CAR a springboard for students future in the auto industry

For Shreshta Rajakumar Deshpande, being part of the Center for Automotive Research was more than just a GRA position, it was the opportunity to make connections with industry leaders and work with faculty and researchers who are at the forefront of automotive research.  

“One day, I would love to be a technocrat in the automotive industry,” he said. “OSU CAR is an amazing springboard to help realize this goal, given the strong liaisons it has with leaders in the industry.”

Rajakumar Deshpande is in the BS-PhD program in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. Advised by associate professor, Marcello Canova, his research focuses on the simulation and controls of advanced electrified vehicles. He is currently gaining first-hand experience by working on the ARPA-E NEXTCAR project. NEXTCAR (Next-Generation Energy Technologies for Connected and Automated On-Road Vehicles) is a 3-year project developed by the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), a subsidiary of the US Department of Energy (DoE).

“We, at The Ohio State University, are working with our partners Delphi Technologies, Tula Technology, Aptiv and Transportation Research Center to develop a transformational vehicle dynamics and powertrain controls solution that leverages a novel ignition and air management strategy to significantly improve vehicle energy efficiency,” said Rajakumar Deshpande. “This solution comprises a unique combination of engine controls and hardware, enabling selective fuel-efficient cylinder deactivation at any time. I am part of the hybrid powertrain controls sub-group, where we are using look-ahead route and traffic information to co-optimize the vehicle velocity trajectory and torque split strategy over a selected route.”

Rajakumar Deshpande spent his summer at Delphi Technologies, working with their team on the ARPA-E NEXTCAR project.

“Shreshta was able to quickly and effectively become a part of our team during his internship with us,” said Pete Olin, chief engineer, Advanced Systems Development at Delphi Technologies. “He played a critical role in helping us advance the project work to the point that we were able to do vehicle testing that provided critical data for a customer technology show that occurred at the end of his internship.  It was a pleasure having him on the team, and we look forward to his return as an intern next summer.”

“The best thing about the research I do, is that the theories and solutions we are developing can be potentially deployed into production vehicles in the near-future,” said Rajakumar Deshpande. “I feel fortunate and very excited to be a part of this type of work where I get to interact and collaborate with leaders in academia and the automotive industry alike.”

The future looks bright for Rajakumar Deshpande who hopes to work in the electrification and CAV-related research division of an automobile company after graduation.

“I want to apply the knowledge I have gained at OSU CAR to solve real-world challenges in the automotive industry: said Rajakumar Deshpande. “I want to actively contribute to shaping a cleaner and smarter future for automobiles.”