Nabih Jaber (left), chair of the LTU Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, explains the new power quality analysis equipment to Andrew Simmons, an LTU senior majoring in electrical engineering from Lexington, Ky.
LTU photo / Matt Roush

SOUTHFIELD--Hyundai-Kia Technical Center Inc. in Ann Arbor has donated battery testing equipment worth an estimated $80,000 to the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering in Lawrence Technological University’s College of Engineering.

Included is a system manufactured by Irvine, Calif.-based NH Research Inc. that tests high-voltage batteries, supplying both a power source and a simulated load from 12 to 252 kilowatts at 40, 120, or 600 volts DC. Also donated was power quality analysis equipment from Japan’s Yokogawa Electric Corp.; other electronic equipment, including antennas and cables; and software to run the system.

The equipment can be used to test batteries for a wide variety of applications, including electric vehicles, emergency backup power, and utility-grid-scale power storage, according to Nabih Jaber, associate professor and chair of the LTU Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

“The NHR battery test system is ideal for lab and production testing of battery modules and energy storage devices,” Jaber said. “It addresses the evolving battery requirements for electric vehicles, renewable energy storage, and critical power applications. We are deeply grateful to Hyundai-Kia for this donation, which will further enhance our electrical engineering program as America moves toward clean power, green transportation, and an upgraded electric grid.”

LTU offers Bachelor of Science degrees in electrical engineering with concentrations in electronics engineering or power engineering, a graduate certificate program in electrical power systems, and a Master of Science program in electrical and computer engineering.

Lawrence Technological University, www.ltu.edu, is one of only 13 private, technological, comprehensive doctoral universities in the United States. Located in Southfield, Mich., LTU was founded in 1932, and offers more than 100 programs through its Colleges of Architecture and Design, Arts and Sciences, Business and Information Technology, Engineering, and Health Sciences. PayScale lists Lawrence Tech among the nation’s top 11 percent of universities for alumni salaries. Forbes and The Wall Street Journal rank LTU among the nation’s top 10 percent. U.S. News and World Report lists it in the top tier of best in the Midwest colleges. Students benefit from small class sizes and a real-world, hands-on, “theory and practice” education with an emphasis on leadership. Activities on Lawrence Tech’s 107-acre campus include more than 60 student organizations and NAIA varsity sports.

Nabih Jaber, chair of the LTU Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, goes over the manual of new battery testing equipment with Andrew Simmons, an electrical engineering major from Lexington, Ky.
LTU photo / Matt Roush