Dr. Beibei (Helen) Ren Honored for Two U.S. Patents at Texas Tech Inventor Celebration

Beibei (Helen) Ren, a professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Texas Tech University was honored for her two recently issued U.S. patents at the 8th Annual Inventor Celebration on October 16, 2025. This event brought together innovators across the Texas Tech University System to honor impactful research, creativity, and discovery that advance technology and benefit society.

Her first U.S. patent (US 12,401,201), titled “Seamless Mode Change Between Grid-connected Mode and Islanded Mode for PV Systems”, introduces a unified control framework that allows solar power systems to switch smoothly between operating with the main grid and functioning independently. This innovation addresses a key challenge in renewable energy - maintaining stable, uninterrupted power during transitions, by coordinating the control of DC and AC stages to ensure reliable performance in both modes.

Her second U.S. patent (US 12,182,887), titled “Home Utility Management System”, presents a decentralized approach that enables homes to produce and manage their own power and water. By integrating solar panels, wind turbines, and rain harvesting with a Home Utility Management System (HUMS), the system tracks real-time resource levels and provides guidance on balancing consumption based on weather predictions. This technology reduces reliance on the grid, enhances sustainability, and improves residents’ quality of life, offering a more efficient and scalable solution to utility challenges.