Fall 2023 ECE Distinguished Seminar Series High-Efficiency Power Conversion Technologies for Transportation Electrification and Grid Modernization Dr. Jih-Sheng (Jason) Lai James S. Tucker Endowed Chair Professor and Director Future Energy Electronics Center (FEEC) December 1, 2023, 10:30 am CEC Dean’s Office Conference Room (ENGR 5115/5117) Abstract As the transportation and electricity generation are mostly relying on fossil fuel today, electrification and associated grid modernization have been recognized as the key to eliminating fossil fuel dependence and paving the way for achieving the 2050 net-zero emission goal. The overarching strategy involves transitioning modes of transportation, including scooters, cars, trucks, buses, airplanes, and ships in to electric power sources primarily fueled by renewable and clean energy. Center to this endeavor are essential technologies such as traction motor drives and battery chargers. In parallel, grid modernization hinges on advanced power conversion technologies such as high-voltage high-power inverters and solid-state transformers, all designed to seamlessly integrate renewable energy source. Today, due to the nature of load in transportation and many other sectors is mostly DC. Consequently, the renewable integration and power distribution system often involve with unnecessary power conversion stages or inefficient power conversion technologies, resulting in substantial energy losses. Given the global electricity capacity exceeding 11 TW, a mere one percent loss translates to a staggering 110-GW capacity. In the initial stage of computer industry, the power conversion efficiency hovered in low 70% range. The technology was gradually improved to around 90% range when the super-junction semiconductor became commercially available. Today, with the advent of wide bandgap semiconductor devices, further efficiency improvement are on the horizon. The question is how high can the efficiency achieve. This presentation will introduce advanced high-efficiency power electronics technologies that leverage the latest generation power semiconductor devices to approach near-perfect power conversion. Real-world examples of ultrahigh-efficiency power conversion in EV inverters, fast chargers, PV inverters, and solid-state transformers will be showcased. Additionally, the associated grid modernization with the hybridized power distribution architecture that reduces the number of power conversion stages for overall system loss reduction will also be explored. Brief Biography Jih-Sheng (Jason) Lai received M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, in 1985 and 1989. After graduated, he joined Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) Power Electronics Applications Center as the Senior Engineer and Manager. From 1993, he worked with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory as the Power Electronics Lead Scientist. In 1996, he switched to academia and joined Virginia Tech. Currently he is James S. Tucker Endowed Chair Professor and Director of Future Energy Electronics Center (FEEC). He also holds a Yushan Fellow Visiting Professor position at National Yang-Ming Jiao-Tung University, Taiwan. He published more than 500 refereed technical papers and received more than 30 U.S. patents in the area of high power electronics and their applications. Dr. Lai is an IEEE Life Fellow. He received numerous awards including a Technical Achievement Award in 1995-Lockheed Martin Award Night and 2016-IEEE Gerald Kliman Innovation Award. His student teams won grand prizes in 2009 TI Engibous Analog Design Competition and 2011 IEEE International Future Energy Challenge. In 2016 Google Little Box Challenge, his team won the Top 3 Finalist among 2000+ international teams.