Daniel Ludois

Professor Daniel Ludois is a faculty member in the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, with affiliations in Mechanical Engineering and Nuclear Engineering & Engineering Physics. His research focuses on power electronics, electric machines, non-contact power transfer, and sustainable energy technologies. He leads a research group developing capacitive (non-inductive) power conversion systems for applications in wind energy, electric vehicles, aerospace, and energy storage.

• PhD 2012, University of Wisconsin-Madison
• MS 2008, University of Wisconsin-Madison
• BS 2006, Bradley University

Research Interests

Ludois explores advanced power electronics architectures, including capacitive power transfer and electrostatic machines (e.g., rotors, generators, and drives). His work emphasizes sustainable energy systems, with recent breakthroughs in rotary double-layer capacitive power transfer achieving 97% efficiency at 9kW. He also designs novel antennas and high-efficiency transmitters that surpass traditional bandwidth-efficiency limits through non-linear time-invariant (non-LTI) circuit techniques.

Recent Publications Trends

Publications from 2023–2025 highlight advancements in:
- Capacitive power systems for rotor excitation and brushless operation
- Electrostatic motor design with fluid management for thermal performance
- High-efficiency HF antennas overcoming size-related limitations
- Liquid-immersed electronics for power converter cooling

Awards & Honors

• 2024 U.S. Department of Energy InDEEP Prize (Stage 2)
• 2023 IEEE PELS Best Oral Presentation Award
• 2022 Vilas Faculty Fellow
• 2017 Moore Inventor Fellow
• 2016 NSF CAREER Award

Education & Grants

Ludois has secured multiple NSF and U.S. DOE grants for projects like the InDEEP Prize-winning distributed energy system. He mentors graduate students in courses such as Electromagnetic Design of AC Machines (ECE 713) and advises on high-power density motor design and electrostatic energy harvesting.

Labs & Collaborations

His research group collaborates with industry partners to develop prototypes for energy-efficient systems, including a 2kW capacitive power transfer system and novel wind turbine energy converters.