The University of Nottingham has been selected to host the Power Electronics spoke for the UK’s Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC).
The Advanced Propulsion Centre is a government-industry initiative established by BIS and the Automotive Council, as the delivery mechanism for a joint industry and government strategy. It aims to help the UK strengthen its position in advanced propulsion systems development and production.
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Power electronics has been identified as a key technology for the automotive industry, and the interests of this sector will be represented through a power electronics spoke. The University of Nottingham and APC has signed a memorandum of understanding in order to construct a relationship that fulfils both their aims.
The Advanced Propulsion Centre operates on a ‘hub and spoke’ model with the hub team working with a number of spokes across the UK to deliver support to industry for low carbon propulsion system projects, R&D, skills and process development and associated activities wherever it is needed.
The spokes, which will include The University of Nottingham for power electronics, will be the focus for communities with a common interest in a specific technology, bringing functional, technological and regional capability to the APC network to deliver the vision of a propulsion nation.
Power electronics is an integral part of the technology needed to underpin the low carbon economy. Electronics will be essential in all future sustainable energy scenarios, as it is the only technology that can deliver efficient and flexible conversion and conditioning of electrical energy.
120 active researchers will be stationed at Nottingham’s Power Electronics, Machines and Control (PEMC) research group. It is one of the largest groups in the field and also hosts the hub of the EPSRC National Centre for power electronics.
The spoke will identify significant challenges that the UK research community and industry will need to address as well as areas of investment necessary to ensure that the community has open access to world class facilities.
Professor Andy Long, dean of engineering and Professor of mechanics of materials, Faculty of Engineering, said: “We are very excited that APC has chosen The University of Nottingham to host the power electronics spoke. It is an opportunity to share our internationally renowned world-class expertise and research, spanning all key power electronic disciplines. The collaboration will further our work towards low carbon propulsion development and production.”
