Power to the people

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Visitors at the Power Electronics Centre event

Visitors at the Power Electronics Centre event, and the record breaking electric vehicle (photograph: Danny Harvey)

A three-day event at London's Science Museum showcased some of our latest research in electrical engineering and power electronics.

The exhibition, organised by the EPSRC Power Electronics Centre (a partnership of leading UK universities) drew around 6000 visitors. Experts from the partner universities were on hand to answer questions from visitors. Dr Paul Mitcheson, a researcher from our Control and Power group at Imperial, hoped the event had "captured the imagination of young and not so young, and helped excite future engineers about a career in electrical engineering and power electronics."

The world land speed record-holding electric vehicle (packed full of state of the art power electronics) was the star attraction in a display which showcased technologies including high density, low weight, power converters, designed to be used aerospace applications, from the University of Nottingham; Silicon Carbide device wafers from the University of Warwick; and a wireless charging system from new Imperial spin-out company, Drayson Wireless.

Power electronics

High density matrix converter (front) and wireless power transfer system

EPSRC is investing a total of £23M (£18M research funding, £5M large capital equipment) in the Centre for Power Electronics over the next 6 years.   

Reporter

Jane Horrell

Jane Horrell
Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering

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Contact details

Tel: +44 (0)20 7594 6263
Email: j.horrell@imperial.ac.uk

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