Request for Proposals (RFP)

(Updated on March 1, 2023)

The 2023 International Future

Energy Challenge (IFEC2023)
http://energychallenge.weebly.com/ifec-2023.html

A student competition sponsored by the

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
July 2023

Final Round at:

Leibniz University Hannover, Germany
 IFEC2023 - The 2023 International Future Energy Challenge

IFEC2023 Organizing Committee and Time Schedule

Organizing Committee
General Chair: General Co-chair:
Jens Friebe, Axel Mertens,
Leibniz University Hannover Leibniz University Hannover

Technical Chair: Finance Chair:

Regine Mallwitz, Ching-Jan Chen,
Technische Universität Braunschweig National Taiwan University

Publicity Chair: Administrative Chair:

Benjamin Sahan, Pramod Apte,
Hochschule Hannover Leibniz University Hannover

Steering Committee Chair:

Giri Venkataramanan,
University of Wisconsin-Madison

Time Schedule

Aug. 17, 2022 Final rules announcement

Sep. 08, 2022 EPE 2022, Hanover – Q&A session (Hybrid)

Sept. 30, 2022 Letter of intent deadline

Nov. 13, 2022 Proposal deadline

Nov. 25, 2022 Notification of acceptance

Workshop at APEC 2023 (accepted teams present their

Mar. 19-23, 2023
results)

Mar. 31, 2023 Notification of final teams

July. 26-28, 2023 Final competition

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IFEC Introduction

Scope
An international student competition for innovation, conservation, and effective use of
electrical energy. The competition is open to college and university student teams from
recognized engineering programs in any location. Participation is on a proposal basis.

Introduction
In 2001, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), in partnership with the National
Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO), the Institute of Electrical and Electronics
Engineers (IEEE), the Department of Defense (DOD), and other sponsors, organized the
first Future Energy Challenge competition. The objective was to build prototype, low-cost
inverters to support fuel cell power systems. This competition was originally open to
schools in north America with accredited engineering programs. The 2001 Future Energy
Challenge focused on the emerging field of distributed electricity generation systems,
seeking to dramatically improve the design, reduce the cost of DC-AC inverters, and
interface systems for use in distributed generation systems. The objectives were to design
elegant, manufactural systems that would reduce the costs of commercial interface
systems by at least 50% and, thereby, accelerate the deployment of distributed generation
systems in homes and buildings. Final events were conducted at the National Energy
Technology Laboratory (NETL) in Morgantown, WV, USA.

With additional of international teams, there have been many successful International
Future Energy Challenges (IFECs) along the years. To continue and expand the success
of many IFECs, the 2023 International Future Energy Challenge (IFEC) will be organized
with the topic ‘Single-Phase Solid-State Transformer’. In the 2023 IFEC, the participating
teams must design a solid-state transformer that interfaces low voltage grids with loads
while providing galvanic isolation.

Awards and Financial Support

There will be a Grand Prize of $10,000 and three additional awards granted at $5,000,
$3000 and $1,000 each. The detailed technical specification of the 2023 competition is
listed in the following page. A travel support of $1000 for teams with a distance less than
5000 km and $2000 for distance of 5000 km and above will be provided, which is
applicable for the final competition.

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IFEC2023 Topic: Single-Phase Solid-State Transformer

Background of the Topic
Transformers are used to change AC voltage levels while providing galvanic isolation. Low
frequency transformers (LFT) have been essential in the transmission, distribution, and
utilization of alternating current electric power. Even in low power applications in industries
where galvanic isolation is required, conventional transformers are used. The galvanic
isolation enables to adapt the network form on the secondary side of the transformer to the
customer's specific requirements. Since these must be designed for 50 or 60 Hz for grid
operation, the dimensions of the transformer are very large compared to the rest of the
electronics. The transformers are passive, have high partial load losses and consist of a
large mass of raw materials. Additionally, the transformers cannot be used directly in DC
grids. Tap-changers are the only feature of the transformer capable of altering its output
voltage.
With the advent of semiconductor technologies, solid-state transformers (SST) are being
built to overcome the disadvantages of traditional converters. There has been a lot of
research on SSTs connecting medium voltage with low voltage grids. In most of the SST
topologies, the mains voltage is first rectified and then fed to a high-frequency transformer
using a DC/AC converter. The signal is then rectified again. It is then fed to a DC/AC
inverter to supply AC loads or used directly to supply DC loads. The advantage is the
smaller volume of the transformer due to the higher frequency of operation. This then has
to be weighed against the additional power electronics required. In the end, the goal is to
have a smaller volume and competitive efficiency compared to the conventional method.
These objectives are also useful to be achieved in relative low power, low voltage to low
voltage SST applications.
An important feature of the SSTs is better response to variations in parameters like input
voltage and frequency as well as output load. Also, the capability to supply isolated DC
loads directly through the DC-link is useful for certain industry applications. For many
applications, the advantages of a SST over a traditional LFT far outweigh the drawbacks.
To further this topic, this year’s IFEC competition focuses on the development of low
power low voltage to low voltage SST. A 230V, 50 Hz grid is to be interfaced with a local
230 V, 50 Hz AC bus with galvanic isolation. An additional 400 V DC output from the DC-
link to supply DC loads is encouraged but not mandated. The development of wide band
gap (WBG) devices offers lower semiconductor losses enabling the use of higher
switching frequencies. These higher frequencies result is smaller transformers as well as
lower ripple currents. The development of the SST hardware using innovative topological
solutions is the crux of the competition. Safe, robust and efficient performance of the SST
are the primary requirements. The advanced features include accommodating wide-input
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voltage range as well as bidirectional power transfer capability.

Technical Reference Material

This document is intended to provide an overview of the technical requirements for the
design, realization and testing of the prototype of a SST. The document is intended to be a
frame of reference for the competing teams to stay within a set of common guidelines and
use their creative and innovative skills to meet the challenge. It is a dynamic document
that will be updated when new questions arise, and we develop additional guidelines. All
updates will be posted on the website for the competition. Feel free to ask any questions
to the technical team who can provide clarifications at IFEC2023@ial.uni-hannover.de.

Detailed Specification of the Solid-State Transformer

The proposed solid-state transformer will be judged against a set of objectives,

requirements and characteristics given below.

1. Input voltage:
a. 1-Φ 230 V 50 Hz
b. 1-Φ 400 V 50 Hz AC (optional, will not be tested in the finals)
c. 1-Φ 120 V 60 Hz (optional, will not be tested in the finals)
2. Output rated voltage: 1-Φ 230 V (-10% / +6%) 50 Hz, total harmonic distortion
(THD) < 5% for voltage and current (both input and output currents) at rated power
3. Output rated power, Pout = 600 W, resistive or RL load (Max 45° Phase at 600VA)
4. Efficiency: >95% at 600 W and >94% at 300 W
5. Weight: less than 1.5 kg
6. Power density: No specific requirements. When all the basic capabilities are
fulfilled, the converter with the best power density and efficiency will win. In case

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there is no closed structure, the volume will be calculated using the farthest points
of length, width and height of the complete prototype.
7. Galvanic isolation required – 3 kV isolation across input and output AC voltages
8. Modular or scalable circuit topologies are highly encouraged
9. Manufacturing cost: for the 600 W design in high-volume production (e.g. 1000
pieces), cost of one piece needs be less than $200, which includes the heatsink,
control and auxiliary circuits. A brief cost analysis in the report is required.

Basic Capabilities of SST

These are the features of the SST that are necessary for the SST prototypes built
by all the teams.
1. Steady-state power transfer of 0 to 600 W at input voltage of 230 V and output
voltage of 230 V.
2. Over-voltage protection (OVP): Vout,trip > 250 V
3. Start-up procedure:
a. Gradually increasing the input voltage using a variable transformer
b. Direct switch to 230 V grid connection.
The start-up should not lead to over-voltage above 250 V at the output under any
circumstances. The tests will be performed at no load AND full load.
4. Output voltage control with respect to input voltage variation (230 V ± 30 V)
5. Output voltage control with step load change from 600 W to 300 W.
6. Isolation voltage of 3 kV – High pot test

Advanced capabilities:
- Steady-state power transfer of 0-600 W at input voltage of 400 V and output
voltage of 230 V. (Reasonable derating allowed, but will be compared against other
teams)
- Steady-state power transfer of 0-600 W at input voltage of 120 V and output
voltage of 230 V. (Reasonable derating allowed, but will be compared against other
teams)
- Steady-state output AC power transfer of 300 W and DC power of 300 W (at 400V
DC) (can be varied) at input voltage of 230 V. (Reasonable derating allowed, but

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will be compared against other teams)

- Autonomous control of the SST (no external communication)
- Bi-directional power transfer (input and output reversed for testing)

Test Criteria
***Only the basic capabilities will be tested in the final round of IFEC. The advanced
capabilities will only be tested in case of tie-breaks OR based on the decisions made after
the semi-finals at APEC. It is up to the teams how they wish to approach the design in
terms of proposals and final hardware. Innovative solutions that can fulfill advanced
capabilities at the proposal level will be highly appreciated.

Competition and Proposal Requirements

Competition Title
The 2023 International Future Energy Challenge (IFEC2023) Student Competition

Topic
Single-Phase Solid-State Transformer

Period of Competition
September, 2022 to July, 2023

Challenge Program Awards

A Grand Prize of $10,000 and three additional awards granted at $5,000, $3000 and
$1,000 each.

Prize Requirements
US$10,000 will be awarded as Grand Prize for the highest score among entries in each
topic area meeting all minimum requirements as confirmed through reports and hardware
tests. The remaining prizes will be awarded to the teams according to the highest scores
in other aspects/categories, e.g., Best Hardware Design and Best Technical Report.

Intellectual Property and Use of Prize Money

The International Future Energy Challenge (IFEC) does not restrict the use or protection
of inventions or other intellectual property produced by participating teams. There are no
special licenses or rights required by the sponsors. However, the Final Test Events in
July 2023 will include public disclosure of each team’s technology. Teams interested in
securing protection for their inventions should be aware of this date when planning.
The prizes provided to schools are intended to benefit the team members and the design
project activities. A Letter of Support (Attachment II) is required for submission with the

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proposal and it should outline the plans of the school in the event that a prize is received.

External Support
Individual schools should solicit project funding from companies, foundations, utilities,
manufacturers, government agencies, or other sources. There is no limitation for the
sources of project funding.
Eligibility Information
▪ Eligible schools must have an accredited or similarly officially recognized engineering
program (through the Accreditation Board for Engineering Technology (ABET) or
equivalent); be a college or university with engineering curricula leading to a full first
degree or higher; have the support of the school’s administration; establish a team of
student engineers with an identified faculty advisor; demonstrate the necessary faculty
and financial support commitments; and demonstrate a strong commitment to
undergraduate engineering education through their proposal.
▪ University Eligibility Limit: Each university campus is limited to support only one
team.
To confirm eligibility, potential participating schools must submit a Letter of Intention
(Attachment I) by September 30, 2022, to IFEC2023@ial.uni-hannover.de and submit a
Letter of Support (Attachment II) with the project proposal by Nov 13, 2022, to
IFEC2023@ial.uni-hannover.de
▪ For each team, the minimum undergraduate student number is three to qualify for the
competition. Graduate students can only participate as graduate advisors. Up to two
graduate students are allowed per team.

How to Participate
Participation is on a proposal basis. Interested universities must submit a proposal before
the proposal deadline. Proposals will be judged by a distinguished panel of volunteer
experts from the IEEE and the industry. Schools with successful proposals will be notified
one month after the proposal deadline. Student teams will then carry out the work and
prepare hardware prototypes and reports. Deadline for the qualification reports is also
listed in the attachment and will be posted on the IFEC website. The reports will be
judged by a similar expert panel. All teams are invited to present their progress during the
workshop on APEC, 2023. Afterwards, feedback will be given to the team. Up to 10
project teams will be invited to the final competition at Hanover in July 2023. A final report
will be due at the competition event.

Judging Panels
Experts from IEEE Power Electronics Society (and others to be announced) and
representatives from manufacturers, national labs, independent test labs, utilities, and
R&D engineers.
Judging
Judging score schemes will be set up mainly based on robust operation of the SST,
system efficiency and power density. The advanced features of the converter are

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considered after successful operation of basic features of the SST. Adoption of wide
bandgap devices in innovative circuit topologies to achieve higher efficiency and size
reduction is highly encouraged.

Proposals
Proposals will be judged on the quality of plans, the likelihood that a team will be
successful in meeting the IFEC2023 objectives, technical and production feasibility and
degree of innovation. Other key criteria are evidence of the school’s commitment,
capability, experience, and resources to implement their design over the one-year span of
the competition. Commitment to excellence in undergraduate education is important, and
acceptable proposals will involve undergraduate students as the primary team members.
For each team, the minimum undergraduate student number is three to qualify for the
competition. Interdisciplinary teams are encouraged. Graduate students are not excluded
but are limited to graduate advisor role in the team. The upper limit of graduate student
participants is two for each team.

The impact on undergraduate education is a critical judging criterion. Proposals are

limited to 12 double-spaced pages total, including all diagrams, attachments, and
appendixes. Schools that are invited to participate in the IFEC2023 are expected to
adhere to the basic plans described in their proposals. Approval of the competition
organizers must be sought for significant changes in plans or engineering designs. Only one
proposal will be considered for each school. Proposals must be submitted electronically in
PDF format.

Proposal Objectives
Respondents should express their ideas and plans relevant to the competition topic area.
The project should include the construction and operation of a complete hardware
prototype. The proposal must address both technical and organizational issues for each
phase of the prototype’s development and testing. It must contain a realistic project
budget, along with a plan to secure the necessary funding. The educational goals,
including any course credit provided for work related to the 2023 International Future
Energy Challenge, and how the project relates to other efforts within the school and at
the regional or national level should be addressed. A Letter of Support from an official of
the school confirming a commitment to participate in the competition and stating the
type(s) and level of support for the team’s participation in the competition should be
attached, and is not counted toward the 12-page limit.

Administrative Considerations and Limitations

This section describes the limitations placed on the proposal. Compliance is mandatory.

Language Proposals must be written in English.

Length Proposals are limited to 12 single-sided double-spaced pages of
text, figures, and appendixes. The page size must be 8.5" x 11"
or A4 and the font size must be no smaller than 10 point.

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Margins should be at least 25 mm. The Preliminary Team

Information Form (Attachment I in this RFP), Support Letter
(Attachment II in this RFP) from the school, government entities,
or private sector organizations will not count in the proposal
length.
Authors Proposals are to be prepared by the student team in
collaboration with the faculty advisors.
Signatures Proposals must be signed by all authors of the proposal (or
the student team leader) and the faculty advisor.
Letter of Support Proposals must be accompanied by a letter of support from an
appropriate Dean, Department Chair, or other authorized school
official. The letter must confirm the school’s commitment to
participate. It must also state the type(s) and value of support
from the institution. School support should match the value of
cash and in-kind support from the team's principal sponsors.
Additional letters of support from other team sponsors are
optional. A sample letter is provided as Attachment II
Preliminary Team Submit one copy of the Preliminary Team Information Form
Data (Attachment I) with the proposal, then an updated copy with the
progress reports to the address below. This form does not count
in the 12-page limit.
Due Date All proposals must be received by close of business on
November 13, 2022 for full consideration.
Proposal The electronic copy of the proposal in PDF format must be sent
Submission to IFEC2023@ial.uni-hannover.de by e-mail, with a copy to the
IFEC2023 chairs.
General Chair:
Jens Friebe,
Institute for Drive Systems and Power Electronics,
Leibniz University Hannover,
Welfengarten 1, Hannover 30167
Email: friebe@ial.uni-hannover.de

General Co-Chair:
Axel Mertens
Institute for Drive Systems and Power Electronics,
Leibniz University Hannover,
Welfengarten 1, Hannover 30167
Email: mertens@ial.uni-hannover.de

Information The Organizing Committee of IFEC2023 maintains the website

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at http://energychallenge.weebly.com/. The site will include the

most recent schedule and rule updates, frequency-asked
questions, details about judging and scoring, and other teams’
information. It should be checked regularly.
Contact email IFEC2023@ial.uni-hannover.de

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ATTACHMENT I

2023 INTERNATIONAL FUTURE ENERGY CHALLENGE

LETTER OF INTENTION

To be submitted by September 15, 2022

NAME OF UNIVERSITY:

CORRESPONDING ADDRESS (PLEASE INCLUDE NAME):

TELPHONE:
FAX:
EMAIL:

FACULTY ADVISOR(S):
Name Department E-Mail

PRELIMINARY TEAM MEMBERS:

Name Major Field of Study Degree and Expected
Graduation Date
 IFEC2023 - The 2023 International Future Energy Challenge

ATTACHMENT II
LETTER OF SUPPORT
Submit with Proposal

To be submitted by November 13, 2022

[The letter below is an example, which should not be simply copied. Please send a
letter with similar content on your university letterhead.]

Jens Friebe,
Institute for Drive Systems and Power Electronics,
Leibniz University Hannover,
Welfengarten 1, Hannover 30167

Dear IFEC2023 General Chair,

Our university has organized a student team to participate in the 2023 International Future
Energy Challenge. Our proposal is enclosed. A Preliminary Team Participation Form is
attached, listing our contact person, the faculty advisor(s), and some of the students who
plan to be involved. The team will keep an eye on the Energy Challenge web site for
detailed rules and other information. We understand that we will be notified whether we
have been accepted to participate by November 25, 2022. If we are accepted, we agree to
have our student team perform the design tasks and prepare the reports and hardware
prototypes required for the competition. Our school is prepared to support the team with
the following resources:
▪ A final year project course, XXX, has been authorized to provide engineering
students across several disciplines with the opportunity to include this project in their
curricula. Laboratory space has been arranged for this course.
▪ A faculty advisor, Prof. XXX, has been identified, and has been formally assigned to
teach the project course and to advise the student team as a portion of his/her
regular duties.
▪ A graduate advisor has been identified to help manage the student team and to
supervise direct laboratory activity. This student is supported with a Teaching
Assistantship, which represents a funding commitment of our university of
approximately $X.
▪ The student team will be provided with an appropriate level of technician and
machine shop support to assist them with package preparation and assembly. This
assistance represents a funding commitment of approximately $X, and we consider
this as a matching commitment for any in-kind support received from external
sponsors.
▪ In addition, we will provide limited funds to help secure special parts and equipment,
with a total commitment of up to $X.
▪ The student team will be encouraged to secure outside sponsorship. Our university
 IFEC2023 - The 2023 International Future Energy Challenge

strongly supports all these efforts, and will match any outside cash support 1:1 up to
an additional total of $X.
In the event that our school receives prizes from the competition, we are committed to
using approximately X% of this money for scholarships for the student team members. The
remainder of the funds will be added to our Team Design Program fund, which supports
this and similar projects through sponsorship matching, travel funds for participation in
competition events, and other direct costs of large team design projects. In the event that
our team creates new inventions in the topic area, our university also provides the
possibility of assisting with organization of a start-up company.
We understand the importance of student team projects in the engineering curriculum and
look forward to our participation in the 2023 International Future Energy Challenge.

Sincerely,

(Head of Department, Dean of Engineering or similar school official)

 IFEC2023 - The 2023 International Future Energy Challenge

Additional information about our new sponsor – Frenetic

Frenetic, the Spanish start-up aimed at changing the Power Electronics industry, is a new
sponsor of the IEEE IFEC 23.
Frenetic supports the competition by providing the semi-finalist teams with a free access to
their software for the simulation, design and production of magnetic components. Frenetic
Online is a web-based platform that enables the users to compare millions of different
possibilities for their magnetic components in just a few seconds and with the highest
accuracy, as well as an automatic connection with samples and mass production units
delivered in just a few weeks.
At the beginning of December, the selected teams will receive an introductory training to
the platform from Frenetic Power Electronic Engineers, that will guide them through all the
features that the software offers. Between December and January, the teams will have an
8-week free access to Frenetic Online, for the development of their magnetic components
design. Frenetic will also provide the semi-finalists with the possibility to request a sample
of their prototypes, in order to test their solutions.