Controls Development and Testing for Electrical Aviation

Session: Co-ordinating Integrated Electrical Systems in Aerospace Applications

Tom Feehally has a M.Eng(Hons) in Mechatronic Engineering and a PhD examining aircraft electrical systems. He has over 15 years experience in the field of electrical energy systems with publications and patents covering power conversion, energy storage, multi-domain systems. He is especially interested in how technologies can create a positive impact on society. In 2021 he joined the GKN Aerospace and works on ATI funded programmes – including H2FlyGHT. As a principal research engineer, he leads work focusing on electrical architectures and integration to deliver viable aircraft electrification – in particular utilising hydrogen fuel cell power sources.

Session: Model Based Design for Hybrid Electric Propulsion Systems

At present, Nouman Sadiq is the technical lead for motor drive systems at Collins Aerospace, where he is responsible for designing electric drive control for hybrid electric propulsion systems. He has generated significant IP on:
• The control of high-voltage active rectifiers.
• High energy electrical fault analysis.
• Short-circuit protection in HVDC networks.
Nouman also lead the modelling and simulation of motor drive systems at Collins, UK, collaborating with customers to flow down aircraft and engine requirements to our design team.

Session: Welcome speech & Closing session

Dr. Vincent Zeng is a Reader in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Bath and a member of IAAPS. With previous industry experience at GE Grid Solutions and in automotive power electronics, he has led the design of HVDC converter systems, DC-DC converters, and inverters used in high-performance electric vehicles. His research focuses on power electronics, motor drives, electric propulsion systems, hybrid electric vehicles, and renewable energy integration, helping advance the next generation of electrical aviation technologies.

Session: Welcome speech, Concepts and Benefits of Controls Testing with HIL, Closing session

Experienced Director Of Sales & Marketing with a demonstrated history of working in the electrical and electromechanical industry. Skilled in Negotiations, International Business, long-term Business Generation, discovery of Growth Opportunities and Management with a strong customer focus to assure sustainable long-term business to the satisfaction of the customers – including Profit and Loss responsibility. Strong sales professional with a Bachelor’s Degree focused in Industrial Engineering from Hamburger Fern-Hochschule.

Session: University of Nottingham’s experience on electric aerospace projects focusing on motor/propulsion system development

Professor Tao Yang is Professor of Aerospace Electrical Systems at the University of Nottingham and a globally recognized expert in aircraft electrification. His research focuses on more-electric and all-electric aircraft, including high-speed drives, power electronics, electrical power distribution, and digital twin technologies for advanced air mobility. An IEEE Senior Member, IEEE Power Electronics Society Vice President for Membership, and Chair of the IEEE Aerospace Power Technical Committee, he leads pioneering research and international collaborations to advance the next generation of sustainable aviation technologies.

Session: Vertical Aerospace on BMS development and testing

Jacob Paton is a Powertrain Validation & Verification Engineer at Vertical Aerospace, specializing in the development and testing of battery management systems (BMS) for next-generation electric aircraft. A First Class MEng graduate in Integrated Mechanical & Electrical Engineering from the University of Bath, he brings expertise in lithium battery systems, power electronics, and electromechanical integration, with a strong focus on advancing reliable and sustainable aerospace technologies.

Session: Development of Real-time Simulation and PHiL for Aerospace Electrical Networks

Hanwen Zhang is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Bath specializing in power electronics, power conversion, microgrids, and electrical protection. After earning a PhD in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Aalborg University, he continued his research in advanced power electronic systems and has collaborated with leading international institutions, including DTU and the University of Rome Tor Vergata. His work focuses on developing innovative power conversion technologies for resilient and efficient electrified energy systems.

Session: Live demonstration: Aerospace HIL simulation

Brian Kindinger leads the eFPGASIM team at OPAL-RT with a focus in electromechanical and battery management simulations. He brings 20 years of industry experience ranging from embedded control & automation to hardware-in-the-loop production automation. Brian holds a Master’s of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Florida.