Alec Crispino

Class of 2026

Alec Crispino spent the summer working with the Power Electronics team at Rolls Royce in the Derby, U.K. facility. The Power Electronics team are responsible for agile development and deployment of high-integrity electrical drive hardware and capability used to deliver both new technology and customer solutions. Alec was engaged in realizing a test rig for Rolls Royce to verify the performance of temperature sensors in strong electro-magnetic fields.

Hometown: Westfield, NJ
Class year: Senior
Major: energy and power electronics systems, Minor: green engineering

Tell us about the work you’ve been doing this summer, specifically the impact your team has on the overall Rolls Royce mission.

I was tasked with designing a test rig to emulate noise seen by temperature probes (RTD, Thermocouples, etc) in power converters. This involved designing an inductor to generate the magnetic field typically seen by these devices (0.7T) and interfacing it with an existing power converter switching up to 70kHz. This rig will allow components to be thoroughly tested under strenuous electromagnetic interference conditions. We will be able to observe how reliable potential components are and determine if they are suitable for applications in engines, converters, etc.

What has been the most exciting part of the research you’ve been doing over the last 12 weeks?

The fact that I had a project to work through during my time here the last 12 weeks. I have seen everything from the design process, talking with stakeholders to gather requirements, iterating off of previous designs, using lab equipment to test and measure systems. I loved the last half of the internship, where I was physically building and debugging electrical equipment from a previous graduate student's project. I very much had a hands on internship, and learning how to debug and verify designs by looking at datasheets/schematics has been a very challenging and rewarding process.

What knowledge have you gained and what skills do you hope to bring back and apply to your research, design teams, etc?

I have learned a plethora of skills throughout my time here! I've learned a ton about how power converters, specifically DC-AC converters, are designed and controlled. I believe the most important include: effectively communicating and interacting with stakeholders, learning how to fault find a complex system, working through the entire design process, justifying and compromising design changes to satisfy requirements, learning how to ask effective questions to deepen understanding of complex topics.

Are you working with any fellow Hokies?

I am working with two other Hokies! We have been selected to take part in the same international internship in Derby, UK and have gotten to know each other very well.

What is the most surprising thing you learned about working abroad?

The most surprising thing I've learned about working abroad is how accessible everything is by train. You can practically get anywhere within the U.K simply by train, it's amazing!

Outside of work, how did you spend your time in the U.K.?

During the weekdays, I participated in rock climbing with fellow interns, along with running in local parks and bike rides! During most weekends, I travelled to new cities around the U.K. (including Spain one weekend), staying at hostels and meeting new people! I also explored Peak District National Park around 5 times during my time here! It is the lovely English countryside and has plenty of good hikes/long walks and is a perfect day out to decompress after a week at work. A fellow intern and I also travelled to the Lake District to hike the tallest peak in England which was around 11 miles, it was a pretty steep trek but the views at/near the top were stunning. Truly one of my favourite hikes I have been on in my lifetime!

How did Virginia Tech Engineering prepare you for this opportunity?

I believe that Virginia Tech Engineering, specifically my experience in ECE 2804 (Integrated Design Project) gave me skills that directly translated to my work at Rolls Royce here. Between needing the skills to think outside the box to debug a circuit, or plan out a design process. I believe these classes are an amazing precursor to what work is like in industry.