Prof. Arulampalam Atputharajah


Professor in Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering


B.Sc.Eng.(Peradeniya), Ph.D.(Manchester)
Senior Member of the IEEE, C.Eng., MIE(SL)


Research interests : Controls of Power Electronics applied to Power System and Electric Machines
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  atpu@eng.jfn.ac.lk
 +94-21-206-0160


Prof. A. Atputharajah received BSc Eng Degree with first class honours from University of Peradeniya in 1997 and PhD from University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST) in 2003. From 24th June 2015 to 23rd June 2021, he served as the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, University of Jaffna. From November 2013 till June 2015, he served the University of Jaffna at the capacity of Acting Dean of the Faculty of Engineering. In November 2013, he was permanently released from the University of Peradeniya to serve the University of Jaffna on establishing the Faculty of Engineering. From October 2010 till October 2013, he served as the Head of the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at University of Peradeniya. In his academic carrier: from November 2013 he was promoted as Professor in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, from 2010 he was promoted as Senior Lecturer Grade I, from 2004 he was promoted as Senior Lecturer grade II, from 1999 he was attached as lecturer. Before this: from 1998 he was selected to serve at the capacity of temporary lecturer to the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Peradeniya. He also served in several capacities such as postgraduate program coordinator, research committees, senior student counsellor, chairman technical evaluation committees, president PHES Club, chairman IEEE PES SL Chapter, Treasurer IEEE SL Section, etc.

In his international research exposure, he was at the Universiti Tenaga Nasional (UNITEN) Malaysia during February/March 2013, working with power quality research group. Hedeveloped control techniques for converters used in grid connected solar plants, as an application to electric vehicle battery charging station. He was at University of Queensland Australia, on sabbatical leave from August 2009 till June 2010 to do research on “large scale power system blackouts”. He carried out further research on control of power electronics of the wind turbine generators on HVDC interconnection at Joule centre University of Manchester in 2007. He was occupied with the European Micro Grid Project on “power electronic control applications on improving micro grid performance” at University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST) in 2004 and 2002. He went to KEPCO Korea, for a training program on Power Engineering and Management in 2004 organised by the KOICA. He visited to international conferences held in Singapore and Canada to present his research outcomes. Further from 2003, he is working on energy saving, renewable energy projects with Sri Lankan industries and other organisations.

He obtained number of awards: Lastly he was awarded with the Outstanding Engineer Award of IEEE Power and Energy Society (PES) Sri Lanka Chapter 2014. This award was received during the Annual General Meeting of IEEE PES Sri Lanka Chapter held at the University of Moratuwa. His project group received the winner (best project) award at the National Energy Symposium 2013 at the BMICH Colombo. He got three times Presidential awards. Last two presidential awards were given to him in 2014 and 2010 for the publications made in the International Scientific indexed Journals. He was received the cash award in 2010 for the technical paper presented at the National Energy Symposium organised by the ministry of power and energy. He was elected at the grade of Senior Member of the Institution of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE), USA in 2009. He was nominated as primary delegate from Sri Lanka to the IEEE Sections Congress 2008 held in Canada. He was nominated as one of the two candidates from Sri Lanka for the KOICA training programme in 2004 held in Korea. Best paper presentation award was given to the paper at the Annual Research Session held at the University of Peradeniya in 1998. At his graduation in 1997, he obtained Professor R.H. Paul prize for the best performance in electrical power and machines at University of Peradeniya. He obtained merit scholarship award of the Mahapola Higher Education in 1992. He obtained first Presidential award for the performance in G.C.E. (A/L), award given at the ceremonial event held February 1992 at the Presidential Secretariat.


In overall: Controls of Power Electronics applied to Power System and Electric Machines

In detail: Power quality improvements, Controls of active power filters, Governor and AVR controls and their operations, Renewable power generation technologies and their controls, Hybrid operation of Solar-Wind-biomass power plants, grid connected and islanded solar power plant operations, Renewable energy based electric vehicle applications, Power Factor Correction and harmonic filtering, Custom power controls and applications, FACTS devices controls and applications, Power electronic converter configurations and switching techniques, Energy storage technologies, Power systems blackouts, Modelling and study the operations of HVDC interconnections


  • Senior Member of the IEEE
  • Member of the IESL
  • Sri Lanka Energy Managers Association (SLEMA)
  • Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement of Science (SLAAS).