New power distribution system for Navy ships

When a Naval warship takes hits from enemy fire, the damage sometimes knocks out the electric power, making the warship more vulnerable. Steven Pekarek, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Missouri, wants to decrease this vulnerability by changing the way the ship's electric power system operates. His new power distribution operates more like a city power grid where the main monitoring system senses problem areas and reroutes power to avoid electrical outages. Sensors monitor the ship and send information to a computer, which reconfigures the system if needed. For more information, visit www.umr.edu.