PhD Scholarship in Low & High Frequency Harmonic Analysis and Mitigation in Robust, Reliable and Efficient Motor Drive Systems

University of Queensland

Australia

The Role

Pulse width modulation (PWM) is a strategy which is used to control magnitude and/or frequency of output voltage in power electronic converters. Fast switching transients (which produce high dv/dt and di/dt) generated by power converters interact with parasitic capacitive and inductive couplings in different parts of power converters - including heatsink, cables and electric motors. These can cause many unwanted problems such as: low and high frequency harmonics and common mode voltage in many applications such as motor drive systems.

The main objectives of this project are to model power electronics converters (motor drive systems) in multi-physics simulation platform to analyse low and high order harmonics and protection issues under different load conditions. A correlation between high frequency noise source and high frequency model of the whole system will be investigated based on 2-D and 3-D model of the whole system including AC motors and passive elements. It is expected that the research team will build a prototype and perform some tests and measurements to compare with simulation results.

The Person

A three (up to four) year full-time PhD scholarship is available at the University of Queensland which is open to all Australian and international students. Applicants should have a Master degree in Electrical Engineering with a good knowledge in Power Electronics. A preference is given to those applicants with experiences in one of the following fields:

Filter design
Modelling of power converters for low and high frequency harmonic analysis
Finite Element simulation (ANSYS or any other software)
Active Front End Power Electronics converter: modeling, control and analysis
Power Electronics design
Optimization methods and simulation experience

Demonstration of research ability through publication output in peer reviewed international journals is desirable.

To be eligible to apply you must also meet the entry requirements for Higher Degrees by Research at UQ, please visit the Graduate School's website.

Read the policy on UQ Research Scholarships.

A domestic part-time student with carer’s responsibilities, a medical condition or a disability, which prevents them from studying full time may be eligible for scholarship consideration, on a case by case basis.

The University of Queensland values diversity and inclusion and actively encourages applications from those who bring diversity to the University. Please refer to the University’s Diversity and Inclusion website (https://staff.uq.edu.au/information-and-services/human-resources/diversity/commitment) for further information and points of contact if you require additional support.

Remuneration

This scholarship is funded by the School of ITEE at the Australian Government’s RTP rate of $27,596 per year (2019 rate), tax-free and indexed annually, for three years with the possibility of two 6-month extensions in approved circumstances.

Travel to visit international partners (R&D centre & research institute) in Europe is covered over the life of the project.

For further information on scholarships please refer to: https://graduate-school.uq.edu.au/scholarships