Postdoc Cyber secure and resilient control systems for interconnected HVAC-HVDC systems.

The objective of HVDC-WISE project, funded under Horizon Europe, is to propose, analyse, design, and validate HVDC-based grid architecture concepts that enable the deployment of reliable and resilient widespread AC/DC transmission grids to achieve the European energy transition.

Within the HVDC-WISE project, Delft University of Technology is recruiting a talented, enthusiastic, and ambitious Postdoc to conduct excellent research and achieve breakthroughs in the field of cyber secure and resilient control systems for interconnected HVAC-HVDC systems.

Control and protection solutions need communication layers at different extents. As a key aspect, for the proposed solutions, the physical model of a given architecture will be expanded for investigation of the resiliency against cyber attacks. Multi-parameter sensitivity analysis (e.g., different protocols, sampling rates, cyber attacks – e.g., false data injection and advanced persistent threats) will be carried out to assess their vulnerability and to propose design criteria for a cyber resilient communication infrastructure for HVDC systems. The vulnerabilities of the control and protection schemes to cyber-events will be identified and assessed. Based on the cyber security assessment, recommendations will be provided to minimise the impact of cyber attacks.

TU Delft provides a Real-Time Digital Simulator (consisting of large number of parallel processors located in the Electrical Sustainable Power Lab at TU Delft), HiL testing set-up (involving a NovaCor chassis of the RTDS, a real-time target, and mock-up power electronic device used as a grid side converter), the Control Room of the Future (a multi-domain experimental setup used as a hub for the development and demonstration of cyber secure, future-proof control and protection technologies), and an offline simulation environment. This state-of-the-art lab will be used to conduct research and demonstration of prototype solutions to both academic and industry partners.

You will be jointly supervised by Dr. Alex Stefanov (Assistant Professor, daily supervisor) and Prof. Peter Palensky (head of IEPG group). You will join the Cyber Resilient Power Grids (CRPG) team led by Dr. Alex Stefanov, which conducts research on cyber security and resilience of power grids.

You will dedicate about 60% of the time to research activities within HVDC-WISE project.

You will dedicate about 40% of the time to (i) act as CRPG team lead, and manage, coordinate and organize CRPG team activities and (ii) help with supervision of PhD students.

We offer a 22-month Postdoc appointment, with an anticipated start date in October / November 2022. You will be a member of the section Intelligent Electrical Power Grids that is part of the Electrical Sustainable Energy (ESE) Department within the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics, and Computer Science. This project offers excellent opportunities to work in a dynamic team, and excellent networking opportunities with experts from academia, utilities, and vendors.