Posting Title

Graduate PHD (Summer/Year Round) Intern – Control Development and Hardware Validation of Medium-Voltage Power Converters

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Location

CO - Golden

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Position Type

Intern (Fixed Term)

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Hours Per Week

40

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Working at NREL

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), located at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Golden, Colorado is the nation's primary laboratory for research and development of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies.

From day one at NREL, you’ll connect with coworkers driven by the same mission to save the planet. By joining an organization that values a supportive, inclusive, and flexible work environment, you’ll have the opportunity to engage through our ten employee resource groups, numerous employee-driven clubs, and learning and professional development classes.

NREL supports inclusive, diverse, and unbiased hiring practices that promote creativity and innovation. By collaborating with organizations that focus on diverse talent pools, reaching out to underrepresented demographics, and providing an inclusive application and interview process, our Talent Acquisition team aims to hear all voices equally. We strive to attract a highly diverse workforce and create a culture where every employee feels welcomed and respected and they can be their authentic selves.

Our planet needs us! Learn about NREL’s critical objectives, and see how NREL is focused on saving the planet.

We invite all interested candidates to apply for this opportunity. While we recognize that job seekers may hesitate if they don’t meet every requirement, we encourage dedicated individuals who meet all the basic and additional required qualifications of the role to submit an application. We value the opportunity to consider those who believe they have the necessary skills and ambition to succeed at NREL.

Job Description

NREL’s Power Systems Engineering Center (PSEC) works on all aspects of grid integration of advanced energy technologies.  Within PSEC, the Integrated Devices and Systems group focuses on fast timescale challenges related to integration of high levels of inverter-based resources (IBRs), using techniques including power hardware-in-the-loop experimentation, power electronics, phasor-domain dynamic modeling, electromagnetic transient (EMT) modeling, grid integration standards, advanced protection, and advanced controls including grid-forming inverter controls, etc. We often lead research in NREL’s power labs including the Energy Systems Integration Facility (ESIF) and the Flatirons Campus. We work closely with industry partners and leading academic researchers to identify solutions for the rapidly evolving power system.

• Design and validate medium-voltage, high-power converter hardware using the medium-voltage power electronics testing capability at NREL ESIF facility
• Developing power conversion techniques for high-power converters in renewable energy applications, such as cascaded multilevel grid-connected converters (CHB-DAB and MMCs) and conventional two or three-level converters
• Implement module-level and converter-level controls, such as voltage/current/power balancing, fault ride-through controls, and controls for overloading
• Collaborate with experts at NREL and industry stakeholders

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Basic Qualifications

Minimum of a 3.0 cumulative grade point average.

Undergraduate: Must be enrolled as a full-time student in a bachelor’s degree program from an accredited institution.
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