• MVK Chari, IEEE Life Fellow, passed away Dec 3 at 97, leaving a legacy in finite element analysis. • Pioneered FEM for nonlinear electromagnetic fields, essential for electric machine design and analysis. • At GE, led FEA team, advancing 2D to 3D modeling of turbogenerators and MRI magnets. • Awarded 1993 IEEE Nikola Tesla Award for groundbreaking contributions to FEM in electric machinery. • Academic roots: Imperial College London, PhD at McGill under Peter Silvester, focused on saturated magnetic fields. • Post‑GE career included adjunct research at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, bridging industry and academia.
Article Summaries:
- MVK Chari, a pioneer in finite element field computation, died on 3 December. The IEEE Life Fellow was 97. Chari developed a finite element method (FEM) for analyzing nonlinear electromagnetic fields-which is crucial for the design of electric machines. The technique is used to obtain approximate solutions to complex engineering and mathematical problems. It involves dividing a complicated object or system into smaller, more manageable parts, known as finite elements, according to Fictiv. As an engineer and technical leader at General Electric in Niskayuna, N.Y., Chari used the tool to analyze
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