Val Omrčen

Electrical Engineering · University of Ljubljana, FE

Electronics member of the UL Formula Student team — working on safety-critical hardware systems. Also active at stromar.si, producing written content for the student community at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering.

Projects

001 · Formula Student · Safety System

BSPD — Brake System Plausibility Device

Safety-critical hardware circuit for a Formula Student electric race car. Monitors brake pressure and motor power draw simultaneously and cuts power output if both exceed defined thresholds at the same time.

Problem The car must detect a condition where the driver is braking and the motor is drawing significant power at the same time. This must be handled in hardware — no microcontroller, no software delay. Response must be immediate.
Approach Built from monostable multivibrators and logic gates. Brake pressure signal and motor current signal are each compared against reference thresholds set by resistor dividers. Both outputs feed a logic AND gate — output drives the shutdown line. Full circuit simulated in LTspice before moving to hardware.
Tools
  • Altium Designer
  • Monostable multivibrators, logic gates, resistor dividers
Result PCB designed and assembled. Circuit verified on bench. Part of the Formula Student team's electrical safety system.

002 · Electrical Integration · Mobile Setup

CamperCast — Podcast System Integration

Designed and wired the full electrical setup for a mobile podcast studio inside a camper van. Used for recording a student podcast covering topics such as living costs and transport.

Problem Create a reliable, portable recording setup inside a vehicle. Audio equipment requires stable, clean power. Wiring must be organised and functional in a confined mobile environment.
Approach Designed power distribution specifically for audio equipment loads. Wired microphones, mixer, and recording devices with clean cable routing. Laid out the system to ensure stable operation under mobile conditions — no ground loops, no power interruptions during recording.
Tools
  • Electrical wiring and power distribution
  • Audio equipment integration (microphones, mixer, recorder)
  • System-level layout planning
Result Functional mobile podcast studio. Used for recording real episodes in a camper van environment.

003 · DIY Build · Power Electronics

E-Bike Conversion

Converted a standard bicycle into a functional electric bike using an AliExpress hub motor and controller. Includes custom wiring, battery integration, and mechanical mounting.

Problem Build a functional e-bike at low cost. Challenges: integrating a brushless hub motor with a generic controller, handling battery protection, connector current ratings, and securing components mechanically on a bicycle frame.
Approach Selected motor and controller based on wheel size and target power. Built wiring harness from scratch: motor phase wires, hall sensor cable, throttle, and battery connection with inline fuse. BMS integrated between battery cells and main discharge line. Mechanical mounting fabricated by welding.
Tools
  • BLDC hub motor, generic FOC controller
  • Li-ion battery pack with BMS
  • Welding for frame modifications
Result Functional e-bike. In progress — ongoing refinements to controller settings and battery mounting.

004 · Content · Student Media

Stromar.si — Student Newsletter

Writing and producing the newsletter for stromar.si, the student platform of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering at the University of Ljubljana. Content covers student events and relevant announcements distributed to the FE student community.

Problem Students don't know what is being organised. Not everyone follows social media — a direct channel is needed to reach the full student base.
Approach Researched and wrote newsletter editions covering faculty events, student council updates, and relevant topics for the engineering student audience. Structured each edition for clarity and quick reading.
Tools
  • Mailer platform
Result Better attendance at student events. Ongoing.

005 · Content · University Sports

Unisport — University Sports Newsletter

Contributing to the newsletter of Unisport. The newsletter covers university league competitions, one-day championships, and student sports programmes across Ljubljana.

Problem Students don't know about sports events they would like to attend.
Approach Regular newsletter covering upcoming sports events, sign-up deadlines, and competition results. Distributed to the full University of Ljubljana student network.
Tools
  • Email distribution via Sender platform
Result Students informed about upcoming events immediately. Ongoing.

Skills

Circuit Design & Electronics

  • Analog circuit design
  • Power electronics motor drives, battery systems
  • EMI / EMC & ESD awareness
  • LTspice transient, AC, DC analysis; component model import
  • Altium Designer intermediate — schematic capture, PCB layout, signal integrity, DRC, Gerber output

Other Tools

  • TinkerCAD basic 3D modelling
  • Microsoft Office Word, Excel, PowerPoint
  • LabVIEW basic

Languages

  • Slovenian native
  • English B2
  • Croatian B2 (passive)

Experience

Iskra Mehanizmi

Internship

Engineering Intern

  • Designed and modified PCB layouts using Altium Designer.
  • Tested and validated PCB functionality — prototyping and debugging.
  • Performed circuit simulations in LTspice.
  • Developed and tested measurement applications in LabVIEW.
  • Wrote technical documentation for designs and testing procedures.

Formula Student

Oct 2024 – current

Electronics — BSPD

  • Part of the UL FE team that built a drivable electric formula car in under one year.
  • Responsible for the Brake System Plausibility Device safety circuit.
  • Designed and simulated the circuit in LTspice. PCB designed in Altium Designer.

Lukvel d.o.o.

Jul – Aug 2023

Installation Technician

  • On-site installation of TVs, projectors, and related electrical equipment in commercial buildings.
  • Cable routing, mounting, and equipment commissioning.

Senate — UL FE

Nov 2025 – current

Student Senator — Faculty of Electrical Engineering

  • Elected member of the Senate of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Ljubljana.
  • Represents student interests in faculty-level academic and organisational decisions.

Student Council

Nov 2025 – current

Board Member — UL FE

  • Member of the student council board, Faculty of Electrical Engineering.
  • Member of ŠOU parliament (Student Organisation, University of Ljubljana).

MacGyver Challenge

Apr 2024

1st Place

  • Production line optimisation challenge. Achieved lowest cost-per-piece of all teams.

Events

2. 4. 2026

Faculty of Electrical Engineering

Faculty Picnic — Spring Edition

  • Main organiser of the largest student event at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering.
  • Games, table football tournament, free food and drinks for all attendees.

3. 12. 2025

University of Ljubljana, FE

Basic Excel Workshop

  • Organised and led a beginner Excel workshop for FE students.
  • Covered essential spreadsheet skills applicable to engineering coursework.

27. 11. 2025

Faculty of Electrical Engineering

Geoguessr Tournament

  • Organised and hosted a Geoguessr tournament at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering.
  • Online geography game — players identify locations from Google Street View.

8. 11. 2025

Terme Olimia

Pub Quiz

  • Helped organise and host a pub quiz event at Terme Olimia.

20. 5. 2025

Faculty of Electrical Engineering

Faculty Picnic

  • Helped organise faculty picnic attended by 300+ students and professors.
  • Event included live music, refreshments, and table football tournament.

24. 4. 2025

Ljubljana

Stromar.si Pub Crawl

  • Planned and executed a pub crawl for 30 participants in Ljubljana.
  • Designed and coordinated interactive games at each location.
  • Negotiated partnerships with bar managers and Jägermeister promoters.

1. 4. 2025

University of Ljubljana, FE

Excel Workshop

  • Organised and led a free Excel workshop for 10 students.
  • Covered practical functions, core operations, and time-saving shortcuts.

4. 3. 2025

Faculty of Electrical Engineering

Geoguessr Tournament

  • Hosted a Geoguessr competition at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering.
  • Online geography game — players identify locations from Google Street View.

Contact