Projects

Diesel Engine Aftertreatment Research. Our focus is aftertreatment system modeling and control. Michigan Tech has a long history of developing experimentally validated simulations of diesel particulate filters. In the past few years we have developed models of Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) and Diesel Oxidation Catalyst (DOC) devices using both engine and reactor data. One of the interests for SCRs and DPFs is their active control using urea and diesel fuel respectively. For the past three years this research has been funded by Navistar, John Deere and Cummins. A new, $3M US Department of Energy funded project will start in October 2009. The objective is to develop reduced order models and internal state estimation strategies for use in Onboard Diagnositcs (OBD) strategy development with project partners Navistar, John Deere, Cummins, Johnson-Matthey, Watlow, Oak Ridge National Laboratories and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Experimental validation is a significant component of the effort.

Engineering Education Research. In the past we developed virtual laboratory technology and explored its effectiveness for solidifying automatic control system design concepts for undergraduates. Students would execute their designs on remote hardware receiving real-time, simultaneous, video and animation of the system response. In July 2009 we received a National Science Foundation grant to explore methods and the effectiveness of weaving sustainability concepts into our undergraduate curriculum. Our lab’s specific involvement is the development, execution, and assessment of controls related, sustainability focused modules. Topics include wind turbine subsystems and active diesel engine aftertreatment components.

Marine Crane Research. Our lab has been funded in this area for over ten years. New projects are constantly emerging from our Naval Surface Warfare Center and Office of Naval Research sponsors. The general objective is to help facilitate at-sea cargo transfer between ships or between offshore platforms and supply vessels. The main motivation is to support movement of supplies to areas with damaged or undeveloped ports. Post-hurricane humanitarian aid is one mission area. The difficulty arises from uncertain sea conditions leading to both dangerous pendulation of suspended loads and safe landing of large containers onto moving vessels. We have developed nonlinear control strategies for existing ship systems along with new transfer technology concepts and sensing systems. Our researchers are an integral part of all aspects of these projects including concept development, simulation and analysis, and laboratory scale development and large scale, at-sea demonstration.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Research. Development of controls and prototypes for ship-towed, parafoil-based, autonomous UAVs is our focus. A proof-of-concept study was completed in 2006. This eventually led to an ONR funded phase two project that that runs through 2011. Although our main role is simulation and control system design, we are also developing flight-ready scale systems for algorithm development and for upscaling aerodynamic parameter identification. The main challenge is during the tow-up phase of flight where the objective is fast and stable attainment of altitude requirements from which the UAV can be released for overland flight.

Projects. A list of active and recent projects are listed below organized by application.

Wind Turbine Research. This is our newest research area and leverages past experience with active control of flexible structures and real-time parameter identification. Model-based control strategies for active segmented blade concepts are being explored with fellowship funding from the John & Cathi Drake Professorship in Mechanical Engineering. This is part of a wider Michigan Tech wind turbine research activity that includes novel fluid/structure interaction modeling by Professor Fernando Ponta’s group, experimental characterization and energy storage concept exploration by Professor Jeffrey Allen and his students, and on the power side, fault / grid consequences by Professor Bohmann in Electrical Engineering.