The SPARK Laboratory was established within the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at University of Kentucky (UK) in the fall of 2015. The group is affiliated with the Power and Energy Institute of Kentucky (PEIK) and covers research and teaching topics of alternative and renewable energy technologies, electric machines and power electronic drives, electric power systems, electrification of transportation, electric vehicles and aircraft, energy storage, smart grids and buildings. The SPARK Laboratory is directed by Professor Dan M. Ionel, Ph.D., FIEEE, who serves as the inaugural L. Stanley Pigman Chair in Power at UK. Research is sponsored by NSF, DOE, NASA, and directly by industry and utilities. External collaborator industrial, utility, and research organizations include: ANSYS Inc., AO Smith Corp., EPRI, LG&E and KU, NREL, PPL Corp., Regal Rexnord Corp., ORNL, QMPower Inc., TVA, and others.
