International Collaboration Sabbatical: To Foster Long-term Collaboration with Leading Control and Power Electronics Experts in the USA

为了帮助建设低碳经济和应对气候变化，英国制定了到2050年将碳排放减少80%的目标。这需要能源生产、运输/分配、消费和监管的所有部门共同努力，提供负担得起的能源，并开发新的能源。人们普遍认为，控制和电力电子技术使这些部门的技术能够实现这一目标。尽管英国在控制和电力电子领域拥有世界领先的研究人员，但目前这些领域的大部分研究活动都在美国。拟议的休假将使PI能够与世界领先的美国控制和电力电子专家合作一年，以促进具体的长期最佳合作。在拟议的休假期间，PI将在生物燃料、轴向磁通永磁同步电机、小型核反应堆、电动汽车驱动系统、电动汽车高密度功率转换器、分布式发电和可再生能源的并网以及逆变器的并联运行方面与东道主密切合作。最后一项对于分布式发电和可再生能源、船舶和飞机上的电力系统至关重要。拟议的休假将使PI能够：(1)抓住加州大学圣地亚哥分校Cmer控制系统和动力学中心的独特机会，为PI进入新的应用领域，如生物燃料、轴向磁通永磁同步电机和核能发电机，并进一步推动PI在连续搅拌槽反应器(CSTR)和AC Ward Leonard驱动系统方面的工作(2)通过访问弗吉尼亚理工大学电力电子系统中心(CPES)现有的最好设施，打开影响研究的新途径，从而拓宽和加强PI的研究。CPES将在同步器、AC Ward Leonard驱动系统和坚固耐用的下垂控制器上进行密集的实验，以提高这些技术的技术准备水平(TRL)，CPES产业伙伴计划将提供极好的商业机会。(3)沉浸在主办中心最活跃的研究环境中，与控制和电力电子领域的最聪明的人分享想法。这使PI能够与他们并肩工作，与Cmer Center和CPES建立具体的长期合作关系。(4)在美国大学进行演讲，以提高英国控制和电力电子研究的声誉和显赫地位，并与该领域的其他领先研究人员建立网络，以便获得新的见解和想法(5)从东道主那里获得第一手经验，了解如何建立、管理和运营一个吸引大量行业合作伙伴的领先研究中心(6)通过合作计划探索和吸引美国资助机构和行业的资金。拟议的休假将使PI及其团队受益，美国接待了控制和电力电子领域的其他学术研究人员、参与研究的工业公司，最终还接待了相关工业部门和英国经济。它将提高与美国学术界和产业界在EPSRC的材料、机械和医学工程计划方面的合作水平和质量，并有助于提高英国在控制和电力电子研究方面的声誉和显赫地位。

To help build a low carbon economy and combat the climate change, the UK has a target to reduce carbon emissions by 80% by 2050. This requires all sectors of energy generation, transport/distribution, consumption and regulation work together to provide affordable energy and to develop new sources of energy. It has been widely recognised that control and power electronics are enabling technologies for these sectors to achieve the target. Although there are world-leading researchers in the UK in control and power electronics, the majority of the current research activities in these areas are in the US. The proposed sabbatical will enable the PI to work with world-leading US experts in control and power electronics for one year to foster concrete long-term best-with-best collaborations.During the proposed sabbatical, the PI will be working closely with the hosts on bio-fuels, axial flux permanent magnet synchronous machines, small nuclear reactors, electric vehicle drive systems, high-density power converters for EVs, grid connection of distributed generation and renewable energy, and parallel operation of inverters. The last one is vital for distributed generation and renewable energy, power systems on ships and aircraft. The proposed sabbatical will enable the PI:(1) to take the unique opportunities at the Cymer Center for Control Systems and Dynamics, University of California San Diego, for the PI to enter new application areas, such as bio-fuels, axial flux permanent magnet synchronous machines and nuclear generators and to further the PI's work on continuous stirred-tank reactor (CSTR) and AC Ward Leonard drive systems(2) to open new routes to impact for research via accessing the best facilities available at the Center for Power Electronics Systems (CPES), Virginia Tech, which are not available at the home university so that the research of PI can be broadened and enhanced. Intensive experiments will be carried out at CPES on sychronverters, AC Ward Leonard drive systems and robust droop controllers to increase the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of these technologies and the CPES Industry Partnership Program will provide excellent commercial opportunities.(3) to be immersed in the most vibrant research environments at the host centers and share ideas with the brightest minds in control and power electronics. This enables the PI to work with them side-by-side to foster concrete long-term collaboration relationship with Cymer Center and CPES.(4) to give talks at US universities to enhance the reputation and prominence of UK research in control and power electronics, and to network with other leading researchers in the area so that new insights and ideas can be gained(5) to gain first-hand experiences from the hosts in how to establish, manage and operate a leading research center that attracts a large number of industrial partners(6) to explore and attract funding from US funding bodies and industry via collaborative schemesThe proposed sabbatical will benefit the PI and his team, the US hosts, other academic researchers in control and power electronics, the industrial companies involved in the research and, eventually, the relevant industrial sectors and the UK economy. It will enahnce the level and quality of collaboration with US academia and industry within the Material, Mechanical and Medical Engineering programme of EPSRC, and help advance the reputation and prominence of UK research in control and power electronics.