Yanick Patrick Frei
Web site: Site web: https://pel.epfl.ch
Domaines de compétences
The Modular-Multilevel-Converter (MMC) is a converter design suitable for medium and high voltage. To reach the required blocking voltage, several cells or submodules (in a full-bridge or half-bridge configuration) are connected in series, but can be switched independently. As the resulting voltage will be formed by many small steps of the individual cell, the resulting waveform is very nice. The price to pay is the large required energy storage in each cell, as they have to buffer the second harmonic.
The MMC can be configured in two ways:
- An Indirect-MMC, where -- like in classical converters -- one AC system will first be converted into DC, to then do another conversion into AC with independent voltage and frequency. This requires six branches each, thus twelve in total.
- A Direct-MMC, where each phase of the first grid is connected to each phase of the second grid in a matrix-alike way over a branch, resulting in a total of nine branches.If any of the above mentioned sounds interesting for you, or just if have some question, feel free to get in touch with me.
Biographie
As the rest of the page focusses on my professional career, here is probably the right space to write a little about myself.I was born and raised up in the beautiful canton of Basel-Landschaft in Switzerland, where I stayed up to the tender age of 26. As I never really was abroad, I decided to do a Master in Stockholm. However, I missed Switzerland very much and decided therefore to come back, but the joy of getting to know a new culture and language pulled me into the yet unknown Romandie. So here I am right now, happily doing my Ph.D. in the Power Electronics Laboratory at EPFL.
In the little time I'm not working I can often be found outside, doing activities like hiking, running, biking, or just going to a nice place (there are so many of them). This is also why I was part of the local scouts group until I left to Sweden.
In the rare occasion that I am inside and not working, I follow some other hobbies as playing my bass guitar (along some rock or metal song) or cooking -- ideally for some friends, who will then even stay for some board games.
And now the even rarer occasion, when I'm neither working or at home nor outside doing something of the above-mentioned, I am probably on vacation. Doing Interrail is my favourite way to do so, following the motto the cheaper the place, the funnier the people.
What more is there to say... I love ice cream, but who doesn't. ;-)
Formation
Ph.D. (ongoing)
Power Electronics Laboratory
École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne
Oct 2021 - today
MSc
Electric Power Engineering
KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm
Sep 2019 - June 2021
BSc
Elektro- und Informationstechnik
Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz, Windisch
Sep 2014 - March 2018 (part time)
Professional Baccalaureate
Apprenticeship as Electrician
Gewerblich industrielle Berufsschule, Muttenz
Aug 2008 - June 2012