Chairholders
Profile
Saeid Habibi
Department of Mechanical Engineering
McMaster University
Chair title
NSERC/Ford Canada Industrial Research Chair in Hybrid/Electric Vehicle (HEV) Powertrain Diagnostics
Chair program
Industrial Research Chairs program
Role
Senior Chairholder since 2011
Summary
Vehicle emissions have negatively impacted our environment and it is very clear that a change is needed. Society is responding and we are witnessing the inception of a momentous change in the global automotive strategy because of justified concerns for the environment, public health and the availability of fossil fuels. Change brings opportunities, as well as challenges. These are particularly pronounced for Ontario given that this province has the highest level of automotive output in North America. The strengths that have led Ontario to hold this position include its innovation and technology. Important weaknesses are high labour and legacy costs. Ontario's global competitiveness is being eroded as a result, especially from emerging low-cost competitors. Remarkably, hybrid technologies can satisfy our concerns for the environment and reduce our dependency on fossil fuels, while raising competitive barriers to market entry, preserving Ontario's leadership in the auto sector.
This Industrial Research Chair (IRC) specifically targets hybrid technology and is supported by Ford Canada. It considers model-based strategies for testing and performance analysis of components and sub-systems used in hybrid power trains. The strategies developed will be implemented on test cells and ported to the vehicle diagnostic system. Through this IRC, McMaster University will support the transfer of hybrid technology and hybrid power train testing to Ontario. This technology transfer is critical to Ford Canada, given the rapid rate of market penetration of hybrid vehicles.
The Chairholder is Professor Saeid Habibi who is a faculty member in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at McMaster University. Dr. Habibi joined the university in 2006 and previously worked at the University of Saskatchewan. He obtained his PhD in Control Engineering from the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. His academic background includes research in intelligent control, state and parameter estimation, fault diagnosis and prediction, variable structure systems, actuation systems, mechatronics and fluid power. Application areas for his research have included automotive, aerospace, water distribution and robotics. He has developed his own strategy related to estimation and fault detection referred to as the Variable Structure Filter. This Industrial Research Chair program is a collaboration with Ford Canada on the application of this strategy to hybrid vehicles.
Partner
- Ford Canada
Contact information
Department of Mechanical Engineering
McMaster University
John Hodgins Engineering Building, Rm 316
1280 Main St W, Suite 16
Hamilton, Ontario
L8S 4L7
Tel.: 905-525-9140, ext. 27765
Fax: 905-572-7944
Email: Habibi@mcmaster.ca
