Representative Research Projects:
- High Power Density Traction Inverter for Electric Vehicles
- Wide Band Gap Power Electronics for More Electric Aircraft
- Energy Management for Hybrid Energy Storage Systems in Electric Vehicle
- Fuel Efficient Driving for Autonomous Electric Vehicles
- Solar Assisted Charger for Electric Boats
- Wireless Charging of Electric Vehicles
The Research Environment
Istanbul Technical University (ITU) is the world’s third oldest technical university, with a long history of 250 years, dedicated to engineering sciences, and is one of the most prominent educational institutions in Turkey. It was ranked 1st nationwide in Turkey in the field of engineering/technology. Instruction is both in English and Turkish. The university has 39 undergraduate programs, 144 graduate programs, 13 colleges, 346 labs and 12 research centers, with 23 engineering programs accredited by ABET Accreditation. Turkey’s fırst communication satellite, first electric mini bus, first fuel-cell boat, first autonomous car, and first national computer were launched by ITU.
ITU’s Advanced Vehicle Technologies and Research Center (AVTRC), renovated with a $5 million grant for infrastructure and procurement of state of the art equipment, is equipped with a Four Wheel Drive Vehicle Drive System Dynamometer, and a Battery Test system. In addition, the laboratory has a comprehensive inventory of vehicles including; an autonomous electric vehicle, a fuel-cell powered pickup truck, a hybrid electric mini-bus, an electric van and a Tesla Roadster. Furthermore, ITU’s multi-million dollar Mechatronics Education and Research Center (MERC), founded in 2007, is equipped with state of the art equipment including a Hardware-In-the-Loop (HIL) simulator capable of running engine and vehicle algorithms in real-time, and a 300kW Engine Dynamometer. These facilities support research activities of 20 faculty/research staff and over 30 graduate students.