Electrical Engineering professors at Ryerson are feeling like a million bucks after being awarded a $1-million grant to further power research in their department. Dr. Bin Wu, an associate professor and the project's leader, says the funds will be used to expand the Laboratory for Electrical Drive Applications and Research (LEDAR).
"Once established, it will be the best facility in a Canadian university for this area of research," says Wu, whose work focuses on electric motor speed control systems.
One of his projects involves developing a light-weight airplane motor for Honeywell Aerospace that can function in temperatures ranging from -50C to 100C. As he explains in his grant proposal, Wu's research on electric drive controls is important because these devices improve motor quality and help conserve energy.
Electric motors consume about half of all electricity generated in Canada.
Wu began developing the lab shortly after his arrival at Ryerson seven years ago. He says the fact that Ryerson had already shown financial committment to the project gave Ryerson an edge over U of T's competing bid for the grant.
"It was a good proposal, and we also had a lot of industry support," Wu says.
A large portion of the grant came from the Canada Foundation for Innovation, with contributions from private sector partners, including Honeywell Aerospace, Ontario Hydro Technology, and Rockwell Automation Canada Inc. The money will double the lab's current space to 4,000 square feet. The lab is expected to move to the new Centre for Computer Science and Electrical Engineering in 2003 and be its flagship research facility.