Bimal Kumar Bose

Life and career

Bose was born in Calcutta (now Kolkata), India. Bose received his B.E. degree (1956) from Bengal Engineering College under University of Calcutta, (Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology, Shibpur (IIEST Shibpur)), M.S. degree (1960) from University of Wisconsin, Madison, and Ph.D. degree (1966) from University of Calcutta. Bose started his career in India in 1960 and emigrated to USA in 1971 to join Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY as faculty member (1971-1976), then to GE Corporate Research and Development in Schenectady, NY as research engineer (1976-1987), and then he joined the University of Tennessee as a Chaired Professor (1987-2003). Concurrently, he was the Distinguished Scientist (1989-2000) and the Chief Scientist (1987-1989) of EPRI-Power Electronics Applicationg Center.

Bose held the Condra Chair of Excellence in Power Electronics(Endowed Chair Professor) at University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Bose organized its power electronics teaching and research program for 15 years. He is recognized as world-renowned authority and pioneer in power electronics for his many contributions that include high frequency link power conversion, advanced control techniques by microcomputers, fuzzy logic and neural networks, transistor ac power switch for matrix converters, adaptive hysteresis-band current control, etc. He also pioneered power electronics applications in environmental protection that help solving climate change problems. He was a Visiting Professor in Aalborg University, Denmark (1997), University of Padova, Italy (2003), Federal University of Mato Grosso Sul, Brazil (2006), Savilla University, Spain (2008), and European Ph. D. School on Power Electronics, Italy (2010). He was a consultant in large number of industries.

Bose is an innovator, educator, and mentor to many members of the industry all over the world. He has been a reference for many engineers and scientists working in the area of power electronics and motor drives.

Bose has contributed to the global promotion of power electronics by his books, publications, patents, tutorials, invited seminars and keynote speeches around the world. In an article "Eleven Years in Corporate Environment" he writes: "Research ideas do not necessarily come within the 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. work day office. The thoughts linger most of the time beyond the office hours, and often new ideas come when I am taking bath, walking alone in the evening, or even in the midnight when I suddenly wake up with the flash of new idea. There is no difference between scientific research and transcendental meditation.". Bose is a powerful presence in the world of power electronics. Dr. Bimal Bose received the Honorary Doctor of Science degree from the President of India on January 19, 2013.

The IEEE Industrial Electronics Society Magazine published a special issue (June 2009) "Honoring Dr. Bimal Bose and Celebrating His Contributions in Power Electronics.

The IEEE Industrial Electronics Society (IES) established the annual Dr. Bimal Bose Energy systems Award from 2014 which was funded by IES and IEEE Foundation.

Dr. Paul Johnson, President of Colorado School of Mines, gave an eloquent introduction of Dr. Bose while he was delivering the IEEE Industrial Electronics Society Distinguished Lecture (November 23, 2015) in the Denver Chapter with the following quotation

"Coming from a remote village of Bangladesh (then part of India) and being born into a large poor family, it was my dream to see the whole world with my own eyes and make important contributions to the world. I had to overcome mountainous hurdles, step by step, to fulfill the ambitious goals in life and reach where I am today. Although my goals are yet unfulfilled, I often feel that I am the happiest person on earth. Achieving the goals of life requires persistent ambition, courage, and hard work, but when you reach the top of the Himalayan mountain, the mind remains filled with perennial pleasures. My advice to young engineers: have a dream in life and try to realize that dream with hard work. Have a long-term ambition and short-term career goals, with the fire always burning in your mind".

Work

Bose is the sole author/editor of seven books in power electronics some of which have been translated into several foreign languages, and some of which are widely used as texts throughout the world. His book "Power Electronics and AC Drives"(1986) is the first English language text book in power electronics and motor drives area.

1. Power Electronics and Motor Drives-Advances and Trends (Elsevier/Academic Press, 2006)
2. Modern Power Electronics and AC Drives (Prentice-Hall, 2001)
3. Power Electronics and AC Drives (Prentice-Hall, 1986)
4. Power Electronics and Variable Frequency Drives (Wiley/IEEE Press, 1997)
5. Modern Power Electronics (IEEE Press, 1992)
6. Microcomputer Control of Power Electronics and Drives (IEEE Press, 1987)
7. Adjustable Speed AC Drive Systems (IEEE Press, 1981)

Selected publications

Awards and honors

Awards received by Bose include, among many others: