ZHI YANG
Electric Drive and Energy Conversion Laboratory
Electrical and Computer Engineering Department
Illinois Institute of Technology
3301 S. Dearborn St., Chicago, IL 60616
Phone: (312)659-2625(cell)
Fax:
(312) 567-7995
E-mail: zyang22@hawk.iit.edu
EDUCATION
 Ph.D. Candidate, Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, Illinois Institute of
Technology, Chicago, IL, Sept. 2010 – present.
GAP:4.0/4.0
Advisor: Prof. Mahesh Krishnamurthy
Project Title: Vibration Characteristic of Permanent Magnet Synchronous Machine and Its Mitigation
Technique by Variable Switching Frequency
 B.S. in Electrical Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, Huazhong
University of Science & Technology, Wuhan, China, Jun. 2005.
GAP:84/100
RESEARCH INTERESTS
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Interior permanent magnet (IPM), switched reluctance machine (SRM) design and control
Electromagnetic and vibration analysis of traction motors
Vibration mitigation by PWM modulation and variable switching frequency
Online multi-parameter estimation of PMSM
WORK EXPERIENCES
09/10 – present: Research Assistant, Electric Power and Power Electronics Center, Illinois
Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL.
 Vibration Characteristic of Permanent Magnet Synchronous Machine
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1)
Build look up table and optimal operating plane, which is covered by maximum
torque per ampere (MTPA), current limit curve, and maximum torque per volt
(MTPV) curve
2)
Perform modal and structural analysis in ANSYS workbench environment
3)
Reconstruct radial force to capture dominant vibration mode
4)
Develop variable switching frequency PWM strategy to mitigate vibration and
noise
5)
Vibration monitoring of PMSM under three operating conditions: healthy, partial
demagnetization, inter turn short circuit
Continuously Variable Planetary Transmission for 8kw Wind Turbine Drivetrain
1)
Model and simulate 8kW wind turbine system which includes driver part (driver
motor, mechanical gearbox, flywheel) and turbine part (speed-up gearbox, a
continuously variable planetary gearbox, a single-phase induction generator)
2)
Design test procedure in Labview environment and conduct experiment in a
laboratory test bench
3)
Compare the operating range and efficiency and evaluate the benefits of
continuously variable transmission
09/10–05/12: Teaching Assistant, Electrical and Computer Science Department, Illinois
Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL.
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EE 412: Motor Drives Laboratory
Control of DC motors using DC/DC converters, inverters to control induction motors,
fault analysis in electric machines, introduction to drive boarded, EV/HEV motor
calibration, etc
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EE 411: Power Electronics Laboratory
Power transistor , Mosfet, IGBT, DC/DC converter and PWM techniques, four
quadrant DC/DC converters,votage and current mode control techinique, etc
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EE 319: Fundamentals of Power Engineering Laboratory
Photovoltaic array and fuel cell demostration, transmission line, transformer,
synchronous motor and generator, power flow and symmetrical fault ,etc.
PUBLICATIONS
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Zhi Yang, Mahesh Krishnamurthy, Ian P. Brown, “ Electromagnetic and Vibrational
Characteristic of Interior Permanent Magnet Machine over Full Torque-Speed Range,” in Proc.
IEEE Electric Machines & Drives Conference (IEMDC), 2013, pp. 295-302.
Zhi Yang, Mahesh Krishnamurthy, “Vibration Monitoring of PM Synchronous Machine with
Partial Demagnetization and Inter Turn Short Circuit Faults by Using Both Mode Shape and
Vibration Frequency,” in Proc. IEEE 29th Applied Power Electronics Conference (APEC),
2014( in submit)
Zhi Yang, Mahesh Krishnamurthy, Jose M. Garcia, “Modeling and Control of A Continuously
Variable Planetary Transmission for A Small Wind Turbine Drivetrain,” in Proc. ASME
Conference on Smart Materials, Adaptive Structures and Intelligent Systems, 2013, pp. 1-6.
Zhi Yang and Alireza Khaligh, “A 11-pole 12-slot Linear Generator with Minimized Detent
Force for Backpack Energy Harvesting,” in Proc. IEEE Energy Conversion Congress &
Exposition (ECCE), 2012, pp. 380-387.
Zhi Yang and Alireza Khaligh, “A Flat Linear Generator with Axial Magnetized Permanent
Magnets for Backpack Energy Harvesting,” in Proc. IEEE 27th Applied Power Electronics
Conference (APEC), 2012, pp. 2534-2541.
Peng Zeng, Hao Chen, Zhi Yang, and Alireza Khaligh, “Unconventional Wearable Energy
Harvesting from Human Horizontal Foot Motion,” in Proc. IEEE 26th Applied Power Electronics
Conference (APEC), 2011, pp. 258-264.
HONORS and AWARDS
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Grainger Fellowship 2012 in Illinois Institute of Technology.
Dean’s Fellowship 2010 in Illinois Institute of Technology.
RA and TA Scholarships in Illinois Institute of Technology, 2010-2013.
RA and TA Scholarships in Washington State University, 2008-2009.
Excellent graduate student (Top 10%) of Huazhong University of Science & Technology, 2005.
PROFESSIONAL SOCIETY MEMBERSHIP AND ACTIVITIES
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Reviewer, 2013 IEEE Electric Machines & Drives Conference (IEMDC)
Reviewer, 2013 IEEE. Conference on Electric Power and Energy Conversion Systems (EPECS)
Reviewer, 2014, 2012 IEEE Applied Power Electronics Conference and Exposition (APEC)
Reviewer, 2013, 2012 IEEE Transportation Electrification Conference and Expo (ITEC)
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Reviewer, IEEE Transactions on Vehicular Technology.
Volunteer, 2011 IEEE Vehicle Power and Propulsion Conference (VPPC)
Volunteer, 2013, 2012 IEEE Transportation Electrification Conference and Expo (ITEC)
Student Member, IEEE
Certificated Software Engineer (China)
TECHNICAL SKILLS
Software packages: MATLAB/Simulink, Infolytica MagNet, ANSYS (Workbench, Maxwell, Rmxprt,
Simplorer) COMSOL Multiphysics, Protel DXP, Psim, Labview , Wolfram
Mathematica
Programming:
MATLAB, C, DSP 2812
Documentation:
Microsoft Office (PowerPoint, Word, Excel), Visio