News
Feb. 29, 2024 -- PhD Student Mohamed Metwly Presented NSF-Sponsored Research on Robotic Motor-Drive Reliability at APEC-2024
Feb. 29, 2024 -- Our PhD Student and Research Assistant Mohamed Y. Metwly presented our recent NSF-sponsored research on robotic motor-drive reliability at the 2024 IEEE Applied Power Electronics Conference and Expo (APEC-2024), which was held on Feb. 25-29, 2024, in Long Beach, CA. Also, during APEC-2024, our academic collaborators Prof. Behrooz Mirafzal's team from Kansas State University presented our collaborative work on the mitigation of motor reflected voltages in long-cable-fed SiC motor-drive systems. The author and title information of the two papers is provided as follows. Additionally, our industry partner SanRex Corporation exhibited our patented technology on fault-tolerant multilevel SiC inverter prototype at APEC-2024. APEC is the flagship and the largest IEEE conference in the area of power electronics, with 4000~5000 participants every year.
- Mohamed Metwly, Landon Clark, Biyun Xie, and JiangBiao He, "Robust Online Diagnosis of Inverter Open-Circuit Switching Faults for Robotic Joints with BLDC Motors," 2024 IEEE Applied Power Electronics Conference and Expo (APEC-2024), Feb. 25-29, 2024, Long Beach, CA.
- Milad Sadoughi, Arya Sadasivan, Fariba Fateh, JiangBiao He, and Behrooz Mirafzal, "Mitigation of Uneven Overvoltage Distribution in Motor Windings Fed by SiC-Based Drives Using a GaN-Based Adaptive Surge Impedance Method," 2024 IEEE Applied Power Electronics Conference and Expo (APEC-2024), Feb. 25-29, 2024, Long Beach, CA.
Feb. 24, 2024 -- AMPERE Lab Exhibits Electrified Transportation Technologies to K-12 Students on E-Day
Jan 24, 2024 -- E-Day (Engineering Day) has been an important annual open house day for the Pigman College of Engineering at the University of Kentucky since 1921. Generally, approximately 3,000 people attend the on-campus event, and visitors are free to roam the engineering complex and discover what the world of engineering can offer. For the E-Day this year, our AMPERE Lab demonstrates various electrified transportation technologies to many K-12 students from different areas of the state!
(Dr. JiangBiao He and PhD Candidate Farzad Y. Notash are presenting electrified transportation technologies to K-12 Students)
Jan 25, 2024 -- New DOE Project to Develop EV Integrated Charger-Inverter System
Jan 25, 2024 - In collaboration with Western Michigan University (Lead) and Oak Ridge National Lab (ORNL), a new 3-year project was awarded recently by DOE Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO). In this project, we will develop integrated charger-inverter (ICI) technologies that enable existing electric vehicle (EV) inverters to serve as a bi-directional charger, while optimizing the overall system for high efficiency, high power density, and low cost, eliminating the need for on-board or off-board chargers. John Deere Corporation and BorgWarner Inc. serve as the industry advisory partners on this project.
Dec. 15, 2023 -- Dr. He Leads a JESTPE Special Issue on Digital Twin Driven Power Electronic Systems
Dec. 15, 2023 -- In collaboration with a panel of experts and guest editorial members from various research institutions in the global power electronics community, Dr. JiangBiao He leads a Special Issue on Digital Twin Driven High-Reliability Power Electronic Systems for IEEE Journal of Emerging and Selected Topics in Power Electronics (JESTPE), a flagship journal co-sponsored by IEEE Power Electronics Society (PELS) and Industry Applications Society (IAS).
Welcome to submit your publications to this Special Issue if you are working on the related emerging topics!
Nov. 30, 2023 -- PhD Candidate Ben Luckett Presented Research Achievements in IEEE ITEC-AP in Thailand
Nov. 30, 2023 -- Our PhD candidate, Ben Luckett, presented the recent research achievements on power converter multi-objective design optimization in 2023 IEEE Transportation Electrification Conference and Expo, Asia-Pacific (ITEC-AP) which was held in Thailand this year. The information of the two papers is provided below. As a co-author on the two papers, Prof. JiangBiao He serves as a member of the International Steering Committee and the Technical Program Committee (TPC) of the ITEC-AP.
- Benjamin Luckett and JiangBiao He, "Genetic Algorithm Enabled Multi-Objective Design Optimization of Current Source Converters for Turboelectric Aircraft Propulsion," 2023 IEEE Transportation Electrification Conference and Expo, Asia-Pacific (ITEC-AP), Nov. 28 - Dec. 1, 2023, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
- Benjamin Luckett and JiangBiao He, "Fast Calculation of Semiconductor Steady-State Junction Temperatures in Power Converters," 2023 IEEE Transportation Electrification Conference and Expo, Asia-Pacific (ITEC-AP), Nov. 28 - Dec 1, 2023, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Nov. 2, 2023 -- AMPERE Researchers Present and Exhibit Project Accomplishments at IEEE ECCE-2023 and IASAM-2023
Nov. 2, 2023 -- AMPERE researchers present and exhibit project accomplishments at the 2023 IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Expo (ECCE) and the 2023 IEEE IAS Annual Meeting, two conferences cohosted together in Nashville, TN. There are totally 8 papers presented and 2 exhibitions/demonstrations given, which are listed as follows. We would like to sincerely acknowledge the great support from NASA (University Leadership Initiative), National Science Foundation (NSF), Office of Naval Research (ONR), Valvoline Global Operations, IEEE Zucker Foundation, and Department of Education (DoEd).
#1: Novel Integrated On-Board Battery Charger for All-Electric Aircraft Based on Multiphase SPM Synchronous Machine
Authors: Mohamed Y. Metwly and JiangBiao He
#2: Simplified Fixed Switching Frequency Model Predictive Control for AFPM Motor Drives in Distributed Electric Aircraft Propulsion System
Authors: Farzad Y. Notash, Benjamin Luckett and JiangBiao He
#3: Multi-Physics Modeling of Power Electronic Converters with Liquid Immersion Cooling
Authors: Reza Ilka1, Yiju Wang1, JiangBiao He1, Ronak Ali1, Aaron Swartz1, David Chen1, Ning Ren2, Z. George Zhang2, Gefei Wu2, and Roger England2
1University of Kentucky; 2Valvoline Global Operations
#4: Performance Analysis of Optimally Designed BLDC Motor Equipped with Different Winding Layouts for Robotic Arms
Authors: Mohamed Y. Metwly, Landon Clark, Biyun Xie and JiangBiao He
#5: Digital Twin Health Monitoring of Five-Level ANPC Power Converter based on Estimation of Semiconductor On-State Resistance
Authors: Majid T. Fard and JiangBiao He
#6: Genetic Algorithm Enabled Multi-Objective Design Optimization of Power Converters for Electric Aircraft Propulsion
Authors: Benjamin Luckett and JiangBiao He
#7: Impact of Immersion Cooling on Balancing Semiconductor Thermal Distribution in NPC Multilevel Converters for Transportation Propulsion
Authors: Reza Ilka1, Yiju Wang1, JiangBiao He1, Ning Ren2, Z. George Zhang2, Gefei Wu2, and Roger England2
1University of Kentucky; 2Valvoline Global Operations
#8: Mitigating High-Frequency Overvoltage on Motor Windings: An Adaptive Approach
Authors: 1Milad Sadoughi, 1Arya Sadasivan, 1Alex Howard, 1Fariba Fateh, 2JiangBiao He and 1Behrooz Mirafzal
1Kansas State University; 2University of Kentucky
#9: Student Demonstration: Interactive Multi-Objective Design Optimization of Power Converters (Ben Luckett)
#10: Exhibition: Fault-tolerant 4-Leg T-Type Inverter for Electric Propulsion Applications
(The inverter prototype and demo video were provided by our AMPERE Lab, and the exhibition was hosted by our industry collaborator SanRex Corporation)
Sept 1, 2023 -- New DOE Project on Multiport Power Converters for PV-Battery-EV Microgrid Power Systems
Sept 1, 2023 -- A new project on the development of high-efficiency galvanic isolated multiport power converter for PV-Battery-EV microgrid power systems was recently awarded by DOE Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) program DE-FOA-0002903. Dr. He serves as the Principal Investigator, in collaboration with Epower Technology, LLC.
Unlike conventional solutions using multiple individual power converters to interconnect various energy sources, this project aims to develop one monolithic power converter with bi-directional power interfaces, so the power can be flexibly controlled through various energy sources, depending on the mission conditions. The proposed power converter concept has the advantages of high energy efficiency, high power density, low cost, galvanic isolation, and bi-directional power control.
Aug. 26, 2023 -- Group Hiking and BBQ at Twin Knobs, KY
Aug. 26, 2023 -- To celebrate the new semester and welcome our new team members, researchers at the AMPERE Lab had a great group hiking and barbecue at Twin Knobs, KY.
Aug 7, 2023 -- Dr. He Gave a Tutorial in ESTS on Reflected Surge Overvoltage in WBG Motor-Drive Systems
Aug 7, 2023 -- In the 2023 IEEE Electric Ship Technologies Symposium (ESTS) held in Washington DC recently, Dr. He gave a joint tutorial on Reflected Waves and Surge Overvoltage of Electric Machines Fed by Fast-Switching WBG Power Converters, collaborating with Dr. Behrooz Mirafzal from Kansas State University.
Wide bandgap (WBG) switches are very beneficial in improving power density and efficiency of motor drives, but the fast-switching behavior induces reflected surge overvoltage which poses new challenges on the dielectric insulation of motor stator windings, especially for MVDC and HVDC systems. In this tutorial, the fundamental principle of reflected waves and surge overvoltage were reviewed, and the pros and cons of the existing and new solutions were discussed.
Aug 1, 2023 -- New NSF Project Awarded on Digital Twin Reliability Modeling of Solid-State Transformers
Aug 1, 2023 -- A new project on Digital Twin Reliability Modeling of Solid-State Transformers was recently awarded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). In this collaborative project, Dr. JiangBiao He serves as the PI at the University of Kentucky (Lead Organization), collaborating with Dr. Mohammed Agamy at the State University of New York at Albany (SUNY-Albany). This project starts on August 1, 2023, and will conclude on July 31, 2026.
Solid-state transformer (SST) is a revolutionary technology that can dramatically improve the power density and efficiency of power transformers, in addition to providing flexible power flow control and power quality regulation. However, low reliability is a major drawback preventing further development and commercialization of SSTs. In this project, a portfolio of digital twin predictive reliability models will be developed which is expected to significantly improve the reliability of SSTs.
