Author: Rahul Rajkarnikar

Nico Dabelstein was an IGCS research exchange grantee and a part of a research group led by IIT Madras, Chennai’s Prof. Dr. Krishna Vasudevan, where they’re pioneering the development of a cutting-edge microgrid on the campus area.

Nico’s focus on Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) aims to optimize energy distribution within the grid, employing this powerful machine learning technique to enhance effectiveness, environmental sustainability, and economic performance. Through meticulous data collection and Python modeling of microgrid components using libraries like stablebaselines3 and pandas, Nico’s team has crafted a sophisticated reward function considering costs, CO2 emissions, and battery state of charge. By integrating a Pandapower Python model for accurate component modeling and optimal power flow calculations, alongside an artificial neural network (ANN) for swift OPF approximations crucial for DRL agent training, they’re paving the way for a robust control algorithm to manage fluctuating renewable energy and demand within the microgrid.

You can read their full research brief below:

Nandhini Duraimurugan is a Ph.D. research scholar from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai who conducted a six month research exchange at RWTH Aachen, Germany. They were affiliated with the Department of Ocean Engineering at IIT Madras under the guidance of Prof. K. Murali and were hosted by the Institute of Textile Technology where they were supervised by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dipl.-Wirt. Ing. Thomas Gries.

They detailed essential aspects such as navigating visa procedures, securing accommodation, and tapping into university resources. If you’re considering a research voyage to Aachen, Nandhini’s report provides valuable insights to streamline your journey and maximize your experience.

You can read their full experience report below:

Nico Dabelstein was an IGCS research exchange participant from Technical University Berlin for the funding period of 2023. They shared their enriching experience at IIT Madras with the IGCS team for future prospective scholars.

They were also a participant during the Winter School 2023 in Chennai, and following this they applied to a conduct a three-month research stint collaborating with the Department of Electrical Engineering under the guidance from Prof. Dr. Krishna Vasudevan. From meticulous visa planning to adjusting insurance and packing essentials, Nico navigated the preparatory phase with precision. Accommodation options, bureaucratic challenges, and cultural immersion added depth to their stay. However, despite hurdles, Nico’s independent work and insightful meetings fuelled their academic and personal growth.

Nico expresses gratitude to IGCS and supervisors for this invaluable opportunity, emphasizing the transformative nature of their time at IIT Madras. You can read their full testimonial here: