Annual Report 2007-08 - FEA - American University of Beirut
Annual Report 2007-08 - FEA - American University of Beirut
Annual Report 2007-08 - FEA - American University of Beirut
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I first fixed the first board (checked for components that<br />
weren’t working and then changed them) and tried it, but<br />
it didn’t work (a couple <strong>of</strong> components exploded) and we<br />
assumed that the ratings <strong>of</strong> the different parts were not<br />
sufficient (we did not have the datasheet and could not find<br />
it over the internet). We then used the second board, that did<br />
not work because it had an on board protection system that<br />
was blocking its action, Dr. Samy thus asked me to remove<br />
the protection system and prepare a circuit that would directly<br />
feed the board with the PWM and thus everything before<br />
the opto-couplers should be removed. I prepared the system<br />
shown in figures. This time we actually got an output that was<br />
ok. We tried the motor but it moved very slowly and its motion<br />
was not continuous (it stopped and moved) this was because<br />
the output <strong>of</strong> the inverter board was not really a sine wave and<br />
the error was significant. This last experiment was already in<br />
the final days that the German exchange student and I were<br />
going to be in Canada so we gave up and Dr. Samy ordered a<br />
new inverter board as well as a DSP so that he would be able<br />
to finish the project later.<br />
The internship helped me both on a personal and a<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essional level. It made me learn to be more responsible,<br />
punctual, and organized. It also allowed me to put my<br />
knowledge <strong>of</strong> power electronics that I had acquired at AUB<br />
to use. Finally, it gave me the confidence and initiative to<br />
pursue graduate studies in the same field <strong>of</strong> electric power<br />
engineering.<br />
PhD research at ECE<br />
Mohammed Husseini, who will be working under the<br />
supervision <strong>of</strong> Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Karim Kabalan, is enrolled in AUB’s<br />
PhD program in electrical and computer engineering.<br />
“The purpose <strong>of</strong> my research,” explains Husseini, “is to design<br />
low-cost easy-to-fabricate antennas for use in wireless and<br />
other applications and to make sure these antennas operate as<br />
dictated by the application.”<br />
In addition to its relevance for wireless communication<br />
systems, Husseini’s research also has potential medical<br />
applications as well – in breast cancer detection for example.<br />
“In this case,” says Husseini, “an antenna sends a well-shaped<br />
pulse over a short distance.” How the body reacts to this<br />
“well-shaped pulse” is key to detecting breast cancer. The<br />
healthy body cells reflect the pulse in a certain way whereas<br />
cancerous cells will reflect the pulse in a different way.<br />
Husseini is intrigued by the challenge <strong>of</strong> relating his research<br />
to the needs <strong>of</strong> industry. “Every application comes with its<br />
own set <strong>of</strong> requirements. You need to understand these<br />
requirements and the needs <strong>of</strong> the market in order to conduct<br />
research that will result in products with real-life uses.” As a<br />
result <strong>of</strong> the significant investments that have been made in<br />
the AUB engineering laboratories in recent years, Husseini –<br />
and others conducting research in this field – are now able to<br />
fabricate and test some types <strong>of</strong> antennas they are researching<br />
at AUB. However, more equipment is needed to deal with<br />
the more sophisticated designs which are currently sent for<br />
fabrication in Europe and the United States.<br />
4.<br />
research<br />
Husseini is one <strong>of</strong> four PhD students in electrical and<br />
computer engineering this year. Karim Kabalan, chair <strong>of</strong><br />
the department and Husseini’s advisor, says that the goal<br />
<strong>of</strong> the department is to provide high quality education in<br />
electrical and computer engineering that prepares students<br />
for employment and leadership roles in academic, industrial,<br />
or research positions. “When students leave here with<br />
a PhD,” he explains, “we expect them to have a depth <strong>of</strong><br />
knowledge in their specific area <strong>of</strong> research, experience in<br />
doing independent research and communicating the results<br />
effectively, and have made a published contribution to the<br />
existing knowledge in electrical and computer engineering.”<br />
Since completing his BE and ME at AUB, Mohammed Husseini<br />
has been working as a research assistant for Pr<strong>of</strong>essors Karim<br />
Kabalan and Ali El Hajj both in the Department <strong>of</strong> Electrical<br />
and Computer Engineering. Although he has only been a PhD<br />
student since fall <strong>2007</strong>, he has already a published having<br />
authored more than ten journal articles and many conference<br />
papers.<br />
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