PhD Student Researcher
University of California, Berkeley
Department of Electrical Engineering
Coordinates
264M Cory Hall
Berkeley, CA 94720-1770
About Me
I am a PhD graduate student working in the Connectivity Lab under the direction of Professor Ahmad Bahai. My interests have converged to applying dynamical system and optimization theory to real world problems to improve overall system performance and reliability. The nature of my work requires construction of robust, accurate hardware and software systems for data collection and processing. I work part-time for National Semiconductor in the research and development group. My current project involves improving handset battery management with the general framework being applicable to much larger systems such as electric vehicles and grid storage. I was a member of the technical staff responsible for the development of the technology behind the SolarMagicTM Power Converter. I am a coinventer on the pending US patent "System and Method for Over-Voltage Protection of a Photovoltaic System with Distributed Maximum Power Point Tracking."
Education
- B.S. Dual Major Electrical Engineering / Computer Engineering, University of Connecticut, May 2005
- M.S. Aeronautical & Astronautical Engineering, Stanford University, June 2006
- Stanford Graduate Fellow
- PhD student in Electrical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley
Current Research Interests
Handset Battery Management
I am working with National Semiconductor to characterize lithium ion and lithium polymer cells under a variety of operating conditions. The goal is to create model that accurately represents the amount of remaining capacity left in the cell based off past usage information and current power distribution system operation information. The model will take into account thermal and cycle effects and provide prognostic estimates of the future health of the battery. Stocahstic high power loads on the battery from the apps processor will create new challenges for modeling.
Microgrid Energy Management
This project is sponsored by Sumitomo Electric Industries to look at neighborhood level energy management. We are investigating the new unique challenges associated with distributed renewables and electric vehicles. The current control strategies on the grid assume a limited amount of variability, which motivates our work into new ways of managing highly variable sources and loads.
Prior Research Topics
Electric Vehicle Battery Balancing
With some vehicles having as many as 7000 individual cells, the battery management system (BMS) has become a key component in electric and hybrid vehicles. This work with National Semiconductor involved developing a novel active battery management architecture for next generation electric vehicles.
Powerline Communication
With the ratification of the IEEE 1901 standard, a new market of communication devices that promise 500Mbps data rates is almost assured. I am interested in learning more about the challenges of providing high data rates in a noisy nonlinear environment.
Toyota Prius Energy Monitoring and Optimization
I worked with TOYOTA InfoTechnology Center in Mountain View, CA on an investigation into the energy efficiency of the Toyota Prius. I used a Toyota Prius outfitted with additional sensors specifically selected for providing additional information about the state of the environment surrounding the car. These sensors decode signal light timing information; monitor position and velocity with GPS/INS; and measure motor, engine, and battery states. Using this information, I did a preliminary study aimed at helping the driver conserve energy.