From April 7 to April 12, a delegation of students from the Department of Electrical Engineering and Applied Electronics (EEA) at Tsinghua University attended the 2024 Annual Academic Conference of the Center for Power Electronics Systems (CPES) at Virginia Tech, as part of the cooperative exchange agreement between the two universities. The delegation comprised six PhD and undergraduate students, led by PhD student Yi Zheyuan.

Group photo in front of the conference poster

This year’s CPES conference focused on the challenges faced by power electronics technology and industry in the global carbon neutrality process. The conference featured three keynote speeches and two special lectures by experts from industry, academia, and government. Additionally, CPES graduate students presented 22 academic reports. Unique to this year, the conference included a special seminar on “Electrification of Green Infrastructure” at the Arlington campus on the final day. During the conference, the students from Tsinghua actively participated in the academic presentations and seminars, engaging in discussions and posing questions to experts and peers about the forefront of power electronics technology.

Yi Zheyuan and Xiao Yikang asking questions at the Conference

On the afternoon of April 9, the six students presented their latest research findings through electronic posters during the lab exchange session, engaging in lively academic discussions with professionals from various sectors. Their presentations covered cutting-edge topics such as high-frequency magnetic component design, wide-bandgap device modeling and simulation, and analysis and control of new power electronic converters and machines. The specific topics included: Yi Zheyuan: Loss evaluation method for high-frequency transformers based on surface temperature measurement; Wang Zhe: Design method for a coupled inductor with DC flux cancellation suitable for interleaved parallel circuits; Xiao Yikang: Segmental analytical model of switching transients in SiC MOSFET-SiC Schottky diode commutation pairs; Pang Jupeng: Topology and control of multi-level dual active bridge DC-DC converters; Su Bowen: Magnetic core loss prediction method based on multi-head attention mechanism; Liu Wei: Temperature model simulation of electrically excited double salient pole generator.

Yi Zheyuan, Wang Zhe, Xiao Yikang, Pang Jupeng, Su Bowen, and Liu Wei presenting reports and interacting with experts such as Prof. Dushan Boroyevich

During their visit, the students also toured the CPES labs and had the opportunity to meet Prof. Fred C. Lee, an internationally renowned scientist in power electronics and founder of CPES, along with other experts, further enhancing their academic experience.

This in-person participation provided a valuable platform for exchange and collaboration between faculty and students from Tsinghua University and Virginia Tech in the field of power electronics. It allowed Tsinghua’s latest research achievements to be showcased on an international stage, enabling participants to absorb cutting-edge information and promoting the advancement of power electronics science and technology.

Group photo with CPES professors and Tsinghua alumnus Richard Zhang

Virginia Tech is a globally renowned institution in the field of engineering education, particularly in electrical engineering (power systems and power electronics), where it has long held a leading position among universities worldwide. The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering boasts 4 National Academy of Engineering members and 15 IEEE Fellows. It houses two world-class research platforms: the Power and Energy Center (PEC) and the Center for Power Electronics Systems (CPES). CPES, established over 30 years ago as the first engineering research center in the field of electrical engineering approved by the National Science Foundation (NSF), has become one of the most prestigious research institutions in power electronics globally, consistently leading the development of power electronics science and technology. Professor Fred C. Lee, the founder of CPES, a National Academy of Engineering member, and a foreign member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, is a renowned scientist in the field of power electronics. He has long supported the development of Tsinghua University’s power electronics discipline. In 2017, he was appointed as a Chair Professor at Tsinghua University, where he established the Power Electronics Chair Professors group and taught the graduate course “Modeling and Control of Power Electronic Converters”, which has been well-received by students and faculty. Professor Dushan Boroyevich, another National Academy of Engineering member, served as the long-term director of CPES and has been dedicated to fostering collaboration with Tsinghua University. In 2018, he facilitated the signing of a cooperation agreement between EEA, Tsinghua University and ECE, VT. He has frequently invited Tsinghua faculty and students to participate in CPES academic activities, both online and offline. The CPES Annual Academic Conference, held every April, is a highly influential international event in the field of power electronics. The conference covers a range of hot topics, including wide-bandgap semiconductor packaging and modeling, converter modeling and control, and system integration of power electronic converters.