Studies of electrical engineering and information technology at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) with a specialization in automation and information. Practical work in the pre-development sector of Siemens AG in the area of sensor technology. In 2014, master’s thesis on the design of an optimal control for dynamic connection of lithium-ion energy storage systems at the Institute of Control Systems (IRS). Since December 2015, member of the scientific staff of the FZI Research Center for Information Technology of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) in the area of embedded systems and sensors engineering (ESS).

Development and investigation of approaches to decentralized onboard power management

The electronic architecture of modern vehicles consists of a number of control units with various tasks. Two types of tasks can be distinguished. The first is the diagnosis of the current state of the vehicle and the environment with the help of the sensor and status signals available. The second type of tasks includes specific activation of the electronic and mechatronic components in the vehicle for smooth operation of all systems and, hence, safe driving operation.

Voltage stabilization of the onboard power grid is a central task of the control units. It requires close interaction of the diagnosis of voltage and the specific activation of power supply and consumers in the onboard power grid. This interaction is controlled by a central onboard power management system that uses the data of all control units in order to derive measures to stabilize the different voltage levels.

Research is aimed at developing and studying decentralized approaches to voltage stabilization in the distributed control units of the onboard power grid. The advantages of decentralized approaches are enhanced flexibility and easier maintenance of the power grid as well as the reduction of the susceptibility to failure due to redundant decentralized voltage stabilization. First, a model of the onboard power grid is generated. This model does not only consider the electronic and mechatronic consumers, but also the structure of activation by the distributed control units and communication between the control units. Then, the onboard power grid model is used to study decentralized strategies for voltage stabilization by management of energy sources and consumers in the grid. In addition, distributed energy sources in the onboard power grid and their decentralized management are studied.