Harsh Patel received his undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering, from the Gujarat Technological University, India, in 2018. After graduation, he joined the transmission team as a design engineer, at Mahindra Research Valley, India. In September 2022, Harsh joined the McMaster Automotive Resource Center (MARC), at McMaster University, as a master’s student, under the supervision of Dr. Ali Emadi. His research in electrified powertrains focuses on high-speed motor design and electric vehicle gearboxes.
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Harsh’s interest in machines started at an early stage of his life, when he decided to make a toy boat made entirely out of a wooden stick structure. He was overjoyed when he saw the boat running for the first time. This sense of accomplishment and exuberance became second nature to him. This eventually motivated him to pursue his undergraduate degree, in mechanical engineering. Based on his entrance exam and intermediate scores, he received a scholarship for his bachelor’s program, from the state government.
During his junior year, Harsh found himself drawn to automobiles, so he took on the ‘ATV gearbox with an inboard braking system’ project in his final year. Driven by a constant zeal to apply learned theories, Harsh joined his college’s Baja SAE India team, ‘Team Blackhawks’. Harsh performed various roles within the team during that time, such as vice-captain, driver, and material/manufacturing lead. He worked on various design projects for the ATV, such as the design of a lightweight trailing arm, powertrain mounts, and its 3D jigs and fixtures.
Harsh joined Mahindra and Mahindra as a transmission design engineer at Mahindra Research Valley in Chennai, India, in August 2018. He worked on several transmission design and development projects, for tractors ranging from 20 to 70 horsepower. During his training, he worked on a novel electric farm tractor design, which had four-wheel drive and four-wheel steering, with variable track and base settings. With this distinct design, his team was granted a patent in India for “An all-terrain utility vehicle and methods thereof.” In addition to his organizational roles, Harsh remained involved in the Baja community, by serving as a driveline design judge.
Currently, Harsh is working with Dr. Ali Emadi’s research team at the McMaster Automotive Resource Center (MARC). He is pursuing his M.A.Sc. Harsh’s research interests include the design of high-speed switched reluctance motor drives and the investigation of strength and power loss during high-speed operations. He also has a keen interest in multi-speed gearbox analysis for electric vehicles, to improve overall powertrain efficiency and dynamic performance.
