FEEC Student Receives Werner von Siemens Award for Master’s Thesis

Tomáš Fryšták, a recent graduate of the Brno University of Technology Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Communication (FEEC), has been awarded in the 2025 Werner von Siemens Award competition. He received the prize for the best master’s thesis focused on smart infrastructure and energy.


Tomáš Fryšták, Werner von Siemens Award 2025. | Photo: Siemens

His thesis, titled “Analysis of the Operation of Converter Feeding Stations in the 25 kV / 50 Hz Traction System in Ancillary Services Mode,” examines the operational behaviour of traction power converters, which are a key component of high-speed railway traction systems.

“Traction power supply stations do not have to serve only for powering trains; they can also support the electrical grid,” says Tomáš Fryšták. In his thesis, he developed a simulation model that takes into account the technical limitations of the connected equipment. The model makes it possible to analyse the availability of reactive power under different traction system load levels and to assess the station’s ability to contribute to voltage regulation in the grid. The proposed solution is pioneering not only within the Czech Republic but also at the European level. An explanation of the research topic is also available in a video.

The thesis was supervised by Jan Klusáček from the Department of Electrical Power Engineering. “What impressed me most about the author was his strong interest in the field and his ability to connect practical experience from railway operations with the operation of power systems,” says the thesis supervisor.

The Werner von Siemens Award is one of the most significant independent competitions of its kind in the Czech Republic. Siemens Czech Republic has organized it for 28 years in cooperation with universities and the Czech Academy of Sciences. A total of 662 theses from technical and natural science disciplines were submitted to the 28th edition of the competition; 22 award recipients shared prize money totalling one million Czech crowns.

This article was prepared based on a press release and materials provided by Siemens Czech Republic.

 

Responsible person Ing. Zdeňka Koubová
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