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Projects: Projects for Investigator
Reference Number EP/S024069/1
Title EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Power Electronics for Sustainable Electric Propulsion (PEEP)
Status Started
Energy Categories Energy Efficiency(Transport) 25%;
Not Energy Related 75%;
Research Types Training 100%
Science and Technology Fields ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Electrical and Electronic Engineering) 100%
UKERC Cross Cutting Characterisation Not Cross-cutting 75%;
Other (Energy technology information dissemination) 25%;
Principal Investigator Dr V Pickert
No email address given
Electrical, Electronic & Computer Eng
Newcastle University
Award Type Standard
Funding Source EPSRC
Start Date 01 April 2019
End Date 30 September 2027
Duration 102 months
Total Grant Value £5,591,519
Industrial Sectors Energy; Transport Systems and Vehicles
Region North East
Programme Non Theme Specific
 
Investigators Principal Investigator Dr V Pickert , Electrical, Electronic & Computer Eng, Newcastle University (99.991%)
  Other Investigator Professor NG Wright , Electrical, Electronic & Computer Eng, Newcastle University (0.001%)
Professor A O'Neill , Electrical, Electronic & Computer Eng, Newcastle University (0.001%)
Professor BC Mecrow , Electrical, Electronic & Computer Eng, Newcastle University (0.001%)
Professor J (Jon ) Clare , Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Nottingham (0.001%)
Dr P Zanchetta , Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Nottingham (0.001%)
Dr P Wheeler , Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Nottingham (0.001%)
Professor CM Johnson , Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Nottingham (0.001%)
Dr CN Eastwick , Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Nottingham (0.001%)
Dr GJ Atkinson , Sch of Engineering, Newcastle University (0.001%)
  Industrial Collaborator Project Contact , Höganäs AB, Sweden (0.000%)
Project Contact , The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) (0.000%)
Project Contact , Dyson Appliances Ltd (0.000%)
Project Contact , Turbo Power Systems Ltd (0.000%)
Project Contact , AVL Powertrain UK Ltd (0.000%)
Project Contact , Ricardo AEA Limited (0.000%)
Project Contact , Changan UK R&D Centre Ltd (0.000%)
Project Contact , Knowledge Transfer Network Limited (0.000%)
Project Contact , IXYS UK Westcode Ltd (0.000%)
Project Contact , Dynex Semiconductor Ltd (0.000%)
Project Contact , AVID Technology Limited (0.000%)
Project Contact , Nidec Control Techniques Ltd (0.000%)
Project Contact , Advanced Propulsion Centre UK Ltd (APC) (0.000%)
Project Contact , Compound Semiconductor Applications Catapult (0.000%)
Project Contact , Cummins Generator Technologies (0.000%)
Project Contact , GKN Innovation Centre (0.000%)
Project Contact , Goodrich Actuation Systems (0.000%)
Project Contact , TT Electronics (0.000%)
Project Contact , PowerelectronicsUK (0.000%)
Project Contact , Protean Electric Limited (0.000%)
Web Site
Objectives
Abstract Over the next twenty years, the automotive and aerospace sector will undergo a fundamental revolution in propulsion technology. The automotive sector will rapidly move away from petrol and diesel engine powered cars towards fully electric propelled vehicles whilst planes will move away from pure kerosene powered jet engines to hybrid-electric propulsion. The automotive and aerospace industry has worked for the last two decades on developing electric propulsion research but development investment from industry and governments was low until recently, due to lag of legislation to significantly reduce greenhouse gases. Since the ratification of the 2016 Paris Agreement, which aims to keep global temperature rise this century well below 2 degrees Celsius, governments of industrial developed nations have now legislated to ban new combustion powered vehicles (by 2040 in the UK and France, by 2030 in Germany and similar legislation is expected soon in China). The implementation of this ban will see a sharp rise of the global electric vehicle market to 7.5 million by 2020 with exponential growth. In the aerospace sector, Airbus, Siemens and Rolls-Royce have announced a 100-seater hybrid-electric aircraft to be launched by 2030 following successful tests of 2 seater electric powered planes. Other American and European aerospace industries such as Boeing and General Electric must also prepare for this fundamental shift in propulsion technology.Every electric car and every hybrid-electric plane needs an electric drive (propulsion) system, which typically comprises a motor and the electronics that controls the flow of energy to the motor. In order to make this a cost-effective reality, the cost of electric drives must be halved and their size and weight must be reduced by up to 500% compared to today's drive systems. These targets can only be achieved by radical integration of these two sub-systems that form an electric drive: the electric motor and the power electronics (capacitors, inductors and semiconductor switches). These are currently built as two independent systems and the fusion of both creates new interactions and physical phenomena between power electronics components and the electric motor. For example, all power electronics components would experience lots of mechanical vibrations and heat from the electric motor. Other challenges are in the assembly of connecting millimetre thin power electronics semiconductors onto a large hundred times bigger aluminium block that houses the electric motor for mechanical strength.To achieve this type of integration, industry recognises that future professional engineers need skills beyond the classical multi-disciplinary approach where individual experts work together in a team. Future propulsion engineers must adopt cross-disciplinary and creative thinking in order to understand the requirements of other disciplines. In addition, they will need an understanding of non-traditional engineering subjectssuch as business thinking, use of big data, environmental issues and ethical impact. Future propulsion engineers will need to experience a training environment that emphasises both deep subject knowledge and cross-disciplinary thinking.This EPSRC CDT in Power Electronics for Sustainable Electric Propulsion is formed by two of UK's largest and most forward thinking research groups in this field (at Newcastle and Nottingham Universities) and includes 16 leading industrial partners (Cummins, Dyson, CRRC, Protean, to name a few). All of them sharing one vision: To create a new generation of UK power electronics specialists, needed to meet the societal and industrial demand for clean, electric propulsion systems in future automotive and aerospace transport infrastructures.
Publications (none)
Final Report (none)
Added to Database 21/08/19