Experience · Boron Energy
Mechanical Engineering Intern
At Boron Energy, I worked with a startup team developing an 8 kW high-efficiency GaN inverter capable of extremely high switching frequencies at high power levels.
- Dates
- May 2024 – Sep 2024
- Duration
- 5 months
- Location
- Vancouver, BC
- Product
- 8 kW GaN inverter
About this reflection
My work at Boron Energy is covered by a non-disclosure agreement, so this page has no designs, drawings or data. It describes the work at a high level and what I took away from it.
Motor dynamometer
I worked on several mechanical components. The most notable was an enclosure that doubles as a heat sink, using pins to cool the inverter with multidirectional airflow generated by the vehicle's speed.
I also designed and manufactured an electric drivetrain dynamometer in a “motor death match” style, where one motor generates while the other motors. The dyno measures currents, voltages and mechanical output at every stage of the drivetrain, so it can produce 3D efficiency maps of the inverter, the motor or the full system. I handled the mechanical fixturing and component selection, and integrated system protections for extreme conditions.
To make sure the results could be trusted, I developed a Python simulation that defines the exact accuracy of the dyno's DAQ across the full three-dimensional power spectrum. Paired with the efficiency maps, it gives an exact local accuracy at any operating point.
Team & reflection
I really enjoyed working at a startup. It gave me a lot of ownership over important designs, and it was fun working on a team where it felt like we were all “pulling on the same rope.” Our work felt intentional and focused because we didn't have resources to waste. Startups have a scrappy “figure it out” attitude that made me grow in ways I didn't anticipate.