Innovation Profile: Ryerson Lab for Electric Drive Research and Rockwell Automation
A global pioneer in electric drive technology, Rockwell Automation knows the importance of investing in world-class R&D. In 1994, Rockwell began its longstanding and successful research partnership with Dr Bin Wu, one of Canada's foremost experts in power electronics and Director of Ryerson University's Laboratory for Electric Drive Applications and Research. Read full profile below.
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Steve Rizzo | Dr Bin Wu Director, Ryerson Laboratory for Electric Drive Applications and Research |
The World's First Transformerless Medium Voltage Motor Drive
A global pioneer in electric drive technology, Rockwell Automation knows the importance of investing in world-class R&D. In 1994, Rockwell began its longstanding and successful research partnership with Ryerson University's Dr Bin Wu, one of Canada's foremost experts in power electronics.
"The nature of our industry is highly competitive. Our competitors are global companies. Without the research that we've conducted, it would very difficult for us to keep pace," says Steve Rizzo, Manager MV Drives Business at Rockwell Automation. "The work we've done with Ryerson University has allowed us to triple our product development capacity."
Together, Rockwell Automation and Ryerson created the world's first transformerless medium voltage motor drive offering Rockwell's industrial customers a number of unique advantages - lower cost, more compact, reduced weight, and increased energy efficiency. As Steve Rizzo says, "Our patented Direct-to-Drive Technology is the only transformerless drive available on the market and offers a huge benefit to our customers."
By controlling motor speeds, medium voltage drives improve productivity and conserve energy in heavy industrial applications such as advanced manufacturing, power utilities and wastewater. Industrial electric drives consume approximately 50 per cent of the electricity generated in Canada so research on energy efficiency and alternative energy solutions are vital to Rockwell's continuing partnership with Ryerson.
Winners of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada's (NSERC) Synergy Award for Innovation, the partners recently inaugurated the Rockwell-NSERC Industrial Research Chair in Power Electronics and Electric Drives. With this funding, Senior Chairholder Dr. Bin Wu has established Ryerson's Laboratory for Electric Drive Applications and Research, the most advanced electric drives research facility at a Canadian university.
"We have two main objectives for the Rockwell-NSERC Industrial Research Chair. One is working on next generation computers and controls for drive systems. The second is in renewable energy systems," says Dr Wu.
Dr Wu is particularly interested in the possibilities for wind energy in industrial settings. "We are focusing on various aspects of wind energy systems, including motor generators and power computers, to develop systems with higher energy efficiency and performance," says Dr Wu.
From high-quality talent to cutting-edge knowledge, Ryerson's research enterprise complements the R&D facilities at Rockwell Automation's Canadian headquarters in Cambridge, Ontario. The partnership has yielded over 10 patents to-date.
"Dr Wu is capable of recruiting excellent talent from around the world. The Ryerson students that have graduated from Dr. Wu's program are a very talented group and we've had the opportunity to hire a number of them," says Steve Rizzo. "Dr Wu's research and his laboratory are world-class."
For Ryerson, the partnership offers researchers a chance to get hands-on experience and to understand where industry is heading in order to better define their own research directions. Says Dr Wu, "The best part of research is to see our research results being used by industry."
© 2011 Toronto Region Research Alliance