© Karl Hollaus

Name: Markus SCHÖBINGER
Current position: PhD student (Project Assistant (FWF)) at ASC
Research group: Computational Electromagnetics (Dr. Karl HOLLAUS)
Starting date: October 2015
Dissertation topic: Error Estimation for the Multiscale Finite Element Method

Iron cores in electrical machines and transformers are usually made of countless thin sheets. This reduces the eddy currents, but also makes the cores much more difficult to simulate. It is not feasible (often even impossible) to correctly resolve all sheets with the finite element method. This is where multiscale methods came into play. They allow to treat the entire core as a homogeneous bulk medium, and couple the local behavior of the solution into the system via suitably averaged parameters. This, of course, is based on assumptions and simplifications, which is why I am working on the question how to control the resulting error.

I work for Dr. Karl Hollaus since shortly before the end of my master‘s thesis, when I happened to hear about a free position for a project assistant. A position which so far covered three FWF projects and several smaller side projects, leading to an interesting and varied working environment. Over the course of many international conferences I could get to know the international community in our field and gain experience at presenting my research before a scientific audience.

The nearer future should contain the conclusion of my PhD studies. Long-term planning is always difficult in academia, but if things work out, I would be happy to continue my research as a part of this research group.