Research
PERL Competencies
The competencies of the centre lie in 6 key technology areas, namely:
- Power supply design and topology development,
- Electrical and mechanical system modelling and integration,
- Power and signal level IC design,
- Analogue and digital control,
- Signal processing and algorithm development, and
- Tachometry and motion control.
These skills are deployed in a diverse portfolio of research in the automotive, aerospace, lighting, computing and communications (fixed and mobile), energy (renewable and pervasive) and industrial automation sectors.
Collaborative Research
The activities of PERL are complemented by collaboration with other research groups in University College Cork who work in the areas of RFIC design, digital signal processing, control, optoelectronics, mechatronics, and sustainable energy. Furthermore, joint projects with external bodies such as the National University of Ireland, Galway, University of Limerick, the Tyndall National Institute, Cork Institute of Technology and various national and international industrial partners have established a network of fruitful research alliances.
Current and Recent Projects
| Automotive | |
| Component and system design for petrol/electric and hydrogen powered vehicles | |
| Inductive charging of electric vehicles | |
| Combined starter/alternator design | |
| In-house development of a hybrid electric vehicle prototype | |
| Aerospace | |
| Design of high-reliability aircraft power supplies | |
| Kinetic energy solutions for aircraft flight recorder and bus hold-up applications | |
| Lighting | |
| Power-factor corrected topologies for CFLs | |
| Control of architectural LED lighting | |
| Computing and communications | |
| 20 Mhz integrated monolithic power converter designs for POL and mobile applications | |
| Multi-phase VRM topologies and digital pulse-width modulated control with sensorless current sharing | |
| Digitally controlled, energy efficient ac/dc topology development | |
| UPS topologies for personal computer backup | |
| Regererative load system for VRM testing | |
| Energy | |
| Machine characterisation for wind and wave energy applications | |
| High-voltage power network and grid modelling for distributed generation | |
| Energy harvesting and inductively powered sensors | |
| Industrial automation | |
| Development of cost-effective, highly-accurate current and velocity sensors | |
| DSP implementation of digital tachometry and control algorithms | |
| High-voltage multi-phase power supply for plasma generation and displacement | |