Keynote Speakers
Prof. Mo-Yuen Chow
Fellow, IEEE
North Carolina State University, USA
Bio - Mo-Yuen Chow earned his degree in Electrical and
Computer Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (B.S., 1982);
and Cornell University (M. Eng., 1983; Ph.D., 1987). Upon completion of his
Ph.D. degree, Dr. Chow joined the Department of Electrical and Computer
Engineering at North Carolina State University as an Assistant Professor. He
became an Associate Professor in 1993, and a Professor since 1999. Dr. Chow
is a Changjiang Scholar and a Visiting Professor at Zhejiang University. He
worked in U.S. Army, TACOM TARDEC Division as a Senior Research Scientist
during the summer of 2003. He spent his sabbatical leave as a Visiting
Scientist in 1995 in ABB Automated Distribution Division.
Dr. Mo-Yuen Chow is the founder and the director of the Advanced Diagnosis,
Automation and Control Laboratory at North Carolina State University. His
recent research focuses on distributed control, and fault management with
applications on smart grids, PHEVs, batteries, and mechatronics/robotics
systems. He has served as a Principal Investigator in projects supported by
various federal agencies and private companies. He has published one book,
seven book chapters, and over two hundred journal and conference articles.
Dr. Chow is an IEEE Fellow, a co-Editor-in-Chief of IEEE Transactions on
Industrial Informatics, was the Editor-in-Chief of IEEE Transactions on
Industrial Electronics 2010-2012, a co-Editor-in-Chief of IEEE Transactions
on Industrial Electronics, a past Technical Editor of IEEE Transactions on
Mechatronics, a past Associate Editor of the IEEE Transactions on Industrial
Electronics and IEEE Transactions on Industrial Informatics. He was the Vice
President for Publication of IEEE Industrial Electronics Society in
2006-2007, and the Vice President for Membership of IEEE Industrial
Electronics Society in 2000-2001. He was the General Chair of IEEE-IECON05,
the General Co-Chair of IEEE-IECON10 and IEEE-ISIE12.
Dr. Chow served as a guest editor for the IEEE Transactions on Mechatronics
Focus Section on Mechatronics in Multi Robot Systems (2009), IEEE
Transactions on Industrial Electronics special sections on Distributed
Network-Based Control Systems and Applications (2003), on Motor Fault
Detection and Diagnosis (2000), and on Application of Intelligent Systems to
Industrial Electronics (1993). He was a Senior Fellow of Japan Society for
the Promotion of Science in 2003. He has received the IEEE Eastern North
Carolina Section Outstanding Engineering Educator Award in 2004, the IEEE
Region-3 Joseph M. Biedenbach Outstanding Engineering Educator Award in
2005, the IEEE Eastern North Carolina Section Outstanding Service Award in
2007, the IEEE Industrial Electronics Society Anthony J Hornfeck Service
Award in 2013. He is a Distinguished Lecturer of IEEE IES.
Prof. Li Ran
Fellow, IEEE & Fellow, IET
University of Warwick, UK & Huairou Laboratory, China & Chongqing
University, China
Bio - Li Ran received his PhD in
Electrical Engineering from Chongqing University in 1989 and participated in
the commissioning of the Gezhouba–Nanqiao HVDC system in China. He spent
seven years in the UK as a research fellow at the Universities of Aberdeen,
Nottingham, and Heriot-Watt, working on marine electrical propulsion,
offshore electrical systems, and EMC in drives.
In 1999, he became a Lecturer at the University of Northumbria and later
moved to Durham University, where he was appointed Chair in 2010. He joined
the University of Warwick as Professor of Power Electronics in 2012 and
currently splits his time between Warwick and Chongqing. His recent research
focuses on power electronics for renewable generation and smart grids, and
on the reliability of power semiconductors. He has also been seconded to
Alstom Power Conversion, undertaken a sabbatical at MIT, and is currently
seconded to Huairou Laboratory in Beijing.
Li is Co-Director of the Warwick–Chongqing Joint Key Laboratory in SiC Power
Electronics. He has received a Global Research Award from the Royal Academy
of Engineering, the Stanley-Gray Award from IMarEST, and IEEE Prize Paper
Awards. In 2024, he was presented the Collaboration Commemoration Award by
CRRC. He is an IEEE Fellow, IET Fellow, and a Chartered Engineer in the UK.
Title of Speech: Power Semiconductor Devices for Modern Grids:
Challenges and Opportunities
Abstract: Power
electronic systems are increasingly deployed in transmission and
distribution grids to support a range of low-carbon objectives. These
systems include MMC HVDC links, solid-state transformers (SSTs), solid-state
circuit breakers, fault current limiters, converters for microgrids and
hybrid AC/DC networks, and unified power flow or current controllers. To
achieve critical low-carbon goals, it is essential that power electronic
systems are reliable, efficient, and cost-effective. This requirement poses
significant challenges for the development of power semiconductor devices,
which largely determine overall system performance.
This presentation reviews the requirements of grid applications for
high-voltage, high-current power semiconductor devices and examines the
challenges involved in developing such devices for converter designs.
Comparisons will be made between silicon IGBTs, IGCTs and silicon carbide
(SiC) MOSFETs, with their relative advantages assessed in representative
applications. Sensitivity analyses will be presented to identify key device
characteristics that will drive future development. The feasibility of
achieving these characteristics will be discussed from the perspectives of
device design, fabrication, and packaging.
Furthermore, the operational modes of power semiconductors in circuit
breakers and emerging grid-forming converters will be explored, along with
potential approaches to realizing them. The presentation aims to propose
strategies to advance the performance and applicability of power
semiconductor devices in modern low-carbon grids.
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Prof. Hongfa (Henry) Hu
University of Windsor, Canada
Bio - Dr. Hongfa (Henry) Hu is a tenured full Professor at
Department of Mechanical, Automotive & Materials Engineering, University of
Windsor. He was a senior research engineer at Ryobi Die Casting (USA), and a
Chief Metallurgist at Meridian Technologies, and a Research Scientist at
Institute of Magnesium Technology.
He received degrees from University of Toronto (Ph.D., 1996), University of
Windsor (M.A.Sc., 1991), and Shanghai University of Technology (B.A.Sc.,
1985). He was a NSERC Industrial Research Fellow (1995-1997). His
publications (over 250 papers) are in the area of magnesium alloys,
composites, metal casting, computer modelling, and physical metallurgy. He
was a Key Reader of the Board of Review of Metallurgical and Materials
Transactions, a Committee Member of the Grant Evaluation Group for Natural
Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, National Science
Foundation (USA) and Canadian Metallurgical Quarterly. He has served as a
member or chairman of various committees for CIM-METSOC, AFS, and USCAR.
The applicant’s current research is on materials processing and evaluation
of light alloys and composites. His recent fundamental research is focussed
on transport phenomena and mechanisms of solidification, phase
transformation and dissolution kinetics. His applied research has included
development of magnesium automotive applications, cost-effective casting
processes for novel composites, and control systems for casting processes.
His work on light alloys and composites has attracted the attention of
several automotive companies.
Title of Speech: Application of Light Alloys in Electric Motors
Abstract: Iron is the main component
of the earth's core, the most abundant element on the earth (about 35%), and
it is relatively high in the sun and other stars. Also, it is a common and
cheap metal in the manufacturing industry. Recently, with the rapid
development of electric vehicles, more and more automotive companies are
willing to develop new lightweight material for electric motors used in
electrical vehicles. The iron–containing aluminum alloys can be considered
as a good candidate, due to its great strength and electricity performance.
This review describes various properties of aluminum-iron alloys including
mechanical properties and electrical conductivities, as well their relation
to the Fe contents. Also, metallurgical aspects of aluminum-iron alloys,
including phase diagrams, equilibrium and non-equilibriun solidification,
microstructure development, and castability. The further research and
development work are outlined in terms of developing aluminum-iron alloys
for some potential and value-added automotive applications.
