Fraunhofer-GesellschaftA new generation of DC/DC converters
Fuel cells play a key role in the transition to renewables in power and mobility. But the energy efficiency of these cells poses a major challenge, particularly in automotive engineering. The individual components need to be as light and small as possible, yet attain a high efficiency factor. One such component is the DC/DC converter that modulates the fuel cell’s voltage to suit the drive and controls the flow of energy. Conventional wisdom held that it would be impossible to develop a smaller yet more efficient converter. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Systems and Device Technology IISB defied that convention, making the impossible possible by developing a new generation of DC/DC converters that meet precisely these requirements. This stride into the future has won the researchers the Joseph von Fraunhofer Prize.