Interprofessional Projects in Advanced Automotive Power Systems: An Integrated Education and Research Multidisciplinary Approach

Increasing use of electrical power to drive automobile subsystems, which historically have been driven by a combination of mechanical and hydraulic power transfer systems, is seen as a dominant trend in advanced automotive power systems. This trend manifests itself through the more-electric-cars (MEC) concept, which requires highly reliable, fault-tolerant, and cost-effective electrical systems. This paper introduces the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) Interprofessional Projects (IPRO) Program and a series of multidisciplinary student team projects focused on applications of electrical systems in advanced automobiles. IIT’s interprofessional course engages multidisciplinary teams of students in semester-long projects. It delivers a team-oriented project-based requirement within the undergraduate curriculum. Among its many benefits, the interprofessional course offers the opportunity to integrate the education and research environment of the university and, in this case, introduces students to the role of electrical systems in emerging automotive platforms that offer numerous research and technology application opportunities for electrical engineers.