Eng. Nihal Kularatna – NZ Engineering Innovator of the Year 2013
Sri Lankan Engineering Innovator Recognized in New Zealand
Eng. Nihal Kularatna won the Engineering Innovator of the Year Award at the New Zealand Engineering Excellence (NZEE) Awards 2013 held on 27th November, 2013. The award was in recognition of his work on improving the efficiency of energy storage systems while also improving power quality issues. A product of the University of Peradeniya he is now an academic at the Waikato University in New Zealand with patents pending for two techniques he developed. He is also engaged in finding solutions to a common engineering problem in developing countries: the severe fluctuations in the utility power supply due to overloaded low voltage distribution lines. He also holds a United States patent for his super capacitor technology (high capacity energy storage).He has held a position at the University of Auckland before he joined the Waikato University in 2006.
The author of many books and technical papers to journals and international conferences, Eng. Kularatna obtained his BSc (Eng.)(Hons) from the University of Peradeniya in 1976. Having worked as an electronics engineer from 1976 to 1985 he joined the Arthur C Clarke Institute for Modern Technologies in 1985 as a research and development engineer and was appointed its CEO in 2000.which position heheld until he moved to New Zealand with his family.
The New Zealand Engineering Excellence is conducted by The Institution of Professional Engineers (IPENZ) on behalf of a partnership of engineering organisations – Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia (IPWEA), Electricity Engineers’ Association (EEA), Association of Consulting Engineers New Zealand (ACENZ), New Zealand Contractors’ Federation, Water New Zealand and The New Zealand Council of Engineering Deans.It’s the ultimate recognition for the engineering professionals in New Zealand.
Part 1- “How can a SL engineer contribute internationally by combining common sense with theory”
Part 2- “Can we change culture in engineering organizations to promote innovation and commercialization”
John Pierce won the Arthur C Clarke Award in 1989
Eng. Kularatna meeting Sir Arthur C. Clarke
in October 2005
2003 edition of Eng. Kularatna’s first IEE book
Foreword given by Sir Arthur C. Clarke to the first book of Eng. Kularatna
Front pages of first three books of Eng. Nihal Kularatna
John Robinson Pierce (March 27, 1910 – April 2, 2002), was an American engineer and author. He worked extensively in the fields of radio communication, microwave technology, computer music, psychoacoustics, and science fiction.
Graphene Supercapacitors Ready for Electric Vehicle Energy Storage
Supercapacitor (SC), formerly electric double-layer capacitor (EDLC), is the generic term for a family of electrochemical capacitors. Supercapacitors, sometimes also called ultracapacitors, don't have a conventional solid dielectric.
