Investigating cyber-physical power system resilience and operation

About the Project

Are you interested in studying in a World Top Russell Group university in the UK? We are seeking to appoint a PhD student in electrical power systems. You will be part of the prestigious UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Future Leaders Fellowship project on ‘Digitalisation of Electrical Power and Energy Systems Operation’.

Resilient power system operation is the key in ensuring the electricity generated from various energy sources can travel in energy networks to meet the electrical loads. However, the increasing size, complexity and uncertainty of power systems will increase the risk of major system disturbances. In order to mitigate the disturbance and improve the resilience of power system operation, the cyber-physical power systems are proposed as the next generation of power grid. Cyber-physical power systems deploy the latest information and communications technologies to enable the data and information flows across different entitles of physical networks. Such ‘cyber’ systems will enable the advanced monitoring and computing techniques of power systems, as well as to create a resilient control and operation for both energy network and distributed energy sources.

This PhD project will address the key challenges of modelling and co-simulation of cyber-physical power systems. Some challenges include the understanding of fundamental links and integration approaches between cyber and physical aspects of systems. Key research methods such as cyber-physical modelling, digital co-simulation as well as the coordinated control across cyber and physical systems will be developed, together with the resilient and economic operation of power systems.

The PhD student will develop cyber-physical systems modelling and integration approaches of cyber and physical power systems as a coupled entity. Resilience will be considered as a key indicator to investigate the vulnerability, failure propagation and resilience assessment framework across both cyber and physical aspects of power systems. The PhD student will be expected to work on lab research facilities to support the co-simulation platform development of cyber-physical power systems.

The PhD student will expect to have certain research experience, or keen to learn the research knowledge in power systems, cyber-physical systems, computer science, information and communications technologies, and computing and data platforms. The perspective PhD student will expect to develop some experience in developing power systems models using a range of computer languages and tools (e.g. Python, MATLAB, OPNET, etc), ideally for applications involving the modelling, simulation and analysis of the large, complex and dynamic systems (e.g. cyber and physical systems).

The PhD student will join the Sheffield Control and Power Systems (CAPS) Laboratory (https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/acse/department/facilities/control-and-power-systems-lab), led by Prof Xin Zhang as the Chair in Control and Power Systems. The CAPS Lab focuses on advanced cyber-physical systems, control systems, optimisation, and cybersecurity with applications to power systems, smart grids, microgrids, and power electronics converters. The CAPS Lab brings academics, research associates, engineers, and PhD students together to find new ways to integrate renewable energies into power grids. We are part of the Department of Automatic Control and Systems Engineering (ACSE) within Sheffield Engineering Faculty.

If you need further discussions on this application, please contact Prof Xin Zhang xin.zhang1@sheffield.ac.uk with your CV and relevant qualifications / transcripts.

Funding Notes

This is a self-funded research project. Applicants can apply for a Scholarship from the University of Sheffield but should note that competition for these Scholarships is highly competitive: View Website