The importance of energy research for Leibniz Universität Hannover is underlined by the establishment of major research infrastructures in the various focus areas, which are presented below.
Research Facilities
The Dynamics of Energy Conversion (DEW) research building combines the research infrastructures of various institutes on the mechanical engineering campus in Garbsen. It is home to various turbomachinery and power plant test benches for the detailed investigation of important effects and interactions in the context of mechanical, thermal and chemical energy conversion and was inaugurated in 2019. In addition to the research building, the research association of the same name bundles the programmatic orientation of interdisciplinary research with partners from all faculties of the university as well as EFZN partners.
The test center is used intensively in research projects for testing large structural components of onshore and offshore wind turbines under multi-axial stress conditions. In addition, a generator converter test rig was realized with the GeCoLab through BMWi funding, which enables investigations into the stationary and dynamic properties of electrical machines and converters, including converter-machine interactions.
The GWK wave current flume at the Leibniz Universität Hannover site in Marienwerder is operated jointly with the Technische Universität Braunschweig. In recent years, it has been completely renovated and extensively expanded to create a wave current flume (GWK+). At 300 m long, 5 m wide and 7 m deep, it is one of the largest wave channels in the world, and the expansion also allows for currents.
Selected laboratory infrastructures at the institutes
The Institute for Drive Systems and Power Electronics has a laboratory area of approx. 700 m2 with power supplies of up to 200 kVA per workstation and up to 850 kVA in total. Various test facilities are available for research into motors and inverters. A direct current feed with up to 440 V and 90 kW. Load test benches for electrical machines and power electronics with outputs of up to 90 kW. A water cooling system with 10 KW cooling capacity, temperature range from -5 to +80°C.
The Institute for Solar Research in Hamelin has a variety of infrastructures for solar energy research. The SolarTeC is an infrastructure for processing large-area solar cells in a production-related environment on industry-relevant systems. Further facilities are available for research and testing in the field of solar thermal energy. There are also experimental roof and façade areas. Extensive measurement technology enables the characterization of solar cells.
The Schering Institute (Department of High Voltage Technology) has a laboratory area of around 1,000 m2, including the high-voltage hall with approx. 600 m2.
- Testing facilities for 800 kV AC voltage, 700 kV DC voltage and 2,500 kV impulse voltage
- Ageing tests on insulation systems at temperatures of up to 230 °C including mechanical stresses (vibrating table) at room temperature
- Various endurance test rigs for ageing times of up to 5,000 hours with simultaneous thermal and electrical stresses
The Institute for Technical Combustion has 6 test benches for engines and gas engines, which can be used for research into increasing the efficiency of vehicles, commercial vehicles and stationary engine applications. These include various devices such as an optically accessible test engine, injection test benches and combustion laboratories.
The Institute of Machine Design and Tribology (IMKT) operates a wide range of performance and efficiency test benches for transmissions (torque up to 300 Nm, speed up to 8000 rpm) as well as functional, friction and durability test benches for drive components on 800 m² of test space for researching automotive drivetrains. A new type of drivetrain test bench with two separately temperature-controlled 100 kW machines for battery electric traction drives and component test benches for the experimental analysis of the influence of damaging current passages on tribologically stressed drive components are used for special issues in the field of electromobility.
More research infrastructures related to the key research area
The Laboratory for Nano and Quantum Engineering (LNQE) is an interdisciplinary research center at Leibniz Universität Hannover in the field of nanotechnology. The Institute of Electronic Materials and Devices and the Institute of Solar Research work closely with the LNQE. The LNQE operates its own research building. This means that extensive equipment is available in the laboratories, in particular a 500 m² clean room line for the production of silicon-based components, structural diagnostic techniques and measuring stations for the characterization of semiconductor materials and components as well as facilities for molecular beam epitaxy.
