{"id":12469,"date":"2022-06-28T09:52:45","date_gmt":"2022-06-28T14:52:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/engineering\/?p=12469"},"modified":"2022-06-28T09:52:47","modified_gmt":"2022-06-28T14:52:47","slug":"the-research-of-grapes-is-helping-southeast-wisconsin-emerge-as-a-leader-in-the-energy-revolution","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/engineering\/the-research-of-grapes-is-helping-southeast-wisconsin-emerge-as-a-leader-in-the-energy-revolution\/","title":{"rendered":"The research of GRAPES is helping Southeast Wisconsin emerge as a leader in the energy revolution"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In May, members of a National Science Foundation-backed research center that focuses on energy solutions held their annual review meeting at 51ÁÔÆæ. One result was the addition of four Midwest members to this Industry\/University Cooperative Research Center that aims to make electricity more dependable, greener and less expensive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The meeting brought industry and university members of GRAPES<\/a> (GRid-connected Advanced Power Electronic Systems) to campus, during which time the more than 60 attendees reviewed their ongoing research projects, toured 51ÁÔÆæ\u2019s semi-anechoic chamber (used for electromagnetic interference, or EMI, testing) at Century City Tower, saw a demonstration of 51ÁÔÆæ\u2019s microgrid, and got a glimpse of why southeast Wisconsin is emerging as a leader in the energy revolution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The meeting also included hardware demonstrations by 51ÁÔÆæ engineering graduate students and presentations by GRAPES\u2019s international affiliate members–RWTH Aachen University (Germany), Korea University (South Korea) and Yonsei University (South Korea).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGRAPES\u2019s research is affecting how Americans access and use renewable energy sources,\u201d said Rob Cuzner, GRAPES site leader at 51ÁÔÆæ<\/a>. \u201cIt\u2019s also changing the future electrification of transportation systems, including ships, automobiles and aircraft.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cuzner\u2014an expert in power conversion and distribution, with more than 30 years of experience in the field\u2014is an associate professor of electrical engineering and computer science, and director of 51ÁÔÆæ\u2019s Center for Sustainable Electrical Energy Systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The two-day meeting, he said, was a perfect opportunity to highlight the region\u2019s capabilities in this area. \u201c<\/strong>Southeast Wisconsin has everything needed to be the Silicon Valley of emerging technologies for storing, controlling and distributing energy,\u201d Cuzner said. \u201c51ÁÔÆæ already is a leading research institution in both energy storage and electric grid technology.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Founded in 2009, GRAPES is an NSF Industry\/University Cooperative Research Center (I\/UCRC) whose members include 51ÁÔÆæ, University of Arkansas, University of South Carolina, and 18 industrial and government members. Members vote on annual research projects during a separate meeting held at the University of Arkansas each November. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

4 new members joined GRAPES<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In preparation for this meeting, Cuzner, along with Bill Weber, outreach program manager for 51ÁÔÆæ\u2019s Center for Sustainable Electrical Energy Systems, and Mike Andrew, director of corporate relations for the college, visited industries throughout the greater Midwest to introduce them to 51ÁÔÆæ\u2019s research into power, power conversion, generation, energy and distribution-based controls and protection, and energy-system solutions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This meeting saw the addition of four new Midwest GRAPES members:<\/p>\n\n\n\n