Full Center Proposal (Phase I) for an I/UCRC for Electromagnetic Compatibility
0934299 Clemson University; Todd Hubing
Clemson University (CU) seeks to join the existing I/UCRC "Electromagnetic Compatibility" consisting of the Missouri University of Science and Technology (MST) and the University of Houston (UH). MST is the lead institution of the proposed Center.
Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) is an essential feature of virtually all high speed digital electronic assistants and home entertainment centers to essential control and information processing systems. EMC is the ability of these electronic systems to function reliably without causing interference to other electronic systems, being overly sensitive to weak signals generated by other electronic systems, and generating signals in one part of the system interfering with the operation of another part of the same system. The PI's move to CU and the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR) provides a unique opportunity to significantly expand the automotive research being done. The CU-ICAR faculty and facilities will help attract new center memberships representing the automotive, aerospace, and industrial automation industries. The Clemson Vehicular Electronics Laboratory has helped more than a dozen companies address EMC-related problems through research projects, consulting and short courses.
The proposed Center will encourage collaboration amongst the institutions, and is committed to providing a skilled and diverse workforce in the area of EMC as required by industry. The research will expose students and faculty to state-of-the-art research projects of value to the industry. Much of the material developed as a result of the research performed by the university participants has been incorporated into short courses, and CU intends to use some parts of this short course to address diversity by improving its recruiting of underrepresented groups among the graduate student population. CU also intends to develop some demonstrations suitable for K-12 programs designed to interest high school students in technical careers. In September 2008, CU was honored at the National Role Models Conference in Arlington, VA for its success in several high-profile diversity programs.
NSF I/UCRC for Electromagnetic Compatibility at Clemson Project Outcomes In the past five years, the EMC Center at Clemson University has worked directly with six companies, and indirectly with many other companies affiliated with the center, to address issues affecting the electromagnetic compatibility of electronic products. Major projects completed by the center during this period include: A project addressing the reliable design of safety-critical automotive control systems, The development of methods for reducing the electronic noise associated with high-voltage power inverters (e.g. the type of inverters used in electric and hybrid electric vehicles), A design methodology and set of tools for ensuring that electronic systems will meet their electromagnetic compatibility requirements the first time they are tested in a laboratory, A method for modeling the conversion of signal energy to radiated noise in high-speed connectors and in complex wiring harnesses, Improved electronic noise filtering techniques for keeping very high frequency noise from being radiated by unshielded cables, A non-intrusive method for recognizing changes in the electrical behavior of power electronics circuitry that precede an imminent failure, allowing preemptive action to be taken. These projects have contributed to the support and education of 12 graduate students and have resulted in 24 technical publications so far. Results have been shared with hundreds of electronics design engineers through short courses, seminars and technical presentations. Design innovations resulting from these projects can be found in a wide range of products and are likely to influence the design of many more in the coming years. Although the portion of the project funded by NSF has ended, the EMC Center at Clemson is still active. They continue to work with companies in the automotive, consumer electronics and telecommunications fields to identify, model and develop solutions for problems related to electromagnetic interference.
