Research

Strategic Areas

Research interests are aligned with the team’s core competencies in control and automation, model-based/optimal control, industrial systems engineering, intelligent electric powertrain systems, and other relevant areas. We follow the strategic goals of the interdisciplinary approach, focus on innovation and impact, and prioritize sustainability and ethics.

Bearingless Drives and Motors

Linear and rotating magnetic levitation bearingless motors, extend the magnetic bearing concept and do not require a mechanical bearing or lubrication while combining torque/thrust with magnetic suspension using the same actuator surfaces. The rotating shafts and linear movers are supported and guided by electromagnetic forces. In recent years, high-speed and high-efficiency motor technology has been progressing with developments in solid-state electronics, manufacturing, materials, and control methods. For wider use of bearingless technology in sustainable energy solutions, such as industrial heat pumps, compressors, turbines, flywheels, and oil-free contactless motion, such as factory automation transporters, elevators, and others, technological gaps and high-power scaling have to be solved. Bearingless motors and magnetic bearings have advantages such as no friction, no wear, lower maintenance costs, precise positioning, detection of forces, and built-in diagnostics, etc., they are attractive for applications requiring continuous reliable operation in sterile or oil-free environments.

For more information, contact: Rafal Jastrzebski, email: rafal.jastrzebski@utu.fi

Electro-mechanical Energy Conversion

Improving the performance of electrical systems, whether it be electrical machines or power systems. This will help the transition to a non-fossil fuel economy, with renewable energy generation, smart grid utilization and energy storage, and electric transportation. Furthermore, the research areas also include the following: (1) The design of induction and brushless permanent magnet motors, latterly for electric vehicles that include axial flux machines and more novel machines. (2) Soft starting of induction motors where the supply is weak and cannot cope with high transient starting current. (3) Cyber security in grids and power system simulation. (4) Ongoing interest in energy from sea waves and other projects working on various aspects of wave energy. (5) Electric vehicle technology includes drive motor design, wireless charging, use of supercapacitors, and battery-swap stations.

For more information, contact: David Dorrell, email: david.dorrell@utu.fi or Rafal Jastrzebski, email: rafal.jastrzebski@utu.fi

Swarms of Unmanned Vehicles

Swarms of unmanned vehicles are sets of robots that work together to achieve a specific goal. They include vehicles moving on the ground, UGVs, in the air, UAVs, on the sea surface, USVs, or underwater, UUVs. The objective of this research is to design a distributed formation control system for swarms of unmanned vehicles which addresses the challenges of scalability, collision avoidance, failure recovery, energy efficiency, and control performance.

For more information, contact: Anam Tahir, email: anam.tahir@utu.fi

Projects

Virtual Sea Trial (2024 – 2026)

The Virtual Sea Trial (VST) research project, funded by Business Finland, consists of multiple companies and research organizations, develops an integrated and distributed virtual testing environment for ships. At the University of Turku, this project is led by University Lecturer Jari Böling from the Automation unit of the Mechanical and Materials Engineering department. The focus area for automation engineering is to develop and study the testing of the interaction and different automation systems on board ships. The specifications and the interfaces between the different automation systems are in a central role, and the end goal is to develop a system where different parts can be added in steps, and tested for functionality of the whole system.

For more information, contact: Jari Böling, email: jari.boling@utu.fi