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Yang Cao
Professor
Office: GANT 105D
Phone: (860) 486-0915
Email: yang.cao@uconn.edu

EDUCATION

• PhD in Material Science, University of Connecticut, 2002
• MS in Condensed Matter Physics, Tongji University, 1995
• BS in Applied Physics, Tongji University, 1992

APPOINTMENTS

• Professor, University of Connecticut, 2019-
• Associate Editor, IEEE Transactions on Dielectrics and Electrical Insulation, 2018-
• Site Director of NSF Center for Novel High Voltage/Temperature Materials and Structures (NSF HVT) , 2017-
• Director of Electrical Insulation Research Center, Institute of Materials Science, University of Connecticut, 2013-
• Associate Professor, University of Connecticut, 2013-2019
• Senior Electrical Engineer, GE Global Research Center, 2002-2013

RESEARCH FOCUS

• High voltage engineering
• Flexible electronics
• HVDC/MVDC
• Grid Protection, hardening and asset management

MAJOR RESEARCH PROJECTS

• ARPA-e, “Detection and Fixation: A Lifecycle-Management Framework Towards an SF₆-Free Green Power Network”, PI, Selected for Award, 2022-2024.
• G&W Electric, “Switchgear Materials Study”, PI, 6/1/2021-5/31/2022
• Collins Aerospace, “High Voltage Insulation”, PI, 5/1/2021-11/30/2022
• NASA/NPS, “Advanced Insulation System Design for Fast Light-weight Altitude-ready Solid-state Circuit Breaker for Hybrid Electric Propulsion (FLASH)” (N00244-20-1-008), PI, 8/1/2020-9/24/2022
• ONR “High Torque Density Motor Insulation” (N00014-19-1-2306), PI, 5/15/19 to 5/14/2022
• ONR “Accelerated Co-Designs of High K Polymer Dielectrics” (N00014-19-1-2304), PI, 5/01/19 to 4/30/2022
• G&W “DC Research Project”, PI, 3/25/19 to 3/24/2020
• G&W “SF6 Alternative Material Compatibility”, PI, 2/8/19 to 2/7/2020
• NASA HVDC Aerospace Electric System, UTRC/NASA, PI, 4/1/2018-12/30/2018
• Komatsu, Motor insulation, Komatsu, PI, 4/1/2018-3/30/2021
• Nextflex, Printing passive circuit, Nextflex/Boeing, Co-PI, 4/1/2018-3/30/2019
• MURI, Tracking, Diagnosing and Impeding Dielectric Breakdown in Polymers, Co-PI (N00014-17-1-2656), 8/1/2017-7/31/2022. https://muri.ims.uconn.edu
• NSF Phase I i/UCRC University of Connecticut Site: Center for Novel High Voltage/Temperature Materials and Structures (HVT) (NSF 1650544), Site Director, 2/1/2017 –   http://www.hvtcenter.org
• GE/ABB, Arc Interruption Gas Dynamics, PI, 9/1/2013-12/30/2019
• ONR DURIP (N00014-16-1-2885), PI, 7/15/2016-10/14/2018
• ONR “High Field Aging” (N00014-16-R-BA01), Co-PI, 7/1/2016-12/31/2018
• ARL “Nanocoating” (W911NF-16-2-0146), PI, 8/23/2016-12/22/2016
• ONR “Propulsion Insulation” (N00014-15-1-2413), PI, 5/15/2015-12/30/2019
• EPR Cable Consortium, PI, 1/1/1998-12/30/2025
• ONR MURI “Capacitors” (N00014-10-1-0944), Co-PI, 10/1/2010-9/30/2016
• DOE “Wet-Mate DC Connector”, Co-PI, 9/1/2014-6/30-2016
• DOE “DC Cabling” (DE-AR0000231), PI, 1/22/2012- 2/28/2014

HONORS & SERVICE ACTIVITIES

• Elected Member, Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering (CASE) (2020)
• Professional: IEEE Senior Member
• Research: UConn ECE Research Excellence (2018), GE Technical Career Award (2013), GE Technical Achievement Award (2011), GE Innovation Award (2010)
• Service: Member of Technical Program Committee, IEEE Dielectric and Electrical Insulation Society 2019, 2018, 2017

JOURNAL PUBLICATIONS & PATENTS

2021:

• Mohamadreza Arab Baferani, Chao, Wu, Yang Cao, “Charge Transport and Space Charge Dynamics in EPDM/2D-Nanoclay Composite Dielectrics”, Composites Science and Technology, accepted, Dec. 20th, 2021.
• Wenqiang Gao, Yang Cao, Yifei Wang, Capri Price, JoAnne Ronzello, Nenad Uzelac, Andres Laso, Mattewos Tefferi, Kennedy Darko, “Materials Compatibility Study of  C₄F₇N/CO₂Gas Mixture for Medium-voltage Switchgear”, IEEE Transactions on Dielectrics and Electrical Insulation, accepted, Dec. 15th, 2021.
• Chuanyang Li, Tohid Shahsavarian, Mohamadreza Arab Baferani, Kerry Davis, Yang Cao^*, and Di Zhang, “Understanding of DC Partial Discharge: Recent Progress, Challenges, and Outlooks”, CSEE Journal of Power and Energy Systems, accepted, Dec. 4th, 2021.
• Thomas Linker†, Yifei Wang†, Ankit Mishra, Deepak Kamal, Yang Cao*, Rajiv K. Kalia, Aiichiro Nakano*, Rampi Ramprasad, Fuyuki Shimojo, Gregory Sotzing, and Priya Vashishta, “Deep Well Trapping of Hot Carriers in Hexagonal Boron Nitride Coating of Polymer Dielectrics”, ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, accepted, 2021.
• Sneh Sinha, Robert Daniels, Omer Yassin, Matthew Baczkowski, Mattewos Tefferi, Ajinkya Deshmukh, Yang Cao, Gregory Sotzing, “All Organic Textile Display from Robust, Open-air Fabrication Technique”, Advanced Materials Technologies, admt.202100548R1, published online, Oct. 20, 2021.
• Tohid Shahsavarian, Di Zhang, Patrick McGinnis, Steven Walker, Zheyu Zhang, Yang Cao, “Altitude Readiness of High Voltage IGBTs Subjected to the Partial Discharge at Harsh Environmental Conditions for Hybrid Electric Aircraft Propulsion“, IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics, published online, Oct. 15, 2021. DOI: 10.1109/TPEL.2021.3123462
• Chao Wu , Ajinkya A. Deshmukh , Omer Yassin , Jierui Zhou , Abdullah Alamri , John Vellek , Stuti Shukla , Michael Sotzing , Riccardo Casalini , Gregory A. Sotzing , Yang Cao, “Flexible cyclic-olefin with enhanced dipolar relaxation for harsh condition electrification”, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS), Vol. 118 (45), e211536711, 2021. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2115367118.
• Yifei Wang, Shamima Nasreen, Deepak Kamal, Zongze Li, Chao Wu, Jindong Huo, Lihua Chen, Rampi Ramprasad, Yang, “Tuning Surface States of Metal/Polymer Contacts Toward Highly Insulating Polymer-Based Dielectrics”, ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, Vol.13, pp.46142-46150, 2021. DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c12854
• Mohamadreza Arab Baferani, Chuanyang Li, Mattewos Tefferi, Ningzhen Wang, Yang Cao, “Large Improvement in DC electrical properties of EPDM with 2D platelet nanoclay”, Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics, Vol. 54, 475304 (11pages), 2021. DOI: 10.1088/1361- 6463/ac2277
• Chao Wu^†, Lihua Chen^†, Ajinkya Deshmukh, Deepak Kamal, Zongze Li, Pranav  Shetty,  Jierui Zhou, Harikrishna Sahu,  Huan Tran, Gregory Sotzing, Ramp Ramprasad*, Yang Cao*, “Dielectric polymers tolerant to electric field and temperature extremes: Integration of phenomenology, informatics and experimental validation”, ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, Vol.13 (45), pp.53416-53424, 2021. DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c11885

• Chuanyang Li, Tohid Shahsavarian, Mohamadreza Arab Baferani, and Yang Cao, “Tailoring  insulation surface conductivity for surface partial discharge mitigation“, Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 119, 032903, 2021. Doi: 10.1063/5.0050456.
• Ningzhen Wang, Robert Daniels, Liam Connelly, Michael Sotzing, Chao Wu, Reimund Gerhard, Gregory A. Sotzing, Yang Cao, “All-organic flexible ferroelectret nanogenerator with fabric-based electrodes for self-powered body area networks”, Small, 2103161, 2021. DOI:10.1002/smll.202103161 Inside Front Cover

• Chao  Wu, Ajinkya A.  Deshmukh, Zongze  Li, Lihua  Chen, Abdullah  Alamri, Yifei  Wang, Jierui  Zhou, Omer  Yassin, Rampi  Ramprasad, Gregory A.  Sotzing, Yang  Cao, “Remarks on the Design of Flexible High-Temperature Polymer Dielectrics for Emerging Grand Electrification – Exemplified by Poly(oxa)norbornenes”, IEEE Transactions on Dielectrics and Electrical Insulation, Vol.28, pp.1468-1470, 2021. DOI: 10.1109/TDEI.2021.009620
• Boya Zhang^†, Jingjing Liu^†, Ming Ren^†, Chao Wu^†, Thomas J. Moran, Songshan Zeng, Sonia E. Chavez, Zaili Hou, Zongze Li, Anna Marie LaChance, T. Richard Jow, Bryan D. Huey, Yang Cao^*, Luyi Sun^*, “Reviving the ‘Schottky’ barrier for flexible polymer dielectrics with a superior 2D nano-assembly coating”, Advanced Materials, Vol.33,2101374, 2021. DOI: 10.1002/adma.202101374   Insider Front Cover Highlight

• T. Shahsavarian, Y. Pan, Z. Zhang, C. Pan, H. Naderiallaf, J. Guo, C. Li*, Y. Cao*, “A Review of Knowledge-based Defect Identification via PRPD patterns in High Voltage Apparatus“, IEEE ACCESS, Vol.9, pp.77705 – 77728, May 17, 2021. DOI: 10.1109/ACCESS.2021.3082858.

• Tohid Shahsavarian, Xin Wu, Charles Lents, Di Zhang, Chuanyang Li, Yang Cao, “Temperature-dependent Partial Discharge Characteristics of High Temperature Materials at DC Voltage for Hybrid Propulsion Systems“, High Voltage, Vol. 6, pp.590-598, 2021. DOI: 10.1049/hve2.12110

• Deepak Kamal, Tran Huan, Chiho Kim, Yifei Wang, Lihua Chen, Yang Cao, V. Roshan Joseph, and Rampi Ramprasad , “Novel High-Voltage Polymer Insulators using Computational and Data-Driven Techniques“, Journal of Chemical Physics, Vol. 154, 174906, 2021. DOI: 10.1063/5.0044306
• Peinan Zhou*, Yifei Wang*, Shamima Nasreen*, Yang Cao, “Barrier heights of polymer-electrode interfaces measured via photo injection current method“, Surfaces and Interfaces, Vol.24, 101070, 2021. DOI: 10.1016/j.surfin.2021.101070.
• Gregory Allen Sotzing, Yang Cao, “Flexible fabric antenna system comprising conductive polymers and method of making same”, US Patent # 11043728, 6/22/2021.
• Guest Editorial: Chuanyang Li, Yang Cao, Qi Li, Uwe Reichert, David Fabiani, “Focus on Gas-Solid Interface Charging Physics”, Nanotechnology, https://iopscience.iop.org/journal/0957-4484/page/Focus-on-Gas-Solid-Interface-Charging-Physics.
• Guest Editorial: Cheng Pan, Yang Cao, Chuanyang Li, “Partial discharge at DC voltage”, High Voltage, Vol. 6, pp.563-564, 2021. DOI:10.1049/hve2.12134.

2020:

• Hiep Nguyen, Arshiah Mirza, Weiqiang Chen, Yiqi Liu, JoAnne Ronzello, Jack Chapman, Ali Bazzi and Yang Cao, “Investigation of 2D Nano-structured Winding Insulation for High Torque Density Medium-Voltage Motor“, IEEE ACCESS, Vol.9, pp.2274-2282, 2021. DOI: 10.1109/ACCESS.2020.3047103

• Jindong Huo, Yifei Wang, Yang Cao, “3D computational study of arc splitting during power interruption: the influence of metal vapor enhanced radiation on arc dynamics”, Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics, Vol.54, 085502 (18pp), https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6463/abc64b, Oct.30, 2020.
• Chuanyang  Li, Tohid  Shahsavarian, Mohamadreza  Arab Baferani, Ningzhen  Wang, JoAnne  Ronzello, Yang  Cao, “High Temperature Insulation Materials for DC Cable Insulation-Part III: Degradation and Surface Breakdown”, IEEE Transactions on Dielectric and Electrical Insulation, Vol.28, pp.240-247, 2021.
• Tohid  Shahsavarian, Chuanyang  Li, Mohamadreza  Arab Baferani, JoAnne   Ronzello, Xin  Wu, Di  Zhang, Yang  Cao, “High Temperature Insulation Materials for DC Cable Insulation-Part II: Partial Discharge Behavior at Elevated Altitudes”,  IEEE Transactions on Dielectric and Electrical Insulation, Vol.28, pp.231-239, 2021.
• Mohamadreza  Arab Baferani, Chuanyang  Li, Tohid  Shahsavarian, JoAnne  Ronzello, Yang  Cao, “High Temperature Insulation Materials for DC Cable Insulation-Part I: Space Charge”, IEEE Transactions on Dielectric and Electrical Insulation, Vol.28, pp.223-230, 2021.
• Mattewos Tefferi, Mohamadreza Arab Baferani, Hiroaki Uehara, Yang Cao, “The Correlation and Balance of Material Properties for DC cable insulation at Design Field”, IEEE ACCESS, Vol.8, pp.187840-187847, Oct. 12, 2020. DOI: 10.1109/ACCESS.2020.3030005
• Zhousheng Zhang, Zheming Wang, Gilbert Teyssedre, Tohid Shahsavarian, Mohamadreza Arab Baferani, Geng Chen, Chuanjie Lin, Bo Zhang, Uwe Riechert, Zhipeng Lei, Yang Cao, Chuanyang Li, “Gas-solid Interface Charge Tailoring Techniques: What We Grasped and Where to Go”, Nanotechnology, Vol.32, 122001 (32pp), 2021. DOI: 10.1088/1361-6528/abccea
• Chao  Wu, Mohamadreza  Arab, JoAnne  Ronzello, Yang  Cao, “Charge Transport Dynamics and Space Charge Accumulation in XLPE Composites with 2D Platelet Fillers for HVDC Cable Insulation”, IEEE Transactions on Dielectric and Electrical Insulation, Vol.28, pp.3-10, 2021.
• Jindong Huo, JoAnne Ronzello, Alex Rontey, Yifei Wang, Linda Jacobs, Timothy Sommerer, Yang Cao, “Development of an arc root model for studying the electrode vaporization and its influence on arc dynamics”, AIP Advances, Vol.10, No.8, 085324, Aug. 31, 2020. DOI: 10.1063/5.0012159
• Deepak Kamal, Yifei Wang, Huan Tran, Lihua Chen, Zongze Li, Chao Wu, Shamima Nasreen, Yang Cao, Rampi Ramprasad, “Computable Bulk and Interfacial Electronic Structure Features as Proxies for Dielectric Breakdown of Polymers”, ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, DOI: 10.1021/acsami.0c09555, 12 (33) 37182-37187, July 24, 2020.
• Yifei Wang, Zongze Li, Chao Wu, Yang Cao, “High-Temperature Dielectric Polymer Nanocomposites with Interposed Montmorillonite Nanosheets”, Chemical Engineering Journal, Vol.401, 126093, 2020. DOI: 10.1016/j.cej.2020.126093
• Tohid Shahsavarian, Yang Cao, Emmanouil Anagnostou, Roderick kalbfleisch, “Novel Modulated Equivalent Model of Point-to-Point LCC-based High Voltage AC/DC/AC System for Geomagnetic Storm-Induced Unbalanced Harmonic Studies”, International Journal of Electrical Power and Energy Systems, Vol.122, 106173, 2020. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijepes.2020.106173.
• Lihua Chen, Chiho Kim, Rohit Batra, Jordan Lightstone, Chao Wu, Zongze Li, Ajinkya A. Deshmukh, Yifei Wang, Tran Huan, Priya Vashishta, Gregory Sotzing, Yang Cao, Rampi Ramprasad, “Frequency-dependent Dielectric Constant Prediction of Polymers using Machine Learning”, npj Computational Materials, vol.6, article 61, pp.1-9, 2020. DOI: 10.1038/s41524-020-0333-6
• Chao Wu, Ajinkya A. Deshmukh, Zongze Li, Lihua Chen, Abdullah Alamri, Yifei Wang, Rampi Ramprasad, Gregory A. Sotzing, Yang Cao, “Flexible temperature-invariant polymer dielectrics with large bandgap”, Advanced Materials,Vol.32, 2000499, 2020. Cover highlight.jpg. DOI: 10.1002/adma.202000499

• Zongze Li, Sneh K. Sinha, Gregory M. Treich, Yifei Wang, Qiuwei Yang, Ajinkya A. Deshmukh, Gregory A. Sotzing, Yang Cao, “All-Organic Flexible Fabric Antenna for Wearable Electronics”, Journal of Materials Chemistry C, Vol. 8, pp.5662-5667, 2020. Cover highlight. doi: 10.1039/DOTC00691B.

2019:

• Chao Wu, Zongze Li, Gregory M. Treich, Mattewos Tefferi, Riccardo Casalini, Rampi Ramprasad, Gregory A. Sotzing, Yang Cao, “The Dynamics of Dipolar Relaxation of the Modified Polythiourea with High Dielectric Constant”, Applied Physics Letters, Vol.115, pp.163901, 2019. doi: 10.1063/1.5123484. 

• Jindong Huo , Svetlana Selezneva, Linda Jacobs, Yang Cao, “Study of Wall Ablation on Low-Voltage Arc Interruption: The effect of Stefan Flow”, Journal of Applied Physics, Vol.125, No.21, pp.213302(1-12), 2019. DOI: 10.1063/1.5090867

• Zongze Li, Gregory M. Treich, Mattewos Tefferi, Chao Wu, Shamima Nasreen, Sydney K. Scheirey, Ramamurthy Ramprasad, Gregory A. Sotzing , Yang Cao, “High Energy Density and High Efficiency All-Organic Polymers with Enhanced Dipolar Polarization”, Journal of Materials Chemistry A, Vol.7, pp.15026-15030, 2019. Front cover highlight. DOI: 10.1039/C9TA03601F

• Mattewos Tefferi, Zongze Li, Hiroaki Uehara, Qin Chen, Yang Cao, “Novel EPR Insulated DC Cables for Future Multi-terminal MVDC Integration”, IEEE Electrical Insulation Magazine, Vol.35, No.5, pp.20-27, 2019. Featured article. 10.1109/MEI.2019.8804331

• Hiroaki Uehara, Shiya Iwata, Yasuo Sekii, Tatsuo Takada, Yang Cao ,  “Molecular Dynamics Simulation and Quantum Chemical Calculations of Surfactant Having Suppression Effect on Water Trees”, IEEJ Transactions on Fundamentals and Materials, Vol.139, pp.92-98, 2019. DOI: 10.1541/ieejfms.139.92