The following is a
list of my research interests in alternative energy systems and devices.
1. HYBRID ELECTRIC TRANSPORTATION ISSUES: The most important issues facing transportation sustainability and development of future transportation systems are the crucial oil-supply issues we face today on a global scale and the imperative need to reduce green-house gas emissions and air and material pollution. The automobile industry will be called upon to respond to these three drivers together. This requires an approach that emphasizes high efficiency and relatively low cost energy, and advocates electricity as a significant part of the solution to the transportation issues that the auto industry faces. A pivotal player in this new scheme is the plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), which can very efficiently utilize supply limited renewable and conventional electricity via a rechargeable energy storage unit. Before such systems can be manufactured for safe public use, fundamental questions such as battery electrochemistry, optimal PHEV battery-size, weight, life-cycle, optimal state of charge and performance characteristics need to be answered. Optimal PHEV battery characteristics need to be determined by measuring driver and duty cycles and taking into account optimal opportunistic recharging locations and time periods. Vehicle simulation needs to be performed and criteria developed which will optimize the displacement of fossil fuels with renewable electricity without sacrificing vehicle performance characteristics. Energy losses resulting from ineffective use of battery storage and engine horsepower need to be minimized.
My research group in collaboration with another institutes and professors will develop a transportation pathway that will successfully analyze and address these energy issues. The development of the experimental test-bed of a Plug-in Hybrid Electric Transporter PET is one of my active projects.
You can see the video of the first prototype:
http://www.eatlime.com/play_018C953F-C043-2241-EAB3-8B9778AACC01
2. DESIGN OF ACTUATORS AND SENSORS: Actuating requirements and actuator sizes pose considerable problems for developing energy extraction devices and intelligent “Green” power generators. Researchers have tried to employ various types of actuators to improve the efficiency of the available devices. Any actuator used to drive or generate power should be able to provide the required torque to produce the motion/speed needed; otherwise, the lack of sufficient power results in dysfunctions in such devices. My group will explore the novel designs of actuators and sensors for mechanically powered systems. In these types of systems, various technologies and issues of concern must be considered which include size and weight, efficiency and power to weight ratio, specific power and specific energy, actuator control and power supply management, safety, sound and vibration, maintenance and bandwidth.
3. DESIGN OF OCEAN AND WAVE ENERGY EXTRACTION DEVICES: Concerns about global warming and environmental pollution caused by the use of fossil fuels in energy generation have resulted in a move towards so-called green energy sources, or renewable energy sources. Ocean waves have been regarded as a potential source for energy extraction for over 200 years and many devices have been constructed to that end. However, all or almost all of the currently known devices fail to extract sufficient energy in an economic manner. It has long been recognized that the waves in the sea and other bodies of water provide a vast and substantially untapped quantity of energy and many inventions have been made with the goal of achieving the aim of extracting power from the sea. In collaboration with Dr. Bibeau, NSERC/Manitoba Hydro Alternative Energy Industrial Chair, a novel design concept of a wave energy extraction device was introduced for recovering the seashore energy from all tidal flow, translational kinetic energy and buoyancy. My research group will work on designing, prototyping and testing different concepts of ocean energy extraction devices.
4. DYNAMICS BASED CONTROL OF ELECTRO-MECHANICAL SYSTEMS: In designing a control law for electro-mechanical systems, including alternative energy extraction devices, there are at least two methods. One is so called Model Based Control Approach (MBC), and the other is so called Dynamics Based Control Approach (DBC). The former approach is based on mathematical control theory and basically nonlinear compensation. The later is based on dynamics. And if we adopt DBC, we use the properties in the dynamical equation of the mechanical systems. The control system designed based on DBC is robust against modeling error, behaves naturally, and reduces the energy losses. In case of DBC of electro-mechanical systems in alternative energy devices and hybrid propulsive systems, the fact that system has a property of energy regeneration is well known as a very important feature. My research group will work on developing controller design methodologies based on dynamical behavior of the hybrid electric vehicles and wave energy extraction devices.