PhD Studentship in Modeling and Control of the Grid Integration of Wind Turbine Farms (EU-Horizon project ModConFlex)

This PhD Studentship is jointly offered by the School of Electrical Engineering at Tel Aviv University (Israel) “TAU” and the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult branch in Blyth (UK) "OREC". The student will be jointly supervised by Prof. George Weiss (TAU), Dr Chunjiang Jia (in Blyth) and Dr Michael Smailes (OREC).

The PhD Student/Researcher will be a member of ModConFlex, a Horizon Europe Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral-Training-Network (HORIZON-MSCA-DN-2021) programme. The network brings together 17 academic and industrial partners across Europe with the goal of developing novel approaches to the modelling and control of flexible structures. This programme will create ground-breaking mathematical tools for data-driven modelling and control of complex processes, which will be efficient in practice and have rigorous theoretical foundations. It is envisioned that the programme will combine ideas from a broad range of disciplines, including machine learning, control theory, differential equations, port-Hamiltonian systems theory, modeling of power systems, digital signal processors for control, randomized algorithms.

ModConFlex is a sequel to a successful earlier network called ConFlex (which is now finished) https://www.conflex.org/about/  . The participating institutions and academics are to a large extent the same. ModConFlex is also strongly related to the ongoing DTN network WinGrid https://www.wingrid.org/ .

Scope of work: The intended topic is to investigate the modelling and control of floating wind turbines (FWT), that are connected to the power grid via back-to-back AC to DC to AC switched power converters. We aim to develop novel control algorithms for the converters that can provide ancillary services to the power grid (inertia, reactive power, fault ride-through). The research will focus on the electro-mechanical coupling between the fluctuations in the electric power delivered to the grid and the mechanical oscillations of the FWT caused by changes in aerodynamic load. In particular, we plan to investigate power fluctuations in response to grid contingencies and ways to mitigate them. We shall study the stability of a microgrid formed of inverters (typically attached to FWTs) running with the novel control algorithm. The topics may evolve, depending on the interests of the researchers and the results. The PhD student/researcher will collaborate with other researchers from the nodes of ModConFlex. 

Skills & Qualifications:

The following skills & qualifications are highly welcomed:

• Very good academic English, written and spoken
• Knowledge in control theory
• Knowledge in the design of electronic circuits is desirable
• Knowledge about switched power converters of any kind is desirable (can be acquired on the training). 

Benefits

We offer a very challenging fulltime position for 3 years in an inspiring multidisciplinary and international environment. TAU fosters and encourages the spirit of research, innovation and entrepreneurship among its students, researchers and alumni as TAU is a Reuters “Top 100 Innovation University”. 

Employment conditions:

• Enrolment in a PhD program @Tel Aviv University, School of Electrical Engineering
• Secondments with project partners within the European Training Network
• An excellent working atmosphere within an international team of researchers
• For the first 18 months, the student will be mainly based at Tel Aviv University, Israel (TAU), and for the following 18 months the student will be mainly based at OREC, UK (mainly at the testing facility in Blyth)
• The student will also visit other nodes of the ModConFlex network and take part in annual network meetings, with the travel expenses (for this purpose) covered by the program
• The position is funded for 36 months, a possibility exists to extend the assignment at TAU
• The successful candidate will receive a 3 year financial package (in accordance with the European Commission rules), consisting of:
  • At TAU:
    • Monthly living allowance (net) of €2,700
    • Monthly mobility allowance of €450
    • Monthly family allowance (where applicable)
  • At OREC:
    • Monthly living allowance (gross, before applicable taxes): £4,011 
    • Monthly mobility allowance (gross, before applicable taxes): £517 
    • Monthly family allowance (where applicable)
  • Tuition fees will be covered by the grant (not the student)
  • The PhD degree will be awarded by TAU and the student will need to return to TAU for this purpose. 

Eligibility: The researcher may be of any nationality. Supported researchers must be doctoral candidates, i.e. not already in possession of a doctoral degree at the date of the recruitment. 

Mobility rule: The researcher must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the recruiting host institution (Israel and UK) for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before their recruitment date — unless as part of a compulsory national service or a procedure for obtaining refugee status under the Geneva Convention.  

Application procedure:  Send your CV (pdf format), list of grades, certificates, list of 3 referees and motivation letter to:

Prof. George Weiss, [email protected]

Dr Chunjiang Jia, [email protected]

Rebecca Simmonds, [email protected]

Brighitte Shalom, [email protected]