Research for Energy-Efficient Cooking; Electricity Savings of up to 25 Percent
News release by the partners of the German research project “InduKOCH”
E.G.O., Infineon Technologies, University of Bremen
Neubiberg, Germany – October 11, 2010 – Three German partners from industry and research are joining forces in a quest to curb one of the worst energy guzzlers in the household and to introduce energy efficiency to the kitchen. Use of the induction cooking method – where only pots and pans are heated and not the stovetop – could save up to 25 percent electricity. Today, about ten to 15 percent of German households are equipped with an induction cooker. The initial price difference from an electric cooker seems to be deterring consumers from making the buy.
That is where the partners of the “InduKOCH” technology cooperation, sponsored by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), come in. The German acronym InduKOCH stands for innovative circuit concepts and components to increase energy efficiency in cooking by using induction cookers. E.G.O., the supplier to manufacturers of household appliances, the University of Bremen’s Institute for Electrical Drives, Power Electronics and Devices (IALB) and the semiconductor supplier Infineon Technologies plan to engage in a joint research program running until mid-2013 to explore ways of reducing the component costs for induction hobs and cookers.
Under the project management of Infineon, the research partners seek to develop cost-efficient systems with optimized power electronics components that significantly reduce the power loss of induction cookers. To this end, Infineon is working on the advancement of power semiconductors, so-called IGBTs (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor). In the induction cooker IGBTs switch the high-frequency currents of the induction coils which induce the cooking heat in the vessels. Using these new power components, E.G.O. will remodel the electronic and mechanical inner workings of induction cookers and provide induction cookers with new circuit concepts that will reduce their manufacturing cost and energy consumption. The IALB will conduct research into the modeling and simulation of the high-frequency switching operations to reduce parasitic energy loss.
The BMBF is funding the InduKOCH project as part of the German Federal Government’s high-tech strategy and under the auspices of the Information and Communication Technology 2020 (IKT 2020) program for three years to the tune of about Euro 1.2 million.
About EGO
E.G.O., located in Oberderdingen, Germany, is known worldwide as the leading supplier for manufacturers of household appliances. The foundation of E.G.O.'s astounding development was laid 80 years ago with Karl Fischer's invention of the first electric cooking plate suitable for series production. With this product he revolutionized and simplified not only cooking, rather he laid the ground work for a company which to this day is a leader in innovation in the industry. Today E.G.O. offers all of the necessary heating and control elements for cooking and backing, washing, drying and dishwashing. Alongside products for household appliances E.G.O. also delivers components, systems and complete products for gastronomy and professional laundering as well as sophisticated components for the medical and automotive industry. Through systematic development at home and abroad and a multitude of important innovations E.G.O. Group ultimately became the company it is today: a company with international recognition. Further information under: http://www.egoproducts.com
About University of Bremen, Institute for Electrical Drives, Power Electronics and Devices (IALB)
Academic partner in this project is the Institute for Electrical Drives, Power Electronics and Devices (IALB) of the University of Bremen. The basic research on the power semiconductor devices regarding their power efficiency will be carried out at IALB. Since the foundation of the institute in 1994, extensive competence and excellent infrastructure has been built up by developing circuit concepts and modern devices. The main focus of the upcoming activities is on modelling and virtual variation of the power devices. Further information is available at www.ialb.uni-bremen.de
About Infineon
Infineon Technologies AG, Neubiberg, Germany, offers semiconductor and system solutions addressing three central challenges to modern society: energy efficiency, mobility and security. In the 2009 fiscal year (ending September), the company reported sales of Euro 3.03 billion with approximately 25,650 employees worldwide. With a global presence, Infineon operates through its subsidiaries in the U.S. from Milpitas, CA, in the Asia-Pacific region from Singapore, and in Japan from Tokyo. Infineon is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (ticker symbol: IFX) and in the USA on the over-the-counter market OTCQX International Premier (ticker symbol: IFNNY).
Media contacts:
E.G.O. Elektro-Gerätebau GmbH
Bernhard Roth
Head of Development Electronics TEO
Phone: +49 7045 45-67709
Email: Bernhard.Roth@egoproducts.com
University of Bremen
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Nando Kaminski
Institute for Electrical Drives, Power Electronics and Devices (IALB)
Phone: +49 421 218-62661
Email: nando.kaminski@uni-bremen.de
Infineon Technologies AG
Monika Sonntag
Phone: +49 89 234 24497
Email: monika.sonntag@infineon.com