Stanislav Stanchev is researching direct current (DC)  link capacitors, devices that help control direct current of electrical charge, and the energy loss in high frequency switching in semiconductor devices.

For almost three months, this senior electrical engineering major has been working with Mark Scott, assistant professor in the department of electrical and computer engineering, and graduate students to discover helpful solutions on these two projects.

Stanchev working on circuit boards                            

So, how exactly is his research conducted?

For these projects, he first uses electromagnetic interference to study the behavior of the capacitors. Electromagnetic interference involves using an external source is used to disturb the electrical circuit.

Once that testing is conducted, Stanchev designs and tests circuit boards to test efficiency and reliability of semiconductor devices. Through his research, Stanchev desires to find a way to efficiently supply power to these semiconductor devices.

His findings will go to aiding the development of a tool that can detect the age and efficiency of types of capacitors. The results from the many tests conducted will be used in the development of a machine learning software that can be used for non-invasive testing.

Stanchev hopes that he can “gain experience in the design of circuit boards, as well as, detailed knowledge of the behavior of semiconductor devices used in power electronics.” He desires to pursue a future career in the power industry and feels that this research will help him gain useful knowledge for his career as a power engineer.

By Maggie Cavanaugh, CEC Reporter