Magazine

Fraunhofer IFAM is pursuing two focal points in the field of electric drives: Firstly, the transformation of development processes and secondly, manufacturing innovations for electric drives.

As part of the joint project “TrustME” – “TRUSTworthy AI for Manufacturing and Engineering Processes” – the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials IFAM in Stade, Germany, together with project partners, is developing certifiable artificial intelligence (AI) solutions for aircraft production.

The ODCC — Offshore Drone Campus Cuxhaven — is a location for the joint application-oriented development and testing of offshore UAS (Unmanned Aircraft Systems) and their operational concepts. The focus of Fraunhofer IFAM is on questions of maintenance and inspection, as well as monitoring of important maritime structures including regulatory framework conditions.

CHARGING MANAGEMENT FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLE FLEETS - SOLVER-BASED, CUSTOMIZED AND COST-EFFICIENT | The experts in the "Research Data" unit at Fraunhofer IFAM use a specifically developed simulation environment to determine the most cost-effective solutions for operating electric fleets on site for individual scenarios.

ELECTRIC CARS AS ROLLING CHARGING STATIONS: In the "ROLLEN" research project, Fraunhofer IFAM and its partners have shown how electric vehicles with bi-directional charging technology can store surplus energy from photovoltaic systems and pass it on in a targeted manner - to buildings, other electric vehicles or even to the public power grid.

ELECTROCHEMICAL RECOVERY OF CRITICAL RAW MATERIALS FROM WASTEWATER | The efficient recovery of critical raw materials from batteries and production waste is a major challenge for the modern battery industry. In the MeGaBat project, we are developing a sustainable, cost-effective, and low-emission technology for the electrochemical recovery of lithium, cobalt, and other critical raw materials from aqueous sources (wastewater) to solid production waste. Our goal: to establish a flexible, scalable process that advances the circular economy in the battery industry and contributes new concepts for the further development of urban mining.

EFFICIENT COOLING FOR HIGH-SPEED DRIVES | Fuel cell systems place high demands on air path components, as a reliable supply of oxygen to the stack is critical to performance. Electric air compressors, in particular, must reach high speeds, which leads to significant heat generation and can affect the system’s efficiency and service life. At Fraunhofer IFAM, an electric air compressor with integrated internal liquid cooling was therefore developed. Thanks to a specifically designed cooling system, the heat generated can be dissipated directly in the rotor via the shaft, thereby avoiding critical temperature ranges. The goal is to significantly increase the power density and reliability of fuel cell systems while ensuring safe operation at high speeds.

With the UAS L USSP HB project, a prototype system for a future U Space Service Provider (USSP) is being developed in Bremen. As a central entity, the USSP enables the safe and efficient integration of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) into existing air traffic in accordance with EU Regulations 2019/945, 2019/947, and 2021/664. The goal of the project is to prepare the UAS Control Center Bremen for certification readiness.