RESEARCH
Advancing Innovation in Power and Energy Systems
ASPEN lab advances innovation in power and energy systems by developing new design frameworks, models, and control strategies that redefine how energy is converted, stored, and managed. Our research spans electric machines and motor drives, energy storage systems, and power electronics, addressing fundamental challenges in efficiency, reliability, and performance across transportation (including eVTOLs), grid, and datacenter environments.
Battery Management Systems for Safe Pack Design
We are developing battery management systems with intelligent sensing, modeling, and control to ensure safe, efficient, and long-life operation of advanced battery packs. We have a pending patent on age-aware BMS design that accounts for degradation and usage history to improve state estimation, health monitoring, and fault detection across demanding operating conditions.
Multiphysics Co-Design of Rare-Earth Free Electric Machines
This research focuses on the design of rare-earth-free electric machines to enable high-performance, sustainable electrification. Our team has several patents on novel machine topologies, particularly on Switched Reluctance Machines. We are researching advanced materials, co-design with power electronics and control to achieve efficiency, reliability, and scalability without reliance on critical rare-earth elements.
Power Electronics for Energy Storage Systems Under Extreme Conditions
We are developing fast-charging strategies for lithium-ion batteries in cold environments by coordinating charging control with an integrated battery thermal management system that maintains the cells within a charge-acceptable temperature window. By using temperature-aware constraints, the approach seeks to reduce charging time while limiting lithium plating risk and preserving long-term durability under cold-start operation.
AI-Enabled Digital Twins for Transportation Systems
We are developing digital twins for transportation systems to enable rapid design, evaluation, and lifecycle monitoring of electrified platforms. We apply high-fidelity, physics-informed digital twins to drones and electric drivetrains, supporting fast performance assessment, health monitoring, and robust operation under real-world conditions.
Second Life Batteries for Grid-Tied Systems
Our team is exploring second-life battery systems for grid-tied applications, repurposing retired EV/eVTOL batteries for stationary energy storage. We develop methods for health assessment, reconfiguration, and control to enable safe, reliable, and economically viable integration of aged batteries into grid-support and resilience applications.
Power Electronics for High-Efficiency Electric Motor/Generator Drives
We are studying high-efficiency motor and generator drive systems, including adjustable-speed drives, bidirectional power conversion, and advanced control strategies. The work targets transportation electrification, industrial systems, and data-center infrastructure, emphasizing efficiency, reliability, and scalable deployment under demanding operating conditions.
Converters/Inverters for Grid-Tied Systems and Data Centers
This research focuses on power converters and inverters for grid-tied systems and data-center applications, with an emphasis on high efficiency, reliability, and power quality. We develop advanced converter topologies and control strategies to support grid interaction, resilience, and scalable deployment in high-power, mission-critical environments.
