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Program

Special Sessions & Workshops

Organizer: Sreekant Narumanchi (National Renewable Energy Laboratory)

Presenters: Andrew Binder (Sandia National Laboratories), Jun Cui (Ames National Laboratory), Shajjad Chowdhury (Oak Ridge National Laboratory), Gilbert Moreno, and Sreekant Narumanchi (National Renewable Energy Laboratory)

Overall Abstract: This Special Session will present state of the art, challenges, and opportunities for reliable and high-performance traction drive systems for medium- and heavy-duty vehicle applications.

 

Presenters

Sreekant Narumanchi

Sreekant Narumanchi
National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Presentation Title: Overview

Abstract: An overview will be presented covering power die/chips, magnetic materials for power electronics and electric motors, power modules, inverter/converter and electric motors, thermal management, reliability, and digital twin diagnostics and prognostics in the context of medium- and heavy-duty on-road vehicle applications.

Biography: Sreekant Narumanchi is a Distinguished Member of Research Staff and the Group Manager of the Advanced Power Electronics and Electric Machines (APEEM) group within the Energy Conversion and Storage Systems Center at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, in Golden, CO, U.S.A. He is an ASME Fellow, and an IEEE Senior Member. He has published over 135 peer-reviewed journal- and conference papers and book chapters, and 6 patents in packaging, thermal management and reliability. Professionally, he is active as an Associate Editor, a conference organizer, on advisory boards, and in leading technical committees. He has received multiple recognitions from ASME and IEEE.

 


 

Andrew Binder

Andrew Binder
Sandia National Laboratories

Presentation Title: Power Semiconductor Devices for Electric Drivetrains

Abstract: Next-generation power semiconductor devices are a key enabler in achieving the DOE targets for electric drivetrains. Developing new semiconductor devices is a costly and time-intensive process. Towards this end, high-fidelity models can be leveraged to predict the performance advantages of next-generation semiconductors, and those models can be deployed at the system level to understand the key advantages and true impact of new materials and devices. This talk will highlight the power semiconductors thrust within the NEXT-DRIVE project and the key experimental and modelling framework that is being established to create next-generation baselines.

Biography: Andrew T. Binder is a Principal Member of Technical Staff at Sandia National Laboratories. His research is focused on the development of kilovolt-class power semiconductor devices. Andrew leads a multidisciplinary team developing vertical GaN JBS and MOSFET devices as well as SiC BiDFETs. Under his leadership this team has successfully demonstrated a new process for vertical GaN trench MOSFETs at Sandia, an accomplishment which was selected to be featured in the 2021 U.S. DRIVE Highlight by the DOE. In addition to microfabrication, his research background includes a focus on the physics and modelling of breakdown for wide-bandgap power devices.

 


 

Jun Cui

Jun Cui
Ames National Laboratory

Presentation Title: Magnetic Materials for EV Traction Motors and Power Electronics

Abstract: Magnetic materials are essential to EV motors and drive systems. Their development—spanning magnets, stator/rotor laminates, EMI filters, and inductors—focuses on boosting power density and efficiency while reducing the cost, and more recently, the supply risk. This talk reviews key challenges and recent progress. It covers both rare-earth and rare-earth-free permanent magnets; compares high-silicon, amorphous, and nanocrystalline electrical steels; and explores materials for filters and inductors, including soft ferrites, soft magnetic composites, and nitrides. The goal is to identify paths toward scalable, high-performance solutions for next-generation EV power electronics and motor systems.

Biography: Dr. Jun Cui specializes in ferroic materials for energy-efficient and renewable applications, including work on permanent magnets, high-silicon steel, high-entropy alloys, elastocaloric metals, and cryogenic magnetocalorics. He leads research in high-throughput materials synthesis and characterization. Before joining Iowa State University and Ames National Laboratory in 2015, he held positions at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and GE Global Research. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota and completed postdoctoral work at the University of Maryland. Dr. Cui holds 10 patents, 15 pending applications, and has authored over 100 peer-reviewed publications.

 


 

Shajjad Chowdhur

Shajjad Chowdhury
Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Presentation Title: Electric Drive Components for Medium and Heavy-Duty Vehicles

Abstract: This presentation will explore current and emerging technologies aimed at significantly enhancing the operational lifetime and performance of medium-duty and heavy-duty electric traction drive units. While innovations from light-duty vehicle applications offer a foundation, additional advancements are required to meet the demanding targets set by the DOE and the 21st Century Truck Partnership’s Electrification Technologies Sector team. The presenter will highlight proven technologies, potential adaptations, and novel approaches that promise improved efficiency, durability, and reliability. Emphasis will be placed on overcoming cost barriers and enabling mass market adoption through breakthroughs in materials, design, and system integration.

Biography: Shajjad Chowdhury received the M.Sc. degree in power and control engineering from Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, U.K., in 2011, and the Ph.D. degree in electrical and electronics engineering from the University of Nottingham, Nottingham, U.K., in 2016. In January 2017, he joined the Power Electronics, Machines and Control Group, University of Nottingham, as a Research Fellow. In 2018, he joined the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA, where he is currently working as a Senior Research Staff with the Electric Drive Research Group. His research interests include multilevel converters, modulation schemes, and high-performance ac drives.

 


 

Gilbert Moreno

Gilbert Moreno
National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Title: Thermal Management and Thermo-Mechanical Reliability (Power Electronics and Electric Motor)

Abstract: The presentation will provide an overview of automotive power electronics and electric machines thermal management systems that are typical for light-duty vehicles. Unique thermal and environmental aspects related to medium and heavy-duty vehicle applications will then be discussed. Finally, advanced thermal management and packaging technologies that could be evaluated and used in this project will be described.

Biography: Gilbert Moreno is a senior research engineer at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory where he conducts research into the thermal management of power electronics. He has worked at NREL for over 15 years developing advanced cooling technologies for various DOE and strategic partnership projects. He is an ASME Fellow.

Title: Title: NREL Activities and Capabilities in Electronics Packaging Across Multiple Applications

Organizer: Jimil Shah (Mara Holdings)

Presenters: David Sickinger, Ramanathan Thiagarajan, and Sreekant Narumanchi (National Renewable Energy Laboratory)

Abstract: This special session will involve researchers/managers from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) providing an overview of their groups, centers, and activities at the intersection of electronics packaging and applications such as high-performance computing, artificial intelligence, data centers, grid-tied power electronics and systems, vehicles, and other energy-efficiency applications. The intent will be to share NREL information with the audience with the intent of promoting interactions and collaborations.

Presenters

David Sickinger

Biography: David Sickinger is a researcher in the Advanced Computing Operations Group within the Computational Science Center at NREL. Since 2012, he has been involved with the operation of the mechanical systems supporting NREL's High Performance Computing data center. His research focus is on energy-/water- efficient data center facilities, liquid-cooling technologies, and currently leading a project team to evaluate next generation of cooling technologies being developed by teams in the ARPA-E COOLERCHIPS program. He has a MS degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Arizona, and is a Data Center Energy Practitioner (DCEP - from the U.S. Department of Energy).

 


 

Ramanathan Thiagarajan

Biography: Ramanathan Thiagarajan is a researcher with the Power Systems Engineering Center at NREL since February 2018. He has experience in design, testing, and characterization of power converters from low- voltage to medium-voltage scale from tens to hundreds of kilowatts of power. He has worked in multiple U.S. Department of Energy efforts on the topic of reliability of photovoltaic inverters from modeling to hardware design to standards development. He also works with power utilities for addressing challenges associated with grid integration of renewables. He has served as the hardware lead for multiple projects involving development of a test bed to characterize inverter response to grid disturbances. His expertise lies at the intersection of power systems and power electronics.

 


 

Sreekant Narumanchi

Biography: Sreekant Narumanchi is a Distinguished Member of Research Staff and Group Manager of the Advanced Power Electronics and Electric Machines (APEEM) group within the Energy Conversion and Storage Systems Center at NREL. He is an ASME Fellow, and an IEEE Senior Member. He has published over 135 peer-reviewed journal- and conference papers and book chapters, and received 6 patents in packaging, thermal management and reliability for (power) electronics and electric machines for vehicles, and multiple other applications. Professionally, he is active as an Associate Editor, conference organizer, on advisory boards, and in technical committees. He has received multiple recognitions from ASME and IEEE.