PDEng Design Project - Design and Realization of the Electronics for a PV Tile based Energy System

Background of this project is a PV roof tile that has a wireless connection for power transfer to the underlying roof lath (batten). This tile has been developed by the company and consists of a roof tile with PV cells, and electronics and one half of a transformer. The other half of the transformer is envisaged to be mounted on the roof lath, which should also contain the auxiliary electronics. The purpose of the project is to design the electronics for both the tile and the auxiliary electronics.

The basic working principle of the power converter and transformer are known. The purpose of this project is to design the overall system of tile + roof lath electronics to be integrated in an overall PV infrastructure solution.

Some of the main design challenges are:

• Lifetime. A PV solution should function reliable for decades, especially the parts that are difficult to replace. The challenge here is aging in the presence of large temperature and humidity cycles. The lifetime analysis might have implications on the system partitioning regarding the placement and connection of electronic (sub) systems in either the roof tile or the roof.
• EMI. The aim is to have one DC/DC converter per roof tile. Both the integrated transformer and the circuits are sources of EMI. The cumulative EMI must be kept within regulatory limits.
• Electronic and mechanical integration. This involves the design of the transformer and the integration of auxiliary functions such as maximum power point tracking (MPPT), safety features and monitoring. Additionally, the design must be developed in close cooperation with another PDEng who focuses on making the system suitable for mass production and developing a concept design for a manufacturing system.

We are searching for the best MSc graduated candidates (or graduates with several years of experience) in the field of Electrical Engineering. Candidates should have experience with the practical realization of electronic circuits and a demonstrable affinity with design and multidisciplinary assignments. Besides, you must have the ambition and talent to accelerate in finding solutions / creating designs for complex technological issues with a multidisciplinary character. Important professional skills are communication and interpersonal skills, teamwork, initiative and self-reflection. Candidates with a non-Dutch qualification and who have not had secondary and tertiary education in English can only be admitted with an IELTS-test showing a total band score of at least 6.5, internet TOEFL test (TOEFL-iBT) showing a score of at least 90, or a Cambridge CAE-C (CPE).

An interview will be part of the selection procedure.

Application
Please send your letter of motivation, with a curriculum vitae, a list with grades of courses attended, references and, if applicable, a list of publications before 01-12-2017 through the link below.

Contact information
If you have any further questions about this vacancy of the PDEng programme in Energy & Process Technology, please contact dr. Ronan van der Zee:

• Email: ronan.vanderzee@utwente.nl
• Telephone: +31 53 489 3804
• General information about PDEng programmes you can find at our website.

We offer a contract for 24 months. During these two years you follow a tailor made post-master design programme with a combination of education (~50%) and working on a design project (~50%). The salary will be € 1.828 gross per month. Additionally, the University of Twente provides excellent facilities for professional and personal development, a holiday allowance and an end-of-year bonus.

On successfully completing the programme, you will receive a certified degree. You will be entitled to use the academic degree Professional Doctorate in Engineering (PDEng) and will be registered as a Technological Designer in the Dutch register kept by the Royal Institution of Engineers in the Netherlands (KIVI). 

The University of Twente. We stand for life sciences and technology. High tech and human touch. Education and research that matter. New technology which leads change, innovation and progress in society. The University of Twente is the only campus university of the Netherlands; divided over five faculties we provide more than fifty educational programmes. We have a strong focus on personal development and talented researchers are given scope for carrying out groundbreaking research.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status or disability status. Because of our diversity values we do particularly support women to apply.

The faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science (EEMCS) comprises three disciplines that shape Information and Communication Technology. ICT is more than communication. In almost every product we use mathematics, electronics and computer technology and ICT now contributes to all of societies' activities. The faculty works together intensively with industrial partners and researchers in the Netherlands and abroad and conducts extensive research for external commissioning parties and funders. The research which enjoys a high profile both at home and internationally, has been accommodated in the multidisciplinary research institutes MESA+, CTIT and MIRA.