A breath of fresh air for the energy transition: innovations through superconductors!

A breath of fresh air for the energy transition: innovations through superconductors!

On April 1, 2025, Prof. Cezary Jędryczka accepted the first international visiting professorship at the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences (HSU). This professorship is filled by the Faculty of Electrical Engineering. Over the next six months, Jędryczka will conduct research together with the Professorship of Electrical Machines and Drive Systems under the direction of Prof. Christian Kreischer.

The professor's research focus is on the development of novel generators with superconducting field windings specifically for offshore wind turbines. His extensive biography shows an impressive career: from completing a master's degree in electrical engineering at the Poznan University of Technology (PUT) in 2005 to his habilitation in 2018 to the role as director of the Institute of Electrical Engineering and Electronics at PUT.

Research projects and collaborations

Prof. Jędryczka has been involved in numerous research and development projects, including EU-funded projects. His projects include the “New generation of energy-saving drives for fans and pumps for mining” and “Magnetic circuits with powder technology in universal electric drives”. He has also established close collaborations with renowned industry partners such as the Otis Elevator Company and UTC Research Center.

Central to the research goals is the development of a demonstrator for an optimized 10 MW full high-temperature superconducting (HTS) generator as part of the SupraGenSys 2 project. This project, in which Fraunhofer IEE is also involved, focuses on extensive calculations, design and construction of the subsystems for the generator. Findings from the design and operation of the demonstrator are integrated directly into the optimized generator design.

Fraunhofer IEE has defined specific subgoals, including testing the demonstrator in their laboratories and developing calculation tools for the electromagnetic design of fully superconducting machines. This demonstrator is being built in the institute's medium-voltage hardware-in-the-loop laboratory and aims to usher in a new era in the use of superconductors.

High temperature superconductors and their importance

The Congress on Energy Efficiency Research, which recently took place in Berlin, highlighted the role of high-temperature superconductors (HTS) in modern electrical engineering. Tabea Arndt, professor of superconducting magnet technologies at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, emphasized that HTS can transport large amounts of electricity with almost no loss. This makes them ideal for various applications including high voltage direct current transmission.

HTS also offer enormous energy and resource-saving advantages. They reduce the cooling effort compared to conventional low-temperature superconductors and are important building blocks for the circular economy. However, to promote the widespread use of HTS, education about new materials and their handling is necessary.

A newly introduced course at the university offers “Applied Superconductivity for Electrical Engineers” to prepare future engineers for the challenges and potential of superconductivity. Networking and communication among the players in high-temperature superconductivity are crucial to increasing energy efficiency, especially in the areas of wind energy and hydrogen.

The combination of academic expertise and industrial application promises a promising future for electrical engineering and energy efficiency in Germany.

Comprehensive cooperation between science and industry as well as continuous research in the field of high-temperature superconductors are necessary to strengthen innovative strength in this sector. The successes of current projects could be groundbreaking for future technologies and their application in energy supply.

HSU reports that Prof. Cezary Jędryczka plays a key role in the development of new technologies, while Fraunhofer IEE focuses on the technical aspects of the demonstrator. In addition, lifts Energy research highlights the importance of HTS for future energy applications.