provide a decentralized energy generation and supply, as well as possible economical and technical benefits associated with it. Research topics also include the development of chemical energy storage devices for operation as part of wind generator’s systems in urban electrical grids, as well as the study of the intensity and profiles of winds in urban conditions with possible landscape planning to enhance the efficiency of systems.

The doctoral student and representative of the Esslingen University of Applied Sciences – Stanislav Piriienko has been working in research group since November 2018. His task and topic of thesis consists in the optimization of power electronics, used in the small-scale wind turbines (SSWT) and additional equipment such as battery storages and grid inverters. Mr. Piriienko designed a structural simulation model of the SSWT grid connected system. Influence of the used components, control strategies, types of generators, power electronic topologies can be evaluated by using this model for given wind speed profiles. The results of modeling are verified by measurements from real built prototypes (electrical machines installed on appropriate test benches; prototypes of inverters using different types of semiconductors, new gate drivers; control strategies, etc.).

His work also includes the development, application and validation of new, potentially effective power electronics solutions (new topologies or schematic solutions) for small wind turbines. In the framework of cooperation between the Esslingen University of Applied Sciences and the University of Auckland (New Zealand), a potentially new scheme for wireless transmission of energy from the nacelle to the tower was developed. As well as, a new gate driving circuits and their influence on overall system’s efficiency have been tested.

Further information (in German)