PhD Studentship - Renewable Integration in Power Systems: Challenges in Stability and Control

Electrical Power Engineering

Location:  Highfield Campus
Closing Date:  Tuesday 30 November 2021
Reference:  1557921FP

Supervisory Team: Dr Abhinav Kumar Singh, Dr. Stratis Batzelis    

Project description

A fully-funded 3.5-year PhD studentship for UK students on Renewable Integration in Power Systems at the University of Southampton, a top university for Electrical Power Engineering in the UK and worldwide. 

A transition from coal and gas based non-renewable generation to wind and solar based renewable generation is necessary to ensure a sustainable low-carbon future. But this transition introduces several challenges to power system operation. One of the challenges is to find the impact of stochastic and intermittent dynamics of renewable sources of energy on power grid, and how these dynamics can be better controlled to ensure global system stability. This is not a trivial problem given that the available aggregated models of wind farms or solar parks do not correctly represent the dynamics of the constituent turbines or photovoltaic panels. Another challenge is a fall in system inertia for grids with large-scale integration of renewable sources, since renewable energy sources do not contribute to system inertia (which is the rotating mass in the system). A direct impact of low system inertia is to make the grids unstable as inertia is needed to resist disturbances (such as a fault or a sudden load change) occurring in the system and to maintain the frequency of the system.

This project will find solutions to such challenges related to maintaining the stability of power grids in light of renewable integration. Towards this broad goal, the student will explore various ideas, such as developing an accurate model for a wind farm or solar park that preserves the underlying oscillatory dynamics, while reducing complexity, thereby eliminating the use of inaccurate substitute models. Such a model will then be used to design dynamic and optimal control schemes for wind farms or solar parks in order to assist in global system stability.

The project is open to customisation based on the particular interests of the student but needs to be in the broad field of stability aspects of renewable integration.

For any queries contact: Dr Abhinav Kumar Singh (A.K.Singh@soton.ac.uk)

Entry Requirements

A very good undergraduate degree (at least a UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent).

Closing date: applications should be received no later than 30 November 2021 for standard admissions, but later applications may be considered depending on the funds remaining in place.

Funding: For UK students, Tuition Fees and a stipend of £15,285 tax-free per annum for up to 3.5 years. 

How To Apply

Applications should be made online. Select programme type (Research), 2021/22, Faculty of Physical Sciences and Engineering, next page select “PhD  Elect & Elect Eng (Full time)”. In Section 2 of the application form you should insert the name of the supervisor Dr Abhinav Kumar Singh . 

Applications should include: 

Research Proposal

Curriculum Vitae

Two reference letters

Degree Transcripts to date

In your application, please refer to Polytechnicpositions.com