About the IEEE 2015 International Future Energy Challenge
The International Future Energy Challenge (IFEC) is an international student competition for innovation, conservation, and effective use of electrical energy. The competition is open to college and university student teams from recognized engineering programs in any location. The 2015 competition addresses two broad topic areas:
Topic (A) High-efficiency Wireless Charging System for Electric Vehicles and Other Applications
Vision
- Increase the wireless charging efficiency for electric vehicles;
- Reduce the overall cost and space of the wireless charging system;
- Achieve highly efficient and safe wireless charging across the large air gap between the charging pad and the vehicle adapter;
- Incorporate practicality, potential manufacturability, and affordability into the competition assessment process;
- Improve engineering education and foster practical learning through the development of innovative team-based engineering solutions to complex technical problems;
- Increase the public awareness of advanced electric vehicle technology.
Goals
Construct a wireless charging system that will:
- Allow wireless charging with superior efficiency for the electric vehicle battery over a certain gap and sliding distance;
- Reduce the overall manufacturing cost;
- Minimize the size and weight of pad and controller;
- Minimize cooling requirements.
Topic (B) Battery Energy Storage with an Inverter that Mimics Synchronous Generators
Vision
- To develop a grid-connected bi-directional battery energy storage system with an inverter that mimics the functions of synchronous generators
- To reduce the overall cost and volume of energy storage systems
- To offer students a challenging opportunity to integrate their knowledge and skills in power conversion circuit theory, control, battery energy management and power systems
Goals
Design and build a battery energy storage system with an inverter that will:
- Have the basic functions of charging, discharging and protection for the battery;
- Meet the desired power quality to the grid/load;
- Improve power density;
- Realize power conversion between the battery and the gird/load with high efficiency;
- Mimic the function of synchronous generators to autonomously take part in the regulation of system frequency and voltage via controlling the real power and reactive power delivered;
- Achieve seamless transfer between grid-connected and stand-alone modes;
- Reduce manufacturing cost.
Participation is on a proposal basis. Those schools that are interested must submit a proposal no later than September 15th, 2014. The electronic copy of the proposal in PDF format must be sent to the respective topic chair via email and with copy to the IFEC 2015 chairman. Proposals will be judged by a distinguished panel of volunteer experts from the IEEE and from industry. Schools with successful proposals will be notified by November 1st, 2014.
Chairs for Topic (A) High-efficiency Wireless Charging System for Electric Vehicles and Other Applications:
Prof. Kevin Bai
Kettering University, USA
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Flint, Michigan 48504, USA
Email: hbai@kettering.edu
Prof. Wencong Su (Co-Chair)
University of Michigan – Dearborn
4901 Evergreen Road, Dearborn, MI 48128 USA
Email: wencong@umich.edu
Chairs for Topic (B): Battery Energy Storage with an Inverter that Mimics Synchronous Generators
Prof. Qing-Chang Zhong
University of Sheffield
Dept. of Automatic Control and Systems Engineering
Mappin Street, Sheffield, S1 3JD, UK
Email: q.zhong@sheffield.ac.uk
Prof. Dave Stone (Co-Chair)
University of Sheffield
Dept. Of Electronic and Electrical Engineering
Mappin Street, Sheffield, S1 3JD, UK
Email: d.a.stone@sheffield.ac.uk
2015 IFEC General Chairs:
Prof. Mark Dehong Xu, Ph.D, Fellow IEEE
College of Electroical Engineering
Zhejiang University
38 Zheda Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310027 China
Tel: +86-(571) 8795-3251, Fax: +86-(571) 8795-1797
Email: xdh@cee.zju.edu.cn
The Request for Proposal (RFP) and detailed descriptions of the two topics are listed below in PDF format.
| ifec_2015_RFP_flyer.pdf |
| IFEC_2015_call_for_proposal.pdf |
| Topic_A_2015.pdf |
| Topic_B_2015.pdf |
