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Julia Zhang

  • Assistant Professor, Electrical & Computer Engr.
  • 2015 Neil Ave
    Columbus, OH 43210

About

• 2017 to present: Assistant Professor, The Ohio State University. 
• 2012 to 2017: Assistant Professor, Oregon State University. 
• 2010 to 2012: Control Engineer, Ford Motor Company, Dearborn, MI. Design and development of electric machine drive and power electronics control strategies and specifications for Ford’s 2013 hybrid electric vehicle products including Fusion Hybrid, Fusion Plug-in Hybrid, C-Max Hybrid and C-Max Plug-in Hybrid.
• 2010: Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, The Ohio State University 

Julia Zhang’s research interests include:

• Design, modeling, controls of AC electric machines and drives.   
• Applications: road vehicles, ships, aircraft, renewable energy conversion, power systems, robotic systems.  
• Vehicle noise, vibration and harness issues caused by electric machines and drives.
• High voltage engineering. 

Undergraduate Research Assistant Hiring (Priority Given to Domestic Students with Intent to Go to Graduate School)

I am looking for undergraduate assistants majoring in electrical engineering and/or mechanical engineering all year around. You will be learning and helping with my research projects at the same time.  Research work includes things like simple circuit design, computer simulations, lab testing, engineering drawings, and editing papers and reports. Please DO NOT worry if you do not have any research experience. You will start from small simple things and grow stronger. 
Payment: Undergraduate assistants will be hired by hourly appointment following the university wage policies (Hourly rate level 1: $9 to $9.5, level 2: $9.51 to $10.50, level 3: $10.51 to $11.50, level 4: $11.51 to $13.00). Your wage level depends on the level of your skills. 
Excellent undergraduate research assistants who continue their graduate study with me will receive one of the following three types of funding: 1) University Fellowships, 2) graduate research assistantships, or 3) graduate teaching assistantships. All three types of financial support fully cover the tuition and a monthly stipend of $2,200 minimum (higher stipend for University Fellowships). 

Graduate Research Assistants Hiring Autumn 2020 (Priority Given to Fresh B.S. Graduates)

Graduate study applicants with their B.S. degrees are highly encouraged to apply for the Ph.D. program if you have a strong interest in power engineering. Please DO NOT worry that you do not have an M.S. degree.  I am looking for applicants who have been taking some classes or research experience in one or more of the following areas:
1)   Power engineering: power electronics, electric machines, drives, power systems, high voltage engineering.
2)   Mechanical engineering: statics and dynamics, mechanics of materials, thermodynamics, heat transfer, manufacturing processing engineering, kinematics and mechanism design. 
For undergraduate applicants, if you are interested in working with me or have questions, please email me with your resume and advising report and your questions.  
For graduate program applicants (Ph.D. or M.S. program), if you are interested in working with me or have questions, please email me with the following info and your questions.  
-       Resume.
-       All advising reports. 
-       GRE score is required for all domestic and international applicants. Minimum requirement: 155 (V), 160 (Q), 4.5 (W). 
-       TOEFL score is required for all international applicants.  Minimum requirement: 100 (total), 24 (reading), 24 (listening), 22 (speaking), 24 (writing).  
-       Briefly discuss your career goals (<80 words)

Current Research Projects

- Artificial intelligence-based current sharing for parallel operation of 3.3-kV silicon-carbide MOSFET chips in power module, funded by PowerAmerica, 2020. 

- Brushless doubly-fed machine and drive systems for aviation application, lead principal investigator, funded by the Ohio Federal Research Network (OFRN), 2018 to 2020. 

- xHEV traction electric machine thermal management using direct winding cooling, principal investigator, funded by Ford Motor Company, 2019 to 2021. 

- Smart operation of next generation wide bandgap power electronics using artificial intelligence, lead principal investigator, funded by Army Research Laboratory, 2019 to 2023.

- Integration of end-winding cooling and in-slot winding cooling for high power density electric machines, principal investigator, funded by the Grainger Center for Electric Machinery and Electromechanics, 2019 to 2020. 

- Development, demonstration and commercialization of SiC based 1-MW medium voltage motor drive system, co-principal investigator, funded by Power America, 2018 to 2019. 

- Electric propulsion: challenges and opportunities, co-principal investigator, funded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), 2017 to 2022. 

Past Research Projects

- Hybrid/turbo-electric propulsion, PI, funded by the Ohio Federal Research Network (OFRN), 2016 to 2019. 
- Electric machine winding insulation minimization for electric vehicles, PI, funded by Ford Motor Company, 2016 to 2019. 
- Variable flux machines for hybrid electric vehicles, PI, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE), 2018 to 2019. 
- Insulation degradation and breakdown modeling and testing for windings of variable speed drives, PI, funded by the U.S. Office of Naval Research (ONR), 2015 to 2019. 
- High-fidelity modeling and control of integrated starter/generator systems for aircraft, PI, funded by SAFRAN, 2018. 
- Integrated electric drive with high voltage high speed modular electric machine and SiC based power converters, co-PI, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE), 2016 to 2019.

 

 

 

Journal Articles

2020

2019

2017

2016

  • Xiong, H.; Zhang, J.; Degner, M.W.; Rong, C. et al., 2016, "Permanent-Magnet Demagnetization Design and Validation." IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications 52, no. 4, 2961-2970 - 2961-2970.

2015

2009

Papers in Proceedings

2019

  • Peng, P.; Zhang, J. "Design of a Variable-Flux Permanent Magnet Machine using Alnico 9 and Comparison with a Baseline Interior Permanent Magnet Machine." in IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition. (9 2019).
  • Xiong, H.; Liu, R.; Hu, B.; You, H. et al. "The Ohio State University partial discharge detection platform for electric machine windings driven by PWM voltage excitation." in IEEE Electric Insulation Conference. (1 2019).
  • Xu, L.; Wang, H.; Ke, Z.; Woo, J. et al. "Design and Experimental Evaluation of a High Specific Power Permanent Magnet Synchronous Machine." in IEEE International Electric Machine and Drive Conference. (5 2019).
  • Xiong, H.; Liu, R.; Hu, B.; Wei, Z. et al. "Comparison of effects of Si-based and SiC-based variable speed drives on stator winding insulation for medium-voltage propulsion electric machines." in Intelligent Ship Symposium. (1 2019).
  • Pan, J.; Ke, Z.; Na, R.; Zhang, J. et al. "High-speed and high-dynamic variable frequency drive using modular multilevel converter and SiC devices." in IEEE Applied Power Electronics Conference and Exposition. (3 2019).
  • Ke, Z.; Pan, J.; Na, R.; Potty, K. et al. "Single-submodule open-circuit fault diagnosis for a modular multi-level converter using artificial intelligent-based techniques." in IEEE Applied Power Electronics Conference and Exposition. (3 2019).

2018

  • Li, H.; Potty, K.; Ke, Z.; Pan, J. et al. "Hardware design of a 1.7 kV SiC MOSFET based MMC for medium voltage motor drives." in IEEE Applied Power Electronics Conference and Exposition. (3 2018).
  • Xie, Y.; Zhang, J.; Leonardi, F.; Munoz, A. et al. "Modeling and Verification of Electrical Stress in Inverter-driven Electric Machine Windings." in IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition. (9 2018).
  • Pan, J.; Ke, Z.; Al Sabbagh, M.; Na, R. et al. "A novel discharging control strategy for modular multilevel converter submodules without using external circuit." in IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition. (9 2018).
  • Pan, J.; Ke, Z.; Al Sabbagh, M.; Na, R. et al. "Circulating current resonant oscillation in modular multilevel converters for variable frequency operation and its suppression method." in IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition. (9 2018).
  • Xiong, H.; Zhang, J.; Annete von Jouanne, "Control of Variable Frequency Drive PWM to Mitigate Motor Overvoltage Due to Double Pulsing in Reflected Wave Phenomenon." in IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition. (9 2018).
  • Han, P.; Zhang, J.; Cheng, M. "Theoretical and Experimental Investigation of the Brushless Doubly-Fed Machine with a Multiple-Barrier Rotor." in IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition. (9 2018).

2017

  • Chalishazar, V.; Huo, C.; Fox, I.; Hagan, T. et al. "Optimal submodule capacitor sizing for modular multilevel converters with common mode voltage injection and circulating current control." in IEEE Power & Energy Society General Meeting. (7 2017).
  • Xiong, H.; Louie, A.; Liu, R.; Zhang, J. et al. "Finite Element Analysis Modeling and Experimental Verification of Reflected Wave Phenomena in Variable Speed Machine Drive Cables." in IEEE International Electric Machines and Drives Conference. (5 2017).
  • Chalishazar, V.; Huo, C.; Fox, I.; Hagan, T. et al. "Modeling power system buses using performance based earthquake engineering methods." in IEEE Power & Energy Society General Meeting. (7 2017).

2016

  • Ke, Z.; Zhang, J.; Degner, M.W. "DC bus capacitor discharge of permanent magnet synchronous machine drive systems for hybrid electric vehicles." in IEEE Applied Power Electronics Conference and Exposition (APEC). (3 2016).
  • Xiong, H.; Louie, A.; Zhang, J.; von Jouanne, A. "Physics-based Modeling and Simulation of Partial Discharge for Windings of Inverter Driven Electric Machines." in American Society of Naval Engineers (ASNE) Advanced Machinery Technology Symposium (AMTS). (5 2016).
  • Peng, P.; Xiong, H.; Zhang, J.; Li, W. et al. "Effects of External Field Orientation on Permanent Magnet Demagnetization." in IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition. (9 2016).

2015

  • Xiong, H.; Zhang, J.; Degner, M.W.; Rong, C. et al. "Permanent magnet demagnetization design and validation." in IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition (ECCE). (9 2015).
  • Kulkarni, H.; McCamish, B.; Ke, Z.; Harpool, S. et al. "Rapid grid state estimation using singular value decomposition similarity matching." in IEEE Conference on Technologies for Sustainability. (7 2015).
  • Rhinefrank, K.; Schacher, A.; Prudell, J.; Hammagren, E. et al. "IEEE standards for oscillating machines to advance direct-drive wave energy generators." in IEEE Power and Energy Society General Meeting (PESGM). (7 2015).
  • Ke, Z.; Zhang, J. "Subharmonic reduction for six step operation of three-phase inverter." in IEEE Applied Power Electronics Conference and Exposition (APEC). (3 2015).

2014

  • Grafmuller, J.; Zhang, J. "Asymmetric stator teeth for torque ripple reduction of permanent mag- net synchronous machines for hybrid electric vehicles." in IEEE International Electric Vehicle Conference (ITEC). (12 2014).

2013

  • Wang, X.; Ren, X.; Zhang, J. "Short-circuit fault-tolerant control of permanent magnet slice motor." in IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Expositions (ECCE). (9 2013).

2010

  • Zhang, Z.; Xu, L.; Zhang, Y.; Guan, B. "Novel rotor-side control scheme for doubly fed induction generator to ride through grid faults." (12 2010).
  • Zhang, J.; Lin, F.; Zhang, Z.; Xu, L. "Direct voltage vector control for field weakening operation of PM machines." in IEEE Power and Energy Conference at Illinois. (2 2010).

2009

  • Zhang, J.; Xu, L.; Sun, X. "Design and evaluation of a 300 kW dual mechanical port machine used as variable gearbox in wind power generation." in Exposition of Electrical Manufacturing and Coil Winding Association. (9 2009).
  • Zhang, J.; Xu, L.; Guven, M.K.; Chi, S. et al. "Experimental verification of deep flux- weakening operation of a 50kW IPM machine by using single current regulator." in IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Expositions (ECCE). (9 2009).

2008

  • Xu, L.; Zhang, J.; Guven, M.K. "A new method to optimize q-axis voltage for deep flux weak- ening control of IPM machines based on single current regulator." in IEEE International Conference on Electrical Machines and Systems (ICEMS). (10 2008).

2007

  • Xu, L.; Zhang, J.; Wen, X. "Multi-operational modes and control strategies of dual mechanical port machine for hybrid electrical vehicles." in IEEE Industry Applications Society Annual Meeting (IAS). (9 2007).

2006

  • Zhang, J.; Xu, L. "Application of dual mechanical port machine in hybrid electrical vehicles." in IEEE Vehicle Power and Propulsion Conference (VPPC). (9 2006).
  • Xu, L.; Zhang, J. "Design and evaluation of a dual mechanical port machine and system." in IEEE Power Electronics and Motion Control Conference (IPEMC). (8 2006).

Patents

  • "Vehicle electric machine control strategy."
  • "Vehicle system for evaluating a voltage converter."