• Faculty / Staff Directory

Associate Professor, Director of Control Systems Laboratory
Electrical Engineering

Office: BELL 3183
Phone: (479) 575-6054
Fax: (479) 575-7967
E-mail: rmccann@uark.edu

Education

• B.S., Electrical Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana
• M.S., Electrical Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana
• Ph.D., University of Dayton   

• Decentralized and embedded control systems
• Sensor networks
• Transportation systems and automotive electronics
• Electric machine controls and power electronic drives

Professional Experience and Activities

Member:

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Society of Automotive Engineers

Work Experience:
University of Arkansas – Department of Electrical Engineering: Associate Professor and Director of the Control Systems Laboratory (2003 – Present).
General Motors – Delphi Corporation: Engineering Supervisor for Electric Power Steering Product Development (1998-2003).
General Motors – ITT Joint Venture: New Product Development for Electric Brake Systems (1994-1998).
Litton Industries: Servomotor Controls Product Engineer (1993-1994).
General Motors – Delco Products: New Product Development Engineer for Electrohydraulic Braking Systems and Body Controls (1991-1993).
United States Navy, Active Duty Enlisted: Propulsion Plant Operations, USS Enterprise CVN-65 (1983-1986).

Student Advising:

Co-Advisor for the University of Arkansas Solar Splash Team (ASME Sponsor with Department of Mechanical Engineering): Annual competition for student designed and built solar powered boat. Please visit http://www.ee.uark.edu/solarboat .

United States Patents:

6,499,559: McCann, et al: Method and system for improving vehicle stability incorporating an electric power steering system, December 2002.
6,426,602: McCann, et al: Minimization of motor torque ripple due to unbalanced conditions, July 2002.
6,392,418: Mir, et al: Torque current comparison for current reasonableness diagnostics in a permanent magnet electric machine, May 2002.
6,253,141: McCann: Braking control system for vehicle, June 2001.
6,075,332: McCann: Predictive conductive angle motor control system for brake-by-wire application, June 2000.
6,002,233: McCann: Low torque ripple switched reluctance motor regulation system, December 1999.
5,977,740: McCann: Brake-by-wire system with switched reluctance motor controller, November 1999.
5,949,211: McCann: Switched reluctance motor with indirect position sensing and magnetic brake, September 1999.
5,872,441: McCann: Commutation circuit for switched reluctance motor, February 1999.
5,838,133: McCann: Switched reluctance motor controller, November 1998.
5,703,555: McCann: Rotary actuator, December 1997.
5,691,591: McCann: Switched reluctance motor with indirect position sensing, November 1997.
5,654,616: Suriano, et al: Windshield wiper system with soft wipe mode for high-speed operation, August 1997.
5,642,026: McCann, et al: Windshield wiper system having reduced wipe speed at reversal points using variable frequency induction motor control, June 1997.
5,637,974: McCann: Method and apparatus for hybrid direct-indirect control of a switched reluctance motor, June 1997.
5,616,997: Jackson, et al: Auto up window with obstacle detection system/voltage mode, April 1997.
5,585,702: Jackson, et al: Auto up window with obstacle detection system/current mode, December 1996.
5,506,483: McCann, et al: Windshield wiper system incorporating a variable speed DC motor, April 1996.

R. McCann, M. Islam and I. Husain, “Application of a sliding mode observer for switched reluctance motor drives,” IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications, vol. 37, no. 1, January 2001.
R. McCann, “Variable effort steering for vehicle stability enhancement using an electric power steering system,” SAE Steering and Suspension Technology, SP-1519, March 2000.
R. McCann and J. Suriano, “Optimized design and 3D finite element analysis of a rotary actuator,” IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications, vol. 32, no. 4, pp. 867-872, July/August 1996.
R. McCann, “Jackknife Avoidance in Large Trucks using Front Active Steering,” Paper 2004-01-2639, SAE 2004 Commercial Vehicles Meeting, October 26-28, Chicago IL.
R. McCann,”Improved operation of networked control systems using Lebesgue sampling,” Proceedings of IEEE Industry Applications Society Annual Meeting, Seattle, October 3-7, 2004.
R. McCann, “Detection and optimal compensation of unbalanced ac motor drives using DISC analysis,” Conference Proceedings of the IEEE Symposium on Diagnostics in Electric Machines, Power Electronics and Drives, Atlanta, August 24-26, 2003.
R. McCann and M. Daniels, “A new transform method for analyzing and modeling unbalanced three-phase power systems,” Conference Proceedings of the IASTED International Conference on Power and Energy Systems, Marina del Rey, May 13-15, 2002.
T. Gopalarathnam and R. McCann, "Saturation and armature reaction effects in surface-mount PMAC motors," Proceedings of IEEE International Electric Machines and Drives Conference, Cambridge, June 17-20, 2001.
R. McCann, “Variable effort steering for vehicle stability enhancement using an electric power steering system,” Paper no. 2000-01-0817, SAE Annual Congress, Detroit, March 2000.   
R. McCann and D. Shafer, "Simulation of motor drive electronics for an electric power steering system," Proceedings of the Delphi Automotive Analytical Design Forum, Troy MI, pp. 60-62, March 1999.
R. McCann and L.R. Pujara, “Influence of motor drive parameters on the robust stability of electric power steering systems,” Proceedings of IEEE Power Electronics in Transportation Annual Meeting, Dearborn, October 1998.
R. McCann and I. Husain, “Application of a sliding mode observer for switched reluctance motor drives,” Proceedings of IEEE Industry Applications Society Annual Meeting, New Orleans, October 1997.
R. McCann, “Switched reluctance motors for automotive applications,” Symposium Record of the SAE Switched Reluctance Motors and Generators TOPTEC, Dayton, August 1997.
R. McCann and J. Suriano, “Optimized design and 3D finite element analysis of a rotary actuator,” IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications, vol. 32, no. 4, pp. 867-872, July/August 1996.
R. McCann and J. Suriano, “Optimized design and 3D finite element analysis of a rotary actuator,” Proceedings of IEEE Industry Applications Society Annual Meeting, Orlando, October 1995.