Keynote 1 (Monday, September 25, 2023):
MH Hamdan, CAPT USN , Director of Engineering for the Power Conversion and Control Business
Title of Presentation:
The Development and Use of SiC Power Devices in Aerospace Applications
Abstract of presentation:
Silicon Carbide (SiC) devices are gaining popularity in many applications due to their superior performance in harsh operating environments. These devices enable power electronics to operate at higher switching frequencies, voltages, and temperatures. The use of SiC power devices in high-power aerospace applications has been gaining momentum in recent years due to their distinct benefits in power management, distribution, conversion, and motor control applications. Employing these advanced devices in aerospace applications enables the industry to develop lighter, more compact, efficient, and reliable products, leading to aircraft design with improved performance and reliability under all operating conditions.However, there are significant challenges associated with the use of SiC power devices in an aerospace environment. The design team must consider the need for complex and specialized circuitry, sophisticated thermal management techniques, device compatibility issues, and long-term reliability concerns. With continued technological advancements addressing these challenges, the use of SiC power devices in aerospace products is expected to increase significantly in the coming years
Short Bio: MH Hamdan is the GE Aerospace Director of Engineering for the Power Conversion and Control Business. He leads the new product development (NPI) engineering teams in Long Island, NY and Pompano Beach, FL. Prior to his current role, Mr. Hamdan held several engineering and project management positions. Most recently, he served as the GE Aerospace Principal Engineer for Energy Storage and Conversion.
Throughout his career at GE Aerospace, Mr. Hamdan has designed, developed, and qualified thirty power conversion and control products for multiple airborne applications.
Currently, Mr. Hamdan serving on two SAE committees, contributing to the development of aerospace standards for Lithium Battery Packaging Performance and Energy Storage/Charging of Electric Aircraft. Mr. Hamdan holds a B.E.E.E degree in Electrical Engineering from the State University of New York at Stony Brook, NY and MBA degree from Dowling Collage in Oakdale, NY.
Keynote 2 (Tuesday, September 26, 2023):
LJ Petersen, CAPT USN (Ret), Office of Naval Research
Title of Presentation:
“A History of Silicon Carbide (SiC) Wide Bandgap (WBG) Advancement through Power Electronic Building Blocks (PEBB) and Implications for the Future.”
Abstract of presentation:
“In 1994, the Power Electronic Building Block (PEBB) program was initiated by ONR. The PEBB program was an integrated material, device, circuit, and system science and technology (S&T) development program. The program’s core objective was to reduce the size, weight, and cost (SWaP-C) of power electronics (PE) to realize PE shipboard power systems enabling future affordable and powerful electric warships. Since then, much has been completed through PEBB advancement to include revealing science and technology (S&T) gaps (i.e., the need for soft magnetic materials to realize even higher power density PEBB systems.) The past half-century has seen the advancement of the material development of WBG technologies through the concerted efforts of ONR and the other DOD agencies and have most recently harvested the fruit of the material advances of SiC into applications that will benefit both the DOD and industry. The future is bright for SiC WBG PEBB-based technology.”
Short Bio: Mr. Petersen graduated from the United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD, with a BS in Mathematics in 1986 and was commissioned an Ensign in the US Navy. He was selected as an Engineering Duty Officer and received an MS in Mechanical Engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School in 1994. Following Active Duty, he was an Electrical Engineer at NSWC, Carderock Division, Annapolis, MD. He was hired by ONR in May 2006 and served as S&T rep to the Electric Ships Office (ESO), PMS 320. He was recalled to Active Duty, in 2008, with the assignment as the Deputy Director, PMS 320, from 2008-2012. Promoted to Captain in 2009, he retired from the Navy in 2016 following 30 years of service.
From 2012-2014, he was the Navy’s Director for Systems Engineering, assigned in Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation (DASN RDT&E.). Mr. Petersen returned to ONR in 2014 and leads basic research in power electronics, electromagnetism, and adaptive controls and applied research in machinery controls, wide bandgap (WBG) semiconductor applications, Medium Voltage Direct Current (MVDC) power distribution systems, and Power Electronic Power Distribution Systems (PEPDS.). Mr. Petersen is Married to Alena, and they have two adult children. Senior member of IEEE, member of ASNE and the MRS. He and Alena are active in their church and singing.
Keynote 3 (Tuesday, September 26, 2023):
Sudip K. Mazumder, Professor and Director of the Laboratory for Energy and Switching-Electronic Systems,University of Illinois Chicago (UIC)
President of NextWatt LLC
Title of the Presentation:
Control of Power Electronics: From Performance to Reliability
Abstract of presentation:
Power-electronic control and modeling have gone through fundamental shift in its approach with time slowly but surely replacing reduced-order-manifold-based approaches proposed decades back. With the revolution in embedded processors and advancements in multi-objective optimization, stability theory, hybrid systems, and communication/information theory, radically new multi-scale spatio-temporal approaches are being developed and implemented that are showing unprecedented promise for plurality of power-electronic applications and changing the mindset regarding the control and modeling of such hybrid dynamical switching-power systems. At the actuation level, the advent of rapid switching wide- and ultra-wide-bandgap devices is enabling the accelerated penetration of such next-generation controls across plurality of voltage and power levels encompassing radically improved, new, and complex power-electronic systems. This talk will begin with an outline on the role of control in traditional power-electronic systems and how they shape the behavior of such hybrid dynamical systems. Subsequently, an overview of the traditional power-electronic control approaches will be provided along with brief discussions on their strengths and limitations. That leads to the future of controls in power electronics including cyber-resilient control and control for long-term reliability, and what should and could be done beyond traditional power-electronic control that addresses existing, evolving, and future applications needs encompassing wide temporal and spatial scales? This talk will provide some insights on how and what radically new ideas may need to be synthesized that reach far beyond historical and conventional power-electronic control needs with wide power-conversion applications.
Short Bio: Dr. Mazumder received his Ph.D. degree from Virginia Tech in 2001. Since 2001, he has served as a Professor at UIC and the Director of LESES. He also serves as the President of NextWatt LLC since 2008. He has over 30 years of professional experience encompassing academia and leading industries having carried out close to 60 sponsored projects encompassing about $40M. He is a Fellow of IEEE (2016), AAAS (2020), and AAIA (2022) for distinguished contributions in power electronics.
He also served as a Distinguished Lecturer for the IEEE Power Electronics Society (2016-2019). He is the current Editor-at-Large for IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics. He received several IEEE awards/honors including the 2023 IEEE Power & Energy Society’s Ramakumar Family Renewable Energy Excellence Award, IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics Prize Paper Awards (2022, 2002) and Highlighted Papers (2023, 2022, 2018), Featured Article for IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering (2023), IEEE Conference Best Paper Award (2013), IEEE Outstanding Paper Award (2007), and IEEE International Future Energy Challenge Award (2005). He also received Stanford University’s top-2% most-influential-scientist recognition (2022) and Elsevier recognition for being top 2% researcher in their fields for career-long productivity as well as top 2% researcher with single-year impact (2021, 2022). He is the recipient of UIC’s highest awards: Distinguished Researcher of the Year (2020), Inventor of the Year (2014), University Scholar (2013). He is also the recipient of U.S. ONR Young Investigator Award (2005) and U.S. NSF CAREER Award (2003). In June of 2023, he was also elevated to be a UIC Distinguished Professor (effective AY’23 pending UIC Broad of Trustees approval).
Keynote 4 (Tuesday, September 26, 2023):
Pierre Boissonneault, Senior Product Marketing Manager, OPAL-RT Technologies.
Title of the Presentation:
Advancing Power Electronics Real-Time Simulation
Models: Meeting the Growing Demands
Abstract of presentation:
In the relentless pursuit of enhanced power electronics systems, characterized by increased efficiency and reduced converter size and weight, the manufacturing sector faces an ever-evolving challenge. As the race among manufacturers intensifies, the demand for larger, faster, and more precise real-time simulation models in power conversion becomes increasingly evident.
This challenge cascades to HIL real-time simulation providers, necessitating the development of highly accurate simulation tools crucial for controller testing. Staying ahead of these evolving demands requires harnessing cutting-edge FPGA processor technology for the simulation, exemplified by AMD (Xilinx) VERSAL(TM) SoC, to empower the power electronics industry to push the boundaries of innovation.
This presentation explores the imperative need for advanced real-time simulation models to enable manufacturers to thrive in the fiercely competitive landscape of power converters, with a particular focus on the transformative potential of AMD (Xilinx) VERSAL and similar technologies. By adopting these innovations, we can ensure the continued advancement and sustainability of power electronics systems for a greener and more efficient future.