Kettering University

Page: 1 - 2

Mentoring a young intellect - Page 2

In 2004, Bauerle and Wicks began exploring how electrical circuits operate and learning about micro computing. Today, they have advanced to understanding wire-frame graphics and digital signal processing. The two meet once every two weeks to discuss Bauerle’s projects and related interests. The young student is also working with Kettering’s Dr. Jim Gover, professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, on the modeling of the drive train of a hybrid vehicle to minimize the overall power loss in the system. In addition, Bauerle is currently taking Gover’s EE 424—Power Electronics course as an independent study and using notes posted online at MITA for graduate students also taking a similar course. According to Gover, “he’s doing very well in the course and we hope to have a paper ready for Matthew to present for the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Vehicular Power and Propulsion Conference in 2009, which will be held in Dearborn.”

“Matthew shows considerable interest in these fields and at the age of five read his father’s college textbooks, so he clearly desires these kinds of intellectual challenges,” Wicks said, adding that although much of what Bauerle read was difficult, “he could comment on the book, discuss principles expressed in the work and how the pieces worked together.” The textbooks were “Digital Circuits and Microprocessors” by Herbert Taub and “Micro-Electronic Circuits” by Adel Sedra. The fact that he was even motivated to read them at all, Wicks said, showed that he had the motivation to challenge himself intellectually, which is one of the markers of a gifted child.

This is not surprising to Matthew’s mother and father. Mary Bauerle continues to home school Matthew and his younger brother, Joshua, 12. His older sister, Sarah, 18, was also home schooled and is currently a freshman majoring in Music at Concordia University in Ann Arbor, Mich.  His father, Paul, is an engineer at the GM Proving Grounds in Milford, Mich., and said that Matthew reminds him of what he liked to do as a kid.

“I was interested in electronics as well, specifically amplifiers, when I was his age,” Paul said.  

Recently, Matthew participated in a regional science fair held at Kettering University. His project, titled “Finding the Maximum Power Point of a Solar Panel with a Golden Section Search Algorithm,” earned him a first prize selection in the junior division. His hypothesis examined the potential of whether or not a boost converter could greatly increase the power from a 3-volt solar panel into a resistive load. Additionally, Bauerle predicted that a Golden Section Search Algorithm will serve as an effective method for finding the maximum system efficiency of a small Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) unit.

What does all of this mean?

According to Bauerle’s supporting paper to his science project, the solar panel he used provided an open circuit voltage of three volts and six cells. One issue with solar cells is that they provide the most power at a certain voltage, which is defined as the Maximum Power Point (MPP). If a solar panel does not operate at this point, some power waste is possible. Bauerle added a MPPT converter to his solar panel and increased its output voltage to lift a small weight. Although this technique is used to power large solar arrays, Bauerle suspects that it’s never powered a small one using the Golden Section Search to identify the maximum value of a function between two bounds. In essence, he was able to take a very small solar array and maximize its power output, which, in his view, has not been attempted until now.

And while he is only a few years away from a full-time college career, he may take a college course or two before enrolling full-time.  For Wicks, the motivation and intelligence of Bauerle is both exciting and inspiring. “Matthew continues to surprise me with his quick mind and breadth of interests. I am often surprised to find that his knowledge and interest in other subjects is equally deep as it is with Electrical and Computer Engineering,” Wicks said, adding, “it’s been very rewarding to watch Matthew grow intellectually and as a person during the four years that I’ve worked with him.”