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10/5/2009: Prof. Lorenz leaves for Sabbatical at Tokyo Inst. of Tech.
Story coming soon!
8/20/2009: WEMPEC congratulates its Summer 2009 Graduates
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| Seth Avery | Matt Burton |
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| Micah Erickson | Jae Suk Lee |
WEMPEC congratulates its summer 2009 graduates: Seth Avery, Matt Burton, Micah Erickson, and Jae Suk Lee.
Seth Avery was awarded a Masters in Mechanical Engineering for his work on semiconductor strain analysis in power devices for thermal-mechanical control. His thesis title was "Measurement of Thermal-Mechanical Wirebond Displacement in Electrically Active Power Semiconductors." Seth plans to continue studying for his PhD under Prof. Lorenz.
Matt Burton was awarded a Masters in Electrical Engineering for his work on electric machines and power electronics. His thesis title was "Loss Manipulation using Deadbeat-Direct Torque & Flux Control for Induction Machines." Matt started work as Design Engineer with Schneider Electric in September.
Micah Erickson was awarded a Master of Electrical Engineering for his work on determining the impact of energy storage elements in a microgrid environment. His thesis title was "Integration of Energy Storage Elements in a Microgrid Environment." Micah plans to continue studying for his PhD under Prof. Jahns.
Jae Suk Lee was awarded a Masters in Electrical Engineering for his work on motor drive and control. His thesis title was "Deadbeat Direct Torque & Flux Control for Interior Permanent Magnet Synchronous Machines." Jae Suk plans to continue studying for his PhD under Prof. Lorenz.
Click here to view the .pdf versions of the theses mentioned above.
8/1/2009: WEMPEC database improvement project
In August, WEMPEC began a project to rebuild its database and collect updated information from sponsors, alumni, and past visitors.
If are an WEMPEC alumnus or have spent time with WEMPEC as a visiting scholar we would appreciate it if you sent us your updated information. To submit information either fill out our online contact update form or email your updated information to skfinn@engr.wisc.edu.
6/1/2009: WEMPEC Congratulates its Spring 2009 Graduates
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| Ian Brown | Steve Fredette |
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| Natee Limsuwan | Matt Suprenant |
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| Nidhishri Tapadia | Ben Willis |
WEMPEC congratulates its Spring 2009 graduates: Ian Brown, Steve Fredette, Natee Limsuwan, Matt Suprenant, Nidhishri Tapadia, and Ben Willis.
Ian Brown was awarded a PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering for his work developing design methodology for induction machines to improve their self-sensing provperties while perserving their power conversion capabilities. His thesis title was "Design Rules for Induction Machine Self-Sensing." Ian began work with A.O. Smith as a Principal Engineer in June.
Steve Fredette was awarded a PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering. His thesis title was "Squirrel Cage Induction Machines in Distributed Generation and Microgrids." Steve completed his degree through the Office of Engineering Outreach while working for Eaton Corporation. He is presently a Principal Engineer at Eaton Corporation's Innovation Center.
Natee Limsuwan was awarded a Masters in Electrical and Computer Engineering for his work on interior permanent magnet machine design for power conversion and self-sensing property. His thesis title was "Field Intensified Interior Permanent Magnet Machine Design for Power Conversion and Self-sensing Property. Natee plans to continue studying for his PhD under Prof. Lorenz.
Matt Surprenant was awarded a Masters in Electrical and Computer Engineering. His thesis title was "Phase Locked Loop Control of Inverters in a Microgrid." Matt began working for the US Navy in June.
Nidhishri Tapadia was awarded a Masters in Electrical and Computer Engineering for her work on developing finite element models for machines in the Grainger Teaching Studio. Her thesis title was "Integration of Finite Element Analysis in Electric Machines and Drives Teaching Studio." Nidhishri started interning with Everson Tesla in June.
Ben Willis was awarded a Masters in Electrical and Computer Engineering. Ben completed his degree through the Office of Engineering Research while working for MPC Products.
Click here to view the .pdf versions of the theses mentioned above.
4/18/2009: WEMPEC Students participate in 2009 Engineering Expo
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| 5kW Tesla Coil |
UW-Madison's 2009 Engineering Expo was held from April 16-18, 2009. At the Expo engineering students, groups, and corporate sponsors set up exhibits with the goal of getting K-12 students excited about engineering and science. Multiple WEMPEC students participated in the event.
Dan Ludois and Justin Reed brought a mix of their engineering creations under the exhibition, "Modulated Thunder; If Zeus Played Guitar Hero." The centerpiece of the display was a 5kW Tesla coil surrounded by a 12ft diameter faraday cage. The Tesla coil impressed spectators with 4 to 5ft arcs and lots of noise. The duo also demonstrated their Thompson coil, a device that uses induction to propel conducting rings several feet into the air. A third demonstration showed Dan's remote controlled electric skateboard, powered by lithium-ion battery packs, donated by Milwaukee Tool, and a ½hp brushless DC machine donated by MPC. A final demo highlighted Justin's Plasma Tweeter. For their efforts, Dan & Justin took home first prize in the Graduate Student category & $800.
Adam Anders participated with the exhibit "Object Tracking & Interception." Where he entertained crowds with his joystick-controlled coil gun which he used to aim and shoot metal slugs into water balloons.
Micah Erickson and James McFarland participated as part of the UW Formula Hybrid team exhibit which displayed the team's custom built hybrid electric racecar.
Finally, Adam Hughes, along with Nate Kautzer and Cesar Suarez, exhibited "Wind Turbines on a Budget: Vertical-Axis Machines to Power the Developing World." The exhibit profiled ongoing research on how to reduce the cost of very small wind turbines for use in developing countries. The group took home first prize in the Undergraduate Student category for their efforts.
2/5/2009: Dr. Sandra Finn is hired as WEMPEC Administrative Director
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| New WEMPEC Administrative Director, Dr. Sandra FInn |
Sandra Finn was born and raised in Madison, WI, not far from the UW-Madison campus. She says she is “very proud to have Madison as a hometown.” She completed her undergraduate studies at UW-Madison, double-majoring in English Education and Art Education. She eventually received her Master’s degree in Education and her PhD in Educational Policy Studies with an emphasis in ethics studies from UW-Madison.
During her undergraduate studies, the High Energy Physics department at UW-Madison hired her to work in their lab, which inspired her love for science. After her undergraduate work, Sandra spent eight years as a technical writer for Ohmeda, now named GE Health Care, and she eventually became an executive for this company. Her work at Ohmeda provided her with a lot of interaction with engineers and a lot of knowledge about engineering.
Sandra chose to work at WEMPEC because she loves working with students, professors, and engineers in the private sector. Sandra find her ethics training useful at WEMPEC in her quest to observe and be sensitive to the various ways in which people learn and understand the world around them. Her favorite part about her job at WEMPEC is working with young people who are learning and getting practical experience.
In her spare time, Sandra likes to write, especially in the form of travelogues she sends to her family and friends. She also enjoys watching films, a hobby she shares with her filmmaker sons. In addition, Sandra enjoys fishing (mainly on the Wisconsin River), photography, and riding her moped.
12/31/2008: Professor Thomas A. Lipo retires from UW-Madison
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| Prof. Thomas A. LIpo |
After nearly three decades of teaching at the University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Engineering, Professor Thomas A. Lipo retired in December 2008.
His fields of interest include power electronics, adjustable speed drives, electric machines, and AC motor drive systems. Professor Lipo has produced four books, over 500 research publications, and 35 U.S. patents throughout his career and has overseen the studies of over 80 graduate students while teaching at UW-Madison.
Professor Lipo received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Marquette University in 1962 and ‘64, and his PhD from UW-Madison in 1968. Before coming to UW-Madison as Professor in 1981, he spent ten years working for General Electric in Schenectady, NY and taught at Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN.
Professor Lipo co-founded the Wisconsin Electric Machines and Power Electronics Consortium (WEMPEC) in 1981, and served as co-director of WEMPEC as well as director of the Wisconsin Power Electronic Research Center (WisPERC). He is a fellow of both the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the IEEE (London). He is also a fellow of both the Royal Academy of Engineering in the United Kingdom and the National Academy of Engineers in the U.S.
Professor Lipo’s awards and honors include the William E. Newell Award and the Third Millennium Medal for Outstanding Achievements and Contributions to Power Electronics from the IEEE Power Electronics Society, the Outstanding Achievement Award from the IEEE Industry Applications Society, and the Nikola Tesla Field Award from the IEEE Power Engineering Society. He was the first member of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department to receive the Hilldale Award in Physical Science from UW-Madison, which is the highest honor for research that can be bestowed by this university.
In his retirement, he plans to remain active in his research both by consulting opportunities and by working with graduate and postdoctoral students. He will also be writing books on current regulation of inverter drives with his colleague, Grahame Holmes, and a book on the ECE 411 course notes with fellow WEMPEC co-founder Don Novotny. In addition to traveling, he plans to enjoy more fishing at his lake cottage in Westfield, WI.