Research Laboratories
Design Tools Lab - Dr. Roger Dougal
Our research focuses on creating collaborative multi-disciplinary design and simulation tools for complex systems. The early-stage concept design tool for naval systems, S3D, is based on our Virtual Test Bed software infrastructure. Our computing facilities include a wide variety of desktop systems suitable for code authoring, compilation, and software execution. Our group leases commercial cloud computing facilities when needed, and we have access to several computer clusters each 100’s of cores in size for computationally intensive research.
Energy Routing Lab - Dr. Herb Ginn
Our research is concerned with the design, development, evaluation, and control of energy routing methods and electronic devices to improve power system quality and reliability. The lab is equipped with multiple Power Electronics Building Blocks (PEBBs) which are configured as multipurpose bi-directional power converters. These converters are used to build larger systems, including configurations that recycle the power within the laboratory, permitting operation at higher powers than would otherwise be possible with the installed capacity.
Integrated Grids Lab
Our research looks at future power systems as integrations of energy and information infrastructures. Our lab provides a holistic real time simulation infrastructure that supports multi-physics simulation and communication network simulation, allowing testing of innovative solutions for grid control under quite realistic conditions. While our activity focuses mainly on distribution grids, the developed infrastructure can also support study of transmission grids and micro-grids, home energy systems or naval applications.
Microwave Engineering Lab - Dr. Mohammod Ali
Our research is focused on conformal antennas, broadband metamaterials, conformal
broadband pixelated reconfigurable antennas, conformal reconfigurable antennas, low
cost phased arrays for portables/wearables, wireless power transfer and wireless sensing.
Microwave and Power Microelectronics - Dr. Grigory Simin
Our research is related to design of semiconductor devices and integrated circuits
for microwave and power applications. Our main focus is on physics, design, characterization
and applications of transistors, diodes, varactors and other devices utilizing wide
bandgap materials, such as III-Nitride materials.
Photovoltaics and Nuclear Radiation Accounting Devices (PANRAD) - Dr. Krishna Mandal
Our group conducts research in two major areas: wide-bangap semiconductor based solid-state nuclear radiation detectors (alpha, beta, x-rays, gamma rays andneutrons) and front-end read-outelectronics for applications in Homeland Security, nuclear safeguard, space astronomy and medical imaging; the second area of focus is large-area, high efficiency, light-weight third generation photovoltaic solar cells using earth-abundant, non-toxic materials for economically sustainable energy solutions. The laboratories are primarily focused on crystal (bulk and thin films) growth, device fabrication, performance characterization and defect analysis.
Power Electronics Lab - Dr. Enrico Santi
Our research addresses the design, control, and performance of switching power converters and their constituent components. We use the power electronics lab for fabrication and testing of switching power converters and for testing multi-converter control techniques. We also perform power semiconductor device characterization and physics-based modeling to better understand power converter performance and to facilitate improved converter design, with particular emphasis on wide bandgap devices using silicon carbide and gallium nitride semiconductor materials.
Resilient Systems Lab - Dr. Xiaofeng Wang and Dr. Bin Zhang
Our research focuses on the design and control of safety critical systems. We integrate the requirements on performance, intelligence, and reliability in the system by using advanced control methods, adaptation and learning techniques, and fault diagnosis and tolerance strategies. We have facilities to verify our designs on unmanned vehicles, robotics, power electronics, and li-ion batteries.
Signal Integrity Lab - Dr. Paul Huray and Dr. Yinchao Chen
Our research is related to the design and simulation of advanced high speed circuits, particularly those of use in the computer industry. We use high speed oscilloscopes, vector network analyzers, and time delay reflectometers to validate simulations on printed circuit boards. We also teach graduate students how to use the technology in analysis.
Smart Microwave and RF Technology Lab - Dr. Guoan Wang
Our research is conducted at the convergence of novel materials, nano and microwave technology. We study nano patterned ferromagnetic thin films and ferroelectric thin films to explore their novel properties in RF and microwave frequencies.
Wireless Science and Engineering Lab - Dr. David Matolak
Our research addresses wireless communication and signaling systems for an extensive range of applications, from satellite to aircraft to terrestrial to micro-networks within integrated circuits. Our focus is the physical and data link layers, with novel contributions to wireless channel modeling, waveform design and performance evaluation, and multiple access designs.
Research Facilities
Carolina Microfabrication Center (CMC)
At CMC, we provide a one-stop shop with the facilities and expertise to execute your nanoscale concept structures and prototypes. Capabilities span the entire range of nanoscale device development, from lithography, all the way through structural, optical and electrical characterization. Facilities include mask aligners for photolithography, RIE etching, RF sputtering, e-beam evaporation, PECVD thin film deposition, rapid thermal processing (RTP), slow annealing furnaces, spinners, probe stations for electrical characterization, as well as a whole suite of material characterization. These capabilities may be useful to fabricate prototype devices in a variety of applications, such as microfluidics, RF high mobility electron transistors (HEMT’s), nano-biological sensors/systems, optical sensors etc.
Associated Consortia
ESRDC - Electric Ship Research and Development Consortium - Dr. Roger Dougal - Site
Director
Our research is developing new multidisciplinary tools and methods for designing revolutionary naval and marine systems that manage impulsive power and energy demands by applying dc power technologies at tens of kilovolts and tens-to-hundreds of megawatts. Our Smart Ship System Design software builds on the solid foundation of our Virtual Test Bed simulator for multidisciplinary dynamic systems. In power systems, our research addresses methods and technologies for measuring and controlling power system stability, for reducing the size, weight, and cost of electronically-mediated power systems, for designing survivable power architectures, and for developing design criteria for integrated electrical, mechanical, and thermal ship systems. Finally, our research is developing novel methods and technologies for control of autonomous electric power systems, for real time system-wide management of energy and stability, for intelligent controllers that can function with incomplete and uncertain information, for real-time estimation of system state, and for control of ~100MJ/second transients.