Projects

In this project a 200nm graphene layer was deposited on the base plate of a comercially available IGBT Infinion BSM75GB60DLC model. The proposed solution reduces the hot spots temperature; specifically the bondwires, the most contributor to the IGBT defects and thus, future system failures. Different thicknesses of graphene layer are considered, 10nm, 200nm and 500nm.  The 200nm was found to be the optimal thickness to reduce the temperature compared to the original design without nano graphene layer.

A microinverter is a device utilized in solar energy systems to transform the direct current (DC) electricity produced by an individual solar panel into practical alternating current (AC) electricity. This AC electricity can be harnessed to operate household appliances or can be transmitted into the power grid for energy compensation. Microinverters contrast with conventional inverters, such as string inverters, as a string inverter is linked to numerous solar panels in a sequence, or "string." In this project a new power converter configuration was proposed with the ability to generate 5 levels output voltage employing 4 power switches. An enclosure was also proposed for fasting attachment. This project was funded by National Science Foundation (i-Corps).

In this project a concept of airgapless electric motor was investigated. In this type of device, the rotor is allowed to touch the stator at a contact point, which maximizes the internal flux and, therefore, the electromagnetic torque. The studied motor maximizes torque low-speed operations. This project was partially funded by Tau Motors (www.taumotors.com).

[1] M. Alibeik, O. N. M. Nezamuddin, R. M. Bagwe, M. J. Rubin and E. Cipriano dos Santos, "Airgapless Electric Motors With an External Rotor," in IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics, vol. 65, no. 9, pp. 6923-6935, Sept. 2018 

The proposed method charges EVs while en route from another vehicle, which will be referred to as vehicle-to-vehicle recharging (VVR). The aim of this system is to bring an innovative way for EVs to charge their battery without getting off route on a highway. The electric vehicle can request such a service from a designated charger vehicle on demand and receive electric power wirelessly while en route. The vehicles that provide energy (charger vehicles) through wireless power transfer (WPT) only need to be semi-autonomous in order to engage/disengage during a trip.

[2] O. N. Nezamuddin, C. L. Nicholas and E. C. d. Santos, "The Problem of Electric Vehicle Charging: State-of-the-Art and an Innovative Solution," in IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems, vol. 23, no. 5, pp. 4663-4673, May 2022