Electric Systems
Modeling & optimization of power systems and electromagnetic machines.
Our research in this area includes flexible and resilient power system design and operational optimization; modeling and analysis of electric machines for applications such as fault detection of motors, power efficiency improvement and design complexity reduction.
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Researchers
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Awards
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AWARD Best conference paper of IEEE PES-GM 2020 Date: June 18, 2020
Awarded to: Tong Huang, Hongbo Sun, K.J. Kim, Daniel Nikovski, Le Xie
MERL Contacts: Kyeong Jin (K.J.) Kim; Daniel N. Nikovski; Hongbo Sun
Research Areas: Data Analytics, Electric Systems, OptimizationBrief- A paper on A Holistic Framework for Parameter Coordination of Interconnected Microgrids Against Natural Disasters, written by Tong Huang, a former MERL intern from Texas A&M University, has been selected as one of the Best Conference Papers at the 2020 Power and Energy Society General Meeting (PES-GM). IEEE PES-GM is the flagship conference for the IEEE Power and Energy Society. The work was done in collaboration with Hongbo Sun, K. J. Kim, and Daniel Nikovski from MERL, and Tong's advisor, Prof. Le Xie from Texas A&M University.
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News & Events
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EVENT Prof. Melanie Zeilinger of ETH to give keynote at MERL's Virtual Open House Date & Time: Thursday, December 9, 2021; 1:00pm - 5:30pm EST
Speaker: Prof. Melanie Zeilinger, ETH
Location: Virtual Event
Research Areas: Applied Physics, Artificial Intelligence, Communications, Computational Sensing, Computer Vision, Control, Data Analytics, Dynamical Systems, Electric Systems, Electronic and Photonic Devices, Machine Learning, Multi-Physical Modeling, Optimization, Robotics, Signal Processing, Speech & Audio, Digital Video, Human-Computer Interaction, Information SecurityBrief- MERL is excited to announce the second keynote speaker for our Virtual Open House 2021:
Prof. Melanie Zeilinger from ETH .
Our virtual open house will take place on December 9, 2021, 1:00pm - 5:30pm (EST).
Join us to learn more about who we are, what we do, and discuss our internship and employment opportunities. Prof. Zeilinger's talk is scheduled for 3:15pm - 3:45pm (EST).
Registration: https://mailchi.mp/merl/merlvoh2021
Keynote Title: Control Meets Learning - On Performance, Safety and User Interaction
Abstract: With increasing sensing and communication capabilities, physical systems today are becoming one of the largest generators of data, making learning a central component of autonomous control systems. While this paradigm shift offers tremendous opportunities to address new levels of system complexity, variability and user interaction, it also raises fundamental questions of learning in a closed-loop dynamical control system. In this talk, I will present some of our recent results showing how even safety-critical systems can leverage the potential of data. I will first briefly present concepts for using learning for automatic controller design and for a new safety framework that can equip any learning-based controller with safety guarantees. The second part will then discuss how expert and user information can be utilized to optimize system performance, where I will particularly highlight an approach developed together with MERL for personalizing the motion planning in autonomous driving to the individual driving style of a passenger.
- MERL is excited to announce the second keynote speaker for our Virtual Open House 2021:
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EVENT Prof. Ashok Veeraraghavan of Rice University to give keynote at MERL's Virtual Open House Date & Time: Thursday, December 9, 2021; 1:00pm - 5:30pm EST
Speaker: Prof. Ashok Veeraraghavan, Rice University
Location: Virtual Event
Research Areas: Applied Physics, Artificial Intelligence, Communications, Computational Sensing, Computer Vision, Control, Data Analytics, Dynamical Systems, Electric Systems, Electronic and Photonic Devices, Machine Learning, Multi-Physical Modeling, Optimization, Robotics, Signal Processing, Speech & Audio, Digital Video, Human-Computer Interaction, Information SecurityBrief- MERL is excited to announce the first keynote speaker for our Virtual Open House 2021:
Prof. Ashok Veeraraghavan from Rice University.
Our virtual open house will take place on December 9, 2021, 1:00pm - 5:30pm (EST).
Join us to learn more about who we are, what we do, and discuss our internship and employment opportunities. Prof. Veeraraghavan's talk is scheduled for 1:15pm - 1:45pm (EST).
Registration: https://mailchi.mp/merl/merlvoh2021
Keynote Title: Computational Imaging: Beyond the limits imposed by lenses.
Abstract: The lens has long been a central element of cameras, since its early use in the mid-nineteenth century by Niepce, Talbot, and Daguerre. The role of the lens, from the Daguerrotype to modern digital cameras, is to refract light to achieve a one-to-one mapping between a point in the scene and a point on the sensor. This effect enables the sensor to compute a particular two-dimensional (2D) integral of the incident 4D light-field. We propose a radical departure from this practice and the many limitations it imposes. In the talk we focus on two inter-related research projects that attempt to go beyond lens-based imaging.
First, we discuss our lab’s recent efforts to build flat, extremely thin imaging devices by replacing the lens in a conventional camera with an amplitude mask and computational reconstruction algorithms. These lensless cameras, called FlatCams can be less than a millimeter in thickness and enable applications where size, weight, thickness or cost are the driving factors. Second, we discuss high-resolution, long-distance imaging using Fourier Ptychography, where the need for a large aperture aberration corrected lens is replaced by a camera array and associated phase retrieval algorithms resulting again in order of magnitude reductions in size, weight and cost. Finally, I will spend a few minutes discussing how the wholistic computational imaging approach can be used to create ultra-high-resolution wavefront sensors.
- MERL is excited to announce the first keynote speaker for our Virtual Open House 2021:
See All News & Events for Electric Systems -
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Internships
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DA1751: Power Grid Fault Event Detection
MERL is seeking a highly motivated and qualified individual to join our summer internship program and conduct research in the area of power grid fault event detection. The ideal candidate should have a solid knowledge of power grid, inverter control and protection, outage analysis, signal processing, and machine learning. Experience with MATLAB or C/C++/Python is required. The duration of the internship is expected to be 3-6 months, and the start date is flexible. Candidates in their senior or junior years of a Ph.D. program are encouraged to apply. This internship is preferred to be onsite at MERL, but may be done remotely where you live if the COVID pandemic makes it necessary.
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MD1714: Electric Motor Design
MERL is seeing a motivated and qualified individual to conduct research on electric machine design, prototype, and experiment tests. The ideal candidate should have solid background and demonstrated research experience in electric machine theory, design analysis, motor drives, and control. Hands-on experiences on electric motor design and prototyping, test bench set up, and experiment measurements are required. Senior Ph.D. students in electrical engineering or mechanical engineering with related expertise are encouraged to apply. Start date for this internship is flexible. This internship requires work that can only be done at MERL.
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DA1708: Microgrid fault detection and localization
MERL is seeking a highly motivated and qualified individual to join our internship program and conduct research in the area of microgrid fault detection and localization. The ideal candidate should have a solid knowledge of microgrids, inverter control, fault detection and localization, power system protection, and signal processing. Experience with MATLAB, Simulink, and Simscape Electrical is required. The expected duration of the internship is 3 months. Ph.D. students are preferred, but Master''s students will also be considered. This internship is preferred to be onsite at MERL, but may be done remotely where you live if the COVID pandemic makes it necessary.
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Recent Publications
- , "Quantification of Induction Motor Bearing Fault Severity based on Modified Winding Function Theory", International Conference on Electrical Machines and Systems (ICEMS), November 2021.BibTeX TR2021-139 PDF
- @inproceedings{Wang2021nov3,
- author = {Wang, Bingnan and Zhou, Lei and Miyoshi, Masahito and Inoue, hiroshi and Kanemaru, Makoto},
- title = {Quantification of Induction Motor Bearing Fault Severity based on Modified Winding Function Theory},
- booktitle = {International Conference on Electrical Machines and Systems (ICEMS)},
- year = 2021,
- month = nov,
- url = {https://www.merl.com/publications/TR2021-139}
- }
- , "A Graph-based Method to Extract Broken Rotor Bar Fault Signature in Varying Speed Operation", ICEMS 2021, October 2021.BibTeX TR2021-135 PDF
- @inproceedings{Zhang2021oct,
- author = {Zhang, Zhe and Liu, Dehong},
- title = {A Graph-based Method to Extract Broken Rotor Bar Fault Signature in Varying Speed Operation},
- booktitle = {ICEMS 2021},
- year = 2021,
- month = oct,
- url = {https://www.merl.com/publications/TR2021-135}
- }
- , "Distribution system fault location analysis using graph neural network with node and link attributes", IEEE PES Innovative Smart Grid Technologies Conference - Europe (ISGT Europe), October 2021.BibTeX TR2021-130 PDF
- @inproceedings{Sun2021oct,
- author = {Sun, Hongbo and Kawano, Shunsuke and Nikovski, Daniel N. and Takano, Tomihiro and Mori, Kazuyuki},
- title = {Distribution system fault location analysis using graph neural network with node and link attributes},
- booktitle = {IEEE PES Innovative Smart Grid Technologies Conference - Europe (ISGT Europe)},
- year = 2021,
- month = oct,
- url = {https://www.merl.com/publications/TR2021-130}
- }
- , "Analytical Magnetic Model for Variable-Flux Interior Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors", IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition (ECCE), October 2021.BibTeX TR2021-123 PDF
- @inproceedings{Wang2021oct2,
- author = {Wang, Bingnan and Shin, Kyung-Hun and Hidaka, Yuki and Kondo, Shota and Arita, Hideaki and Ito, Kazumasa},
- title = {Analytical Magnetic Model for Variable-Flux Interior Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors},
- booktitle = {IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition (ECCE)},
- year = 2021,
- month = oct,
- url = {https://www.merl.com/publications/TR2021-123}
- }
- , "Solving Bernoulli Bandit Problems for Weather-relative Overhead Distribution Line Failures Forecasting", IEEE PES GM, July 2021.BibTeX TR2021-087 PDF
- @inproceedings{Wang2021jul2,
- author = {Wang, Shengyi and Sun, Hongbo and Kim, Kyeong Jin and Guo, Jianlin and Nikovski, Daniel N.},
- title = {Solving Bernoulli Bandit Problems for Weather-relative Overhead Distribution Line Failures Forecasting},
- booktitle = {IEEE PES GM},
- year = 2021,
- month = jul,
- url = {https://www.merl.com/publications/TR2021-087}
- }
- , "Few-Shot Bearing Fault Diagnosis Based on Model-Agnostic Meta-Learning", IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications, DOI: 10.1109/TIA.2021.3091958, June 2021.BibTeX TR2021-081 PDF
- @article{Zhang2021jun,
- author = {Zhang, Shen and Ye, Fei and Wang, Bingnan and Habetler, Thomas G},
- title = {Few-Shot Bearing Fault Diagnosis Based on Model-Agnostic Meta-Learning},
- journal = {IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications},
- year = 2021,
- month = jun,
- doi = {10.1109/TIA.2021.3091958},
- url = {https://www.merl.com/publications/TR2021-081}
- }
- , "High-Torque Direct-Drive Machine with Combined Axial- and Radial-flux Out-runner Vernier Permanent Magnet Motor", International Electric Machine & Drives Conference (IEMDC), DOI: 10.1109/IEMDC47953.2021.9449499, May 2021, pp. 1-8.BibTeX TR2021-050 PDF
- @inproceedings{Zhou2021may,
- author = {Zhou, Lei and Guo, Feng and Wang, Hongyu and Wang, Bingnan},
- title = {High-Torque Direct-Drive Machine with Combined Axial- and Radial-flux Out-runner Vernier Permanent Magnet Motor},
- booktitle = {2021 IEEE International Electric Machines Drives Conference (IEMDC)},
- year = 2021,
- pages = {1--8},
- month = may,
- publisher = {IEEE},
- doi = {10.1109/IEMDC47953.2021.9449499},
- url = {https://www.merl.com/publications/TR2021-050}
- }
- , "Improving Passenger Comfort by Exploiting Hub Motors in Electric Vehicles: Suspension Modeling", ASME Dynamic Systems and Control Conference (DSCC), DOI: 10.1115/DSCC2020-3167, January 2021.BibTeX TR2021-019 PDF
- @inproceedings{Chen2021jan,
- author = {Chen, Di and Danielson, Claus and Masahiro, Iezawa},
- title = {Improving Passenger Comfort by Exploiting Hub Motors in Electric Vehicles: Suspension Modeling},
- booktitle = {ASME Dynamic Systems and Control Conference (DSCC)},
- year = 2021,
- month = jan,
- doi = {10.1115/DSCC2020-3167},
- url = {https://www.merl.com/publications/TR2021-019}
- }
- , "Quantification of Induction Motor Bearing Fault Severity based on Modified Winding Function Theory", International Conference on Electrical Machines and Systems (ICEMS), November 2021.
