Ruchira currently teaches a number of modules in the areas of Power Systems and Power Electronics at the Preston Campus. His research interests are in Sustainable Engineering, Energy, Power Electronics and Systems. These include design, construction and control of high-performance converters and motor drives for renewables, robotics and more electric transportation systems (electric vehicles, ships and aircrafts), SiC and GaN wide band-gap devices, modelling and optimizing magnetics, piezo-electric transformers, energy storage and energy management.
Dr. Yapa also possesses industrial experience in his areas of teaching; these include designing multi-megawatt distribution transformers at LTL Transformers. Designing and commissioning electrical ship propulsion systems at GE Power Conversion, UK, which included working on a number of state-of-the-art Marine and Naval projects. During his PhD, he was based at Rolls-Royce, UTC in Manchester where he developed high-performance power electronic converters for aircraft applications. After his PhD, he joined the University of Sheffield as a Research Associate where he researched piezoelectric transformer based power electronic converters. In 2017 he was appointed as a Lecturer here.
Here, he has been instrumental in developing new teaching modules in the areas of Power Systems and Power Electronics leading to the new BEng in Electrical and Electronics Engineering.
Ruchira was a member of the School of Engineering Athena SWAN Self-Assessment Team which was successful in obtaining the Athena SWAN Bronze Award in 2021. The Athena Swan Charter is a framework which is used across the globe to support and transform gender equality within higher education (HE) and research.
