Cai Research Group

Opening

Six fully funded Ph.D. student positions are available for Spring/Fall 2025 intake. The students will support ongoing research projects with anticipated skills below:

  1. (DOE) Model-free control of next-generation heat pumps — This is a collaborative project with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory where the Purdue team will be responsible for development and experimental validation of model-free algorithms for heat pump optimal control. The algorithms will be devised based on online convex optimization and learning-based control techniques, so strong numerical or math background is required.
  2. (DOE) Aging-aware optimal control of motorized energy storage — This project aims to characterize aging behaviors of electric motors used in energy storage systems, such as heat pump-driven thermal storage and pumped-storage hydro, and develop aging-aware control strategies. Students with general mechanical/electrical engineering backgrounds are encouraged to apply.
  3. (NSF) Altruistic game-theoretic control of sustainable communities — This project will study a new altruistic game-theoretic framework to characterize residential energy use behaviors in response to electricity carbon intensity signals. The problem will be addressed as non-convex cost-sharing games. Strong math background is required.
  4. (Industry) Load-based testing of heat pump equipment — Load-based testing method is increasingly adopted by regulation agencies, e.g., CSA SPE-07-2023 and AHRI 210/240 CVP, to better capture operational performance of heat pump equipment. We aim to develop a control simulation testbed to support control stability, reproducibility, and repeatability analyses of load-based testing. Basic knowledge of linear control theory and thermal systems is preferred.
  5. (Purdue-CHPB) Optimized control of vapor-injection cold climate heat pump (CCHP) – – This CHPB-funded project aims to optimize the control coordination of compressor/fan speeds, EXV opening, and injection pressure in CCHPs, through online saddle point seeking. Candidates comfortable working with math and thermal systems are preferred.

For those interested, please email Dr. Jie Cai at cai40@purdue.edu.

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