On April 10, the finals of the inaugural “Chenxiang Innovation Award” were held in Zhuzhou, Hunan. Initiated by CRRC Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive Research Institute Co., Ltd., the “Chenxiang Innovation Award” aims to discover and cultivate future industry leaders and to build an integrated innovation ecosystem combining fundamental research, technical breakthroughs, and industrial transformation. Professor Zheng Zedong from the Department of Electrical Engineering and Applied Electronics (EEA) served as the rotating chairman of the organizing committee for the first edition.

The first “Chenxiang Innovation Award” released a total of 6 research topics, including one key project. Since its launch, the competition attracted 29 innovation teams from 18 universities, involving hundreds of young talents. After rigorous preliminary screening and fierce semifinal competition, 8 outstanding teams advanced to the finals.

Two teams from Tsinghua University reached the finals and won awards. The “EEA’s Transmission and New Energy Laboratory” team (team leader: Liu Hanyu; member: Bi Qiang) won the Gold Award for a general project; the “EEA Small Team” (team leader: Pang Jupeng; members: Chen Yuzhi, Bai Lilai, Wu Yifan, Zhang Mingqi) won the Silver Award for the key project. Members of both teams come from Tsinghua’s “Advanced Electric Energy Conversion and Electrified Transportation Team (CAPCETS/PEMC),” led by Professor Li Yongdong.

Group photo at the finals

The “EEA’s Transmission and New Energy Laboratory” team conducted in-depth research on high-voltage planar transformer technology. They proposed a liquid-cooled planar transformer structure balancing insulation requirements, established an equivalent model for liquid cooling thermal analysis, and performed finite element simulation and insulation withstand voltage testing. The results demonstrated that the structure not only improves the planar transformer’s power density but also ensures good reliability.

The “Transmission and New Energy Laboratory” team

The “EEA’s Small Team” addressed the challenge of overcurrent control in new energy grid-connected converters under fault disturbances. They proposed an integrated solution combining chip modeling, state monitoring, and modulation control. This resolved key issues such as difficulty sensing IGBT overload boundaries, delayed response of traditional modulation methods at very low switching frequencies, and poor grid control performance. They overcame key technologies including low-frequency optimized pulse-mode modulation and high-performance grid control, significantly enhancing the converter’s overload capability and system stability under fault conditions.

Partial team photo of the “EEA’s Small Team”

On the morning of April 11, during the opening ceremony of CRRC Zhuzhou Institute’s 5th Science and Technology Festival, the “Chenxiang Innovation Award” ceremony was held. The organizing committee also invited several renowned experts to form an academic committee. Professor Li Yongdong and Associate Professor Zheng Zedong from EEA were appointed as members of the Chenxiang Innovation Award Academic Committee. Additionally, the festival hosted the Journal Contribution Awards ceremony, where Associate Professor Zheng Zedong received the 2024 Excellent Paper Award.

PhD student Liu Hanyu delivering an acceptance speech

“EEA’s Small Team” won the Silver Award for the key project

The “Chenxiang Innovation Award” is jointly launched by CRRC Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive Research Institute Co., Ltd., Tsinghua University, Zhejiang University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Tongji University, Hunan University, and North China Electric Power University. The award focuses on China’s dual-carbon and energy transition strategies, targeting key fields such as intelligent power electronics equipment and new energy grid-connected control. It emphasizes new topologies, new drives, control algorithms, thermal management, and system stability, creating an innovation ecosystem integrating fundamental research, technology breakthroughs, and industrial transformation to discover and cultivate future industry leaders.