Permanent Magnet Machines and Drives Principles, Design and Applications

Applications and Technology Trends

• Review of PM machine applications
• Suitability for direct-drive applications
• High-power-density and high-efficiency applications
• Trends toward higher speed and higher power
• Trends toward higher motor-converter
  integration

Fundamentals of Synchronous Machines

• Equivalent circuit models
• d-q modeling for salient pole machine
• Magnetic circuit model
• Introduction to magnetic materials properties

Major PM Machine Topologies

• Features and comparative overview, attributes for selection
• Stator and rotor configurations, including radial and axial

PM Machine Design and Analysis, Tools, and Methods

• Electromagnetic
• Thermal and structural
• Parameter measurement
• Design for self-sensing

Drive System Issues for PM Motors and Generators

• Drive configurations and topologies
• Torque-speed characteristics

PM Drive Control

• Current regulators
• Vector control and direct torque control (DTC)
• Sensors, observers, and self-sensing control

Flux-Weakening Control

• Alternative control algorithms
• Interactions between machine design and control

Drive System Simulation

• Matlab/Simulink
• Rapid prototyping

Fault-Mode Operation

• Open-circuit and short-circuit faults
• Uncontrolled generator operation
• Demagnetization
• Fault-tolerant machine design

Registration Date/Time:
4/7/2026 8:00am Central Time

Event Dates/Times:

• 4/7/2026  8:30am - 3:30pm Central Time
• 4/8/2026  8:30am - 3:30pm Central Time
• 4/9/2026  8:30am - 3:30pm Central Time
• 4/10/2026  8:30am - 3:30pm Central Time

This is a HyFlex (in-person and online) taught course. Your registration is for one teaching platform only: in-person or online. Please be prepared to attend all days either in-person or online. Contact us if you have any questions or if you need to make a change. 

Registration confirmation will guide students through accessing the Canvas course site.

Students will create and log in to the Canvas course site with a NetID. Course assets such as instructional materials, participation certificates, and course evaluations will be available to all students through the Canvas course site.

The course materials are all digital and only available on the Canvas course website. 

Online attendees will access sessions via the Zoom web conferencing platform. The Zoom link will be provided a few days before the course.

Please watch the email address that you provide during registration for release dates and pre-course information.

• Instructors

  James Swanke

  Senior Motor Design Engineer

  James Swanke is an electrical machine designer with an extensive academic and professional background in electrical engineering. Graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a B.S. in 2014, a M.S. in 2019, and a PhD in 2023, James has developed a deep expertise in high-performance electrical machines. Prior to pursuing advanced degrees, he gained valuable experience working for Siemens specializing in the electromagnetic design of induction machines. During graduate studies, his research focused on the advancement of high-power density and fault-tolerant electrical machines for aerospace propulsion applications. Currently, James applies this extensive knowledge at H3X Technologies, where he continues to work on the development of cutting-edge permanent magnet machines.

  Ian Brown

  Associate Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering

  Ian P. Brown received the B.S. degree in engineering from Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA, in 1999, and the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, in 2003 and 2009, respectively. Since 2012, he has been with the Illinois Institute of Technology where he is currently an Associate Professor in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department. Previously he was with the Corporate Technology Center, A. O. Smith Corporation, Milwaukee, WI. His main research interests are high-performance electrical drives and the design of electric machines.

  Thomas Jahns

  Grainger Professor of Power Electronics And Electric Machines

  Dr. Thomas M. Jahns received his bachelors, masters, and doctoral degrees from MIT, all in electrical engineering.

  Dr. Jahns joined the faculty of the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1998 in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.  He served for 14 years as a Co-Director of the Wisconsin Electric Machines and Power Electronics Consortium (WEMPEC), a world-renowned university/industry consortium in the electrical power engineering field.  Since 2021, he is the Grainger Emeritus Professor of Power Electronics and Electrical Machines.

  Prior to coming to UW-Madison, Dr. Jahns worked at GE Corporate Research and Development (now GE Global Research) in Niskayuna, NY, for 15 years, where he pursued new power electronics and motor drive technology in a variety of research and management positions. His current research interests at UW-Madison include integrated motor drives and electrified propulsion for both land vehicles and aircraft.

  Dr. Jahns is a Fellow of IEEE.  He received the 2005 IEEE Nikola Tesla Technical Field Award “for pioneering contributions to the design and application of AC permanent magnet machines”.  Dr. Jahns is a Past President of the IEEE Power Electronics Society.  He was elected to the US National Academy of Engineering in 2015 and received the IEEE Medal in Power Engineering in 2022.

  Caleb Secrest

  Global Sr. Manager, Controls Solutions & Calibration

  Caleb W. Secrest received a Ph.D. degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Wisconsin - Madison in 2015. From 2011 to 2015, he was a Graduate Researcher at WEMPEC under Prof. R.D. Lorenz performing research on improving motor drive precision in order to utilize it as an embedded application specific sensor. From 2015 to 2019, he was a Sr. Motor Control Engineer at General Motors with focus on automotive traction application electric machines and power electronics (EMPE) control.  Currently, he is a Sr. Manager at BorgWarner Inc. where he leads a global team on the development and integration of EMPE systems and software for automotive traction applications.

• Program Director

  Erick Oberstar

This course is part of the Electrified Systems Certificate series. Course may be taken individually as well.

This course has two attendance options, face-to-face or online.

Face-to-face attendance fee includes morning and afternoon breaks, scheduled lunches and course materials.

Online attendance fee includes online instruction and course materials.  Online attendees will access course sessions via the Zoom web conferencing platform.

10% discount per person for participants registered in the Electrified Systems certificate series. Promo code needed during registration.

Team Discount. Receive 10% off the registration fee per person when 3 or more individuals from the same organization enroll. Team affiliation will be confirmed as part of the registration process.

WEMPEC members receive $200 off the registration fee per person. Member affiliation will be verified.

If you are planning to attend an Interdisciplinary Professional Programs course, payment is required at the time of registration. Below are the payment options:

Pay by Credit Card

Enroll online and pay by credit card.

• Search for the course on the website and then click on the Enroll Now button from the course webpage.
• Enter all necessary course attendee information and payment information on the course enrollment page.
• You will receive an email to confirm successful enrollment and payment.

Enroll over the phone and pay by credit card.

• Call CERC Registrations at 608-262-2451.
• Provide the registrations representative with:
  • the course name, dates, and/or course number.
  • the necessary course attendee information and payment information.
• You will receive either a mailed document or an email to confirm successful enrollment payment.

Pay by Check

Mail in a completed registration form and check payable to UW Madison.

• Fill out a registration form (found either in the back of the course brochure you received in the mail or here).
• Prepare a check, made payable to UW Madison.
• Mail the registration form and check to: CERC Registrations 21 N Park St, Ste 7101 Madison, WI 53715
• You will receive either a mailed document or an email to confirm successful enrollment and payment.

Pay by Purchase Order

• Request Purchase Order information from interpro@union.wisc.edu
  • If a fee quote is needed, contact custserv@interpro.wisc.edu first
• You will receive an invoice from UW–Madison Business Services for payment, usually within 3–5 business days

Military

If using SF-182 form, please call our registration number at 608-262-2451 or email interpro@union.wisc.edu for details and instructions.

Event Cancellation

We reserve the right to cancel a course due to insufficient enrollment or unforeseen events. If we cancel a course, participants will be notified via email or phone and will be given the option for a full refund or to transfer their registration and any fees paid to another course. We are not responsible for non-refundable plane tickets, hotel reservations, and other travel related expenses. For enrollee Course Cancellation, refer to notes on course page.

If you cannot attend, please notify us no later than one week before your course begins, and we will refund your fee. Cancellations received after this date and no-shows are subject to a $150 administrative fee. You may enroll a substitute at any time before the course starts.