The 2023 issue of CISE Newsletter has been released. Enjoy your reading!

Our best wishes for a Merry Christmas and a New Year 2024 filled with happiness and success!

We are pleased to announce that CISE is co-organising the 2nd International Electronic Conference on Machines and Applications (IECMA 2024) that will be held online from 18 to 20 June 2024. The e-conference is chaired by Prof. Antonio J. Marques Cardoso, and sponsored by MDPI and by scientific journal Machines. Please refer to the conference website for further instructions.

Deadline for abstract submission: 19 February 2024.

Presentation, by PhD Student João Serra, of paper “Virtual Voltage Vectors Based Model Predictive Control for Symmetrical Six-Phase Induction Machines”, at the IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition (ECCE 2023) Nashville, USA, 31 October 2023, with the financial support of Fundação Luso-Americana para o Desenvolvimento.

On 27 October 2023, 3 classes from Mechatronics and Electronics from the Felismina Alcântara Secondary School of Mangualde visited CISE | GIRS-RES. The students were presented a brief introduction to the research activities currently being developed there.

The paper “A Novel Stator Faults Indicator in Three-Phase Induction Motors, Based on Voltage and Impedance Symmetrical Components”, by Khaled Laadjal, Antonio J. Marques Cardoso, Mohamed Sahraoui and Abdeldjalil Alloui, presented at the 48th Annual Conference of the IEEE Industrial Electronics Society (IECON 2022) received the First Prize Paper Award of the Electrical Machines Technical Committee (EMTC) of the Industrial Electronics Society (IES). The award certificate was given to the authors during the EMTC Annual Meeting organized during IECON 2023 Conference, in Singapore, on 18 October 2023.

CISE participated, as institutional partner and exhibitor, in the sixth edition of ENERTECH SABUGAL – Technology for Energy Fair, that took place in Sabugal, Portugal, from the 12th to the 14th of October 2023.

On 11 July 2023, in the scope of a Team Building activity, a group of CISE researchers carried out a technical visit to the Serra da Estrela Natural Electricity Museum, facilities of Senhora do Desterro Power Station, the oldest hydroelectric power station in Portugal. After the morning activity, the group enjoyed an afternoon of relaxation and recreative activities by the river.

On 25 May 2023, two professors from the University of Zielona Gorá, Poland, visited the indoor and outdoor facilities of the Guarda International Research Station on Renewable Energies (CISE | GIRS-RES).

On 28 April 2023, a group of CISE researchers carried out the “Caminho do Xisto de Álvaro” (Álvaro Schist Trail). The 6,3 km walking trail was followed by a lunch at “Adega dos Apalaches”, to enjoy the “Cabrito Estonado” (roasted lamb), speciality of Oleiros, and an afternoon of relaxation and recreative activities.

Fernando José Figueiredo Bento, CISE PhD Researcher, received the Machines 2022 Young Investigator Award. Our warmest congratulations on your successful achievement!

On 04 April 2023, a class of Wind Energy from the IEFP - Institute for Employment and Vocational Training, Guarda, visited the Guarda International Research Station on Renewable Energies (CISE | GIRS-RES). The event counted with the participation of a group of students, who were presented with a brief introduction to the work and the different research activities on renewable energies currently being developed at CISE facilities.

On 21 March 2023, two classes from the Secondary School of Fundão, visited the Guarda International Research Station on Renewable Energies (CISE | GIRS-RES). The event counted with the participation of 20 students, who were presented with a brief introduction to the work and the different research activities on renewable energies currently being developed at CISE facilities.

On 08 March 2023, the indoor and outdoor facilities of CISE | GIRS-RES were visited by a class of the Professional Course in Industrial Maintenance from the Campos Melo Secondary School, Covilhã. The event counted with the participation of 22 students who were presented a brief introduction to the work and the different research activities currently being developed there and in the various CISE facilities.

The publication Stator Faults Detection in Asymmetrical Six-Phase Induction Motor Drives with Single and Dual Isolated Neutral Point, Adopting a Model Predictive Controller, by Khaled Laadjal, João Serra and Antonio J. M. Cardoso, in MDPI journal Machines, Vol. 11, Issue 2, Paper 132, February, 2023, was selected as an "Editor's Choice Article".

On 02 February 2023, Prof. Dr. Fatih Çaliskan (Head of the Graduate Education Institute), Prof. Dr. Zafer Tatli (Dean of the Faculty of Technology), Prof. Dr. Yusuf Çay (Academic at the Faculty of Technology) and Assoc. Dr. Halil Arslan (Erasmus Coordinator of the Faculty of Technology, from the Sakarya University of Applied Sciences, Turkey, visited the indoor and outdoor facilities of the Guarda International Research Station on Renewable Energies (CISE | GIRS-RES).

PhD Researcher Carlos Figueiredo Ramos presented an online seminar on “Solar Technology: Photovoltaic-Thermal Collectors”, in the framework of the UNITA Weekly Talks. The presentation took place on 12 January 2023, at 12:00 CET..

On 24 November 2022, a class of Mechatronics from the Professional School of Gouveia, visited the Guarda International Research Station on Renewable Energies (CISE | GIRS-RES). The event counted with the participation of 17 students, who were presented with a brief introduction to the work and the different research activities currently being developed there and in the various CISE facilities.

On 24 November 2022, Prof. Aynur Demir, from the Department of Urbanisation and Environmental Problems of the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences of the Aksaray University, Turkey, visited the indoor and outdoor facilities of the Guarda International Research Station on Renewable Energies (CISE | GIRS-RES).

In the framework of the IX edition of the “Electrical and Computer Engineering Days” of UBI, organised by ELECTRUBI (students association and representative body of the students enrolled in Electrical Engineering at UBI), a group of students visited CISE | LSE on 16 and 17 November 2022. The event included a visit to the Laboratory of Electromechatronic Systems and a brief presentation, by CISE PhD Student João Dinis.

On 10 October 2022, the indoor and outdoor facilities of CISE | GIRS-RES were visited by a group of students of Civil Engineering, from the Federal Institute of the North of Minas Gerais (IFNMG), Brazil. The students, accompanied by two professors and the Rector of IFNMG, were presented with a brief introduction to the ongoing work and research activities at CISE | GIRS-RES.

On 22 July 2022, a group of CISE researchers carried out the 8 km walking trail “À volta do Alva”, in the scope of a Team Building activity. After the morning activity, the group enjoyed an afternoon of relaxation and recreative activities next to river Alva.

CISE organised, on 07 July 2022, an Open Day at Guarda International Research Station on Renewable Energies (CISE | GIRS-RES), in the framework of Project "Ef&RelDC@HomO – Efficient and Reliable DC Electricity Distribution at Home and Offices". The event dedicated to the presentation of the project major outputs counted with the participation, as keynote speakers, of Dr. Nelson Lage, Chairman of the Board of Directors of ADENE (National Energy Agency), and Eng. Sérgio Costa, Mayor of Guarda. Around 40 participants, representing institutions from academia, energy agencies, municipalities, and other entities, were present in the event.

Interviews (in Portuguese) by Rádio Altitude (local radio station from Guarda, Portugal) to Dr. Nelson Lage, Chairman of the Board of Diretors of ADENE (National Energy Agency) and Prof. Antonio J. Marques Cardoso, Principal Investigator of Project "Ef&RelDC@HomO – Efficient and Reliable DC Electricity Distribution at Home and Offices", during the project Open Day, on 07 July 2022. To listen to the interview, please click here (from 5:12).

On 13 April 2022, in the scope of a Team Building activity, a group of CISE researchers carried out a technical visit to the facilities of Beralt Tin and Wolfram, Panasqueira Mines, in Barroca Grande, Covilhã. The activity was complemented with a walking trail between Barroca do Zêzere and Cabeço do Pião.

The publication Three-Phase Induction Motors Online Protection against Unbalanced Supply Voltages, by Khaled Laadjal, Mohamed Sahraoui, Abdeldjalil Alloui and Antonio J. M. Cardoso, in MDPI journal Machines, Vol. 9, Issue 9, Paper 203, September, 2021, was selected as an "Editor's Choice Article".

The publication Fault Detection and Condition Monitoring of PMSGs in Offshore Wind Turbines, by Nuno Freire and Antonio J. M. Cardoso, in MDPI journal Machines, Vol. 9, Issue 11, Paper 260, November, 2021, was selected as an "Editor's Choice Article".

The publication Determination of Heat Transfer Coefficient from Housing Surface of a Totally Enclosed Fan-Cooled Machine during Passive Cooling, by Payam Shams Ghahfarokhi, Antonio J. M. Cardoso et al., in MDPI journal Machines, Vol. 9, Issue 6, Paper 120, June, 2021, was selected as an "Editor's Choice Article".

On 23 and 30 of March 2022, two classes of Mechatronics from the Professional School of Trancoso, visited the Guarda International Research Station on Renewable Energies (CISE | GIRS-RES). The event counted with the participation of 20 students, who were presented with a brief introduction to the work and the different research activities currently being developed there and in the various CISE facilities.

CISE participated in the 2022 edition of the "National Meeting of Physics Students" at University of Beira Interior (UBI), organised by ENEF (physics students at University of Beira Interior and University of Coimbra), on 25 February 2022. The event counted with the participation of 14 students and included a visit to the Laboratory of Electromechatronic Systems (CISE|LSE) and a brief presentation by CISE PhD and MSc Students of their ongoing work and research activity.

In the framework of Project UNITA - Universitas Montium and Project Ef&RelDC@HomO, CISE participated in the organisation of the “UNITA Workshop on Renewable Energies” that took place on 27 and 28 October 2021.

Interview (in Portuguese) to Prof. Antonio J. Marques Cardoso, Principal Investigator of Project "Ef&RelDC@HomO – Efficient and Reliable DC Electricity Distribution at Home and Offices", funded by Compete2020, addressing the project and the importance of support from community funds. To read to the interview, please click here.

CISE has the pleasure to inform that the IEEE European Public Policy Committee (EPPC) has just published the public policy position statement entitled “E-mobility: Smart Charging”. CISE headed the preparation of this position statement, which provides European authorities with key recommendations to promote the switch to alternative fuels in line with the uptake of electric and zero-emission vehicles. To read this position statement, please click here.