Kristian and Frederik have been studying together since the beginning of their bachelor’s programme in Energy. During their master’s specialisation in Power Electronics and Drives, they have worked together for their projects on the 7th and 8th semesters, and their common interest in working with an external collaborator brought them together for their thesis as well which resulted in a project with the title “Maximum Efficiency Control of a FASynRM Accomplished by Quadratic Interpolation".

When Kristian spent his 9th semester abroad in Munich, the idea of working with a company for his master’s thesis developed. He contacted Grundfos about possible projects which they might need students’ help for, while also being in contact with their supervisor, Kaiyuan Lu. Kaiyuan had previously supervised two other projects in collaboration with Grundfos, and further research on the work done here was needed. This was an obvious subject for Kristian’s and Frederik’s thesis.

Practical use of theoretical knowledge

After adapting and adjusting the project to fit both Grundfos’ interests, the university’s programme regulations and the four-month time frame, it became clear that Kristian and Frederik could continue the previous work, which had focused on developing and designing an electrical machine. That made it possible for the students to focus on optimising and controlling the efficiency of the prototype already made.

For Kristian and Frederik, the collaboration with a company such as Grundfos has been an interesting and rewarding process: “It has been very relevant and exciting to experience how a company works and what they do. At university, the things we learn are very theoretical and research-based, which is why it has been interesting to focus more on the actual outcome. The small components we focus on at AAU are parts of a bigger pump, which at the bottom line is the product Grundfos are interested in selling”, they explain.

Life after university

The defence of their master’s thesis marks the end of five good years at AAU Energy. For Kristian, working life has already begun at Migatronic in Fjerritslev, while Frederik is taking a well-deserved summer break before applying for jobs outside of Northern Jutland. The process and collaboration with Grundfos provided experiences and knowledge that are useful in their working life in the future, while also being an advantage in the job hunt