Siemens 2008 Annual Report Download - page 24

18 At a glance – Our innovators and innovations
Dietmar Retzmann
Erlangen, Germany
Wolfgang Rossner
Munich, Germany
A ceramics guru
For Wolfgang Rossner, everything revolves around ceramics. The head of Siemens’ Center of Com-
petence for ceramics is busy turning this brittle material into a key component of countless inno-
vations, ranging from extremely powerful X-ray detectors to efciency-enhancing nano-coatings
that enable gas-turbine blades to withstand very high combustion temperatures. But Rossner and
his team do far more than merely mix ceramic powder in the research lab; they also develop new
ceramic materials with highly complex structures – a process that will be implemented in a vir-
tual, computer-based environment in the future. Special simulation tools enable the experts to
dene nano- and microstructures all the way down to the atomic level and optimize ceramic mate-
rials for specic applications.
All charged up
You might say that Siemens’ Dietmar Retzmann has been highly energized ever since 1982. That’s
when he began driving the development of two key technologies: high-voltage direct-current
(HVDC) power transmission and exible alternating-current transmission systems (FACTS). HVDC
systems allow asynchronous networks to be linked as needed and large amounts of electricity to
be transmitted over long distances with very little loss. We’re currently constructing the world’s
highest-capacity HVDC system in China. The system will transmit 5,000 megawatts at a voltage of
800 kilovolts over a distance of more than 1,400 kilometers, from ecofriendly hydropower plants
in Southwest China’s Yunnan Province to the cities of Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Guangzhou.
Transmitting alternating current, FACTS – the “little brother” of HVDC transmission – is used to
stabilize grids. Dietmar Retzmann’s message: HVDC transmission and FACTS greatly reduce the
risk of major blackouts.
Further information on our Inventors of the Year is available at: www.siemens.com/inventors