Aalborg Power Group
Groundbreaking power modules for the green transition
Published online: 01.03.2024
Aalborg Power Group
Groundbreaking power modules for the green transition
Published online: 01.03.2024
Power modules are a fundamental building block in modern power electronics and a core component in the electrification of society. In the green transition, power modules are critical, especially in wind turbines and solar cell systems for converting power to the electricity grid and storing energy.
The demand for power modules is increasing rapidly as fossil fuels are to be replaced with green energy. They, therefore, play an important role in paving the way for a greener industry and an energy-efficient and decarbonized future.
FROM INCANDESCENT BULB TO LED IN POWER ELECTRONICS
Aalborg Power Group (APG), a spin-out from Aalborg University, develops power modules based on Silicon Carbide (SiC) and Gallium Nitride (GaN) materials, which provides extreme system advantages in the form of smaller size, higher efficiency, and less copper consumption.
The use of the new materials is comparable to the process of going from an incandescent bulb to a modern LED bulb in power electronics, however, it is not without difficulties to use the materials, which "behave" significantly differently from the standard material Silicon. APG has solved that problem.
On the basis of more than 11 years of research and world-class knowledge from AAU Energy at Aalborg University, APG develops a number of pioneering products in power electronics, which help both industry and society to achieve increased efficiency, a reduced climate footprint, and improved performance.
BASED ON A GRAND SOLUTIONS PROJECT
The basis for APG is the research project "MVolt", which is supported with a Grand Solutions grant of DKK 19 million from the Innovation Fund in the period 2020-2024. The project is led by Professor Stig Munk-Nielsen from AAU Energy together with a range of other researchers, including CEO of APG, Jannick Kjær Jørgensen. The goal of the MVolt project is to develop a new standard for power modules that can revolutionize the wind turbine industry.
For more than 30 years, wind turbines have used low voltage to produce power, but as the wind turbines have grown in size, the power cables have also grown in thickness to accommodate the enormous amounts of power being produced.
The solution can be found in medium voltage. By going from low voltage to medium voltage, the voltage in the wind turbines is increased by approximately 600% and together with power modules that allow a scalable power level, a number of factors can be positively affected - including the thickness of the cables, which is significantly reduced.
The results in the MVolt project have been a cornerstone in the development of APG's innovative power modules, which, in addition to wind turbine electronics, can also create value in the long term within e.g. industrial heating, electric ferry charging, and Power-to-X electronics.
THE COMMERCIALIZATION PROCESS
The AAU Technology Transfer Office has been part of the initial process of uncovering the potential for the technology, including IPR rights, preparing the business model, as well as preparing the Grand Solutions application and the consortium formation for the MVolt project, which, among other things, has formed the basis for APG.
In order to strengthen the research team towards the establishment of a spinout, Gert Spender from AAU Technology Transfer Office was deployed as a business developer to support the team formation and further development of the business model. As part of the business model, investor Morten Lindblad was put in contact with Professor Stig Munk-Nielsen and CEO Jannick Kjær Jørgensen. Morten Lindblad later became chairman of the board and together they founded APG in December 2022.