Dr. Andrew G. Alleyne is the College of Engineering Ralph M. and Catherine V. Fisher Professor and a Professor in the Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is the director of the NSF Engineering Research Center (ERC) on Power Optimization of Electro-Thermal Systems (POETS). Previously, he served as the Associate Dean for Research for the College of Engineering at UIUC (2008-2012). Professor Alleyne received his B.S. in Engineering Degree from Princeton University in 1989 in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. He received his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Mechanical Engineering in 1992 and 1994, respectively, from The University of California at Berkeley. His research interests are a mix of theory and implementation with a broad application focus. He has provided service to several industry, academic, and government boards including the U.S. Air Force’s Scientific Advisory Board and the National Academies Board on Army Research and Development. He is being recognized for his work on dynamic modeling and control of complex systems, in particular the development of Thermosys™ and the establishment of the POETS ERC.
Thermosys™ is a suite of simulation tools for analyzing the behavior of air-conditioning and refrigeration systems (both steady-state and time-dependent). POETS has an ambitious, innovative approach to improving the power density of next generation electro-thermal systems integrating traditionally separate research efforts in mechanical, electrical, and materials engineering across different technical domains.