PhD Research Project

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Smart Distribution Network Operation

Institution:

Cardiff University

Dept/School/Faculty:

Cardiff School of Engineering

PhD Supervisor:

Dr J Wu

Application Deadline:

No more applications being accepted

PhD Research Project

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This 3 year PhD studentship, starting October 1st 2012, is an opportunity to become a part of the multi-disciplinary Institute of Energy team at Cardiff University, to contribute to research challenges through both theoretical study and technical demonstration via test facilities and to participate in a research programme involving several national and international industrial partners.

Smart Grid involves modernising electric power networks, changing the way they operate and are planned, facilitating changes in the behaviour of energy consumers, providing new services, and supporting the transition to a sustainable low carbon economy.

Distribution networks are very large and topologically complicated systems which connect high voltage transmission systems to end users. In today’s distribution networks, real-time monitoring and control below the primary substations is very limited due to the lack of sensors, communication systems and control equipment. Hence the distribution system can be described as under-determined with the number of measurements insufficient to make the system observable. Once the complete system state is available, then any quantity in the system can be calculated.

Smart metering is widely recognised as the first step towards a Smart Grid future and the UK is committed to the full deployment of smart meters by 2019. Smart meters and the associated ICT (information and communication) infrastructure can greatly improve observability. Therefore there is a need to investigate the technical feasibility and key technologies of using smart metering to increase the observability of the distribution system through state estimation techniques and thus facilitate system operation.

In this project the PhD student will work on the integration of state estimation with several advanced Smart Grid control functions. State estimation, a supply restoration algorithm, voltage control algorithm and the associated hardware test rig developed in Cardiff will be used

Applicants should have an electrical engineering background and should be able to demonstrate strong academic performance in power systems and control. Applicants should also be able to supply evidence of a significant recent individual research project in an engineering or science discipline.

Funding Notes:

The studentship is open to Home, EU or overseas candidates.

The award will cover tuition fees at the Home/EU fee rate and will provide a stipend at the UK Research Council rate (£13,590 in 2011/12). Please note that overseas candidates will be required to fund the difference between the Home/EU and overseas fee rate themselves.

Please visit http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/for/prospective/pg/study/pgstudyfees/index.html for details about tuition fees.

Applications can be made online at: http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/regis/general/applyonline/index.html. Please quote reference JW-EPSRC2-2012

Informal enquiries can be directed to: Dr J Wu, Email Wuj5@cardiff.ac.uk

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