Research Studentship in Power Electronics Rich Distribution Network Design

University of Oxford - Department of Engineering Science

4-year D.Phil. studentship

Project: Power Electronics Rich Distribution Network Design

Supervisors:

• Prof Thomas Morstyn (Primary Supervisor)
• Prof Dan Rogers (Co-Supervisor)
• Dr Agustí Egea-Àlvarez (Industry Supervisor)

Project Description

This project will investigate how power electronics can be best incorporated as a core design component for future distribution networks, which are facing a rapid integration of renewables, battery storage, electric vehicles and heat pumps. Recent advances in material science, thermal management and control systems, have led to a variety of new distribution-network focused power electronic devices, including solid-state transformers, soft-open points and distribution-static compensators. These devices provide a dynamic range of control capabilities, motivating a fundamental reassessment of how distribution networks are designed.

The project will investigate three main research questions:

Q1. How can we best model power electronics-rich distribution networks to balance model fidelity and computational complexity

Q2. How can we optimise across system objectives including network efficiency, resilience, and the hosting capacity for renewables and electric transport/heating?

Q3. What value can power electronics rich design offer if scaled out across the UK, and what commercial barriers need to be overcome?

The successful candidate will investigate multiscale modelling and optimisation approaches and will explore robust decision making in the face of weather- and behaviour-dependent uncertainty.

The studentship will be supervised by Professor Thomas Morstyn, who leads the Power Systems Architecture Lab, Professor Dan Rogers who leads Oxford’s Power Electronics Group, and industry advisor Dr Agustí Egea-Àlvarez, Network Operational Performance Manager at SP Energy Networks.

Eligibility

This studentship is supported by SP Energy Networks and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) through an Industrial Doctoral Landscape Award (IDLA). It is open to home students (full award – home fees plus stipend).

Award Value

Course fees are covered at the level set for Home students c. £10,470 p.a. The stipend (tax-free maintenance grant) is the UKRI Minimum Stipend c. £20,780 p.a. for the first year, and at least this amount for a further three years.

Candidate Requirements

Prospective candidates will be judged according to how well they meet the following criteria:

• A first class or strong upper second-class undergraduate honours degree in Engineering or related area
• Experience with mathematical modelling and optimisation
• Programming experience (preferably in Python)
• Excellent English written and spoken communication skills

The following criteria are desirable but not essential:

• Experience with power electronics modelling, design and simulation
• Experience with power systems modelling, design and simulation
• Experience with machine learning
• Power industry experience

Application Procedure

Informal enquiries are encouraged and should be addressed to Prof Thomas Morstyn (thomas.morstyn@eng.ox.ac.uk).

Candidates must submit a graduate application form and are expected to meet the graduate admissions criteria. Details are available via the 'Apply' button above.

Please quote 26ENGEL_TM2 in all correspondence and in your graduate application.

Application deadline: 12:00 midday UK time on Tuesday 3rd March 2026

Start date: October 2026