PhD in Real-time data-driven Reliability of DC Systems in Ships

Department(s)

Electrical Engineering

Reference number

V36.5866

Are you interested in research that advances the electrification of the Marine industry and propels forward the use of Power Electronics and DC technology in Ships? Are you eager to dive into the study of Reliability of such systems and study their failure modes? Are you curious to develop control algorithms that help extend the equipment’s lifetime and provide fault tolerance in specific catastrophic scenarios? If yes, then look no further – this position will challenge you in every aspect.

In the Power Electronics Lab (PEL/e) of the Electromechanics and Power Electronics (EPE) Group, we are looking for an outstanding PhD candidate to work on the Real-time data-driven Reliability of DC Systems in Ships. The research work will comprise the identification of the connection between the reliability requirements on the system level and the design choices on the subsystem and component level, the investigation of the relevant and most critical failure modes in marine DC systems, and the development of control schemes that can either delay (or even avoid altogether) the emergence of a fault or enable reconfiguration of the system to allow its continuous operation. The research will be carried out in close collaboration with a team in TU Delft, as part of the KIC project Survivable DC Power Systems for Ships, funded by the NWO.

Specifically, the aim is to investigate the Reliability modelling of a defined benchmark DC System in a Ship, to identify the weak points of the system, possibly supported by ALTs of critical components, and subsequently work on two levels of control: Firstly, control for Fault Avoidance where the goal is to develop model-based computational control techniques (MPC-based) that can act preemptively and enhance the lifetime and endurance of selected components or subsystems. Secondly, Control for Fault Tolerance, where the aim is to develop model-based computational control techniques (MPC-based) that can act reactively on the complete DC system level and be able to react to catastrophic events (loss of a subsystem, or a loss of a converter due to a fault that could not be avoided) by reconfiguring the system architecture and adapting the control objectives, accordingly.

Besides research you will also contribute to education within the department. Apart from supervising BSc and MSc students in their research projects, other assistance in education, e.g. in bachelor courses, is also expected. The overall load usually amounts to around 20% of your contract time.

• A master’s degree (or an equivalent university degree) in Electrical Engineering, with a strong mathematical background.
• A research oriented attitude, with a passion for application-driven scientific problems and impactful solutions.
• Experience with realization of hardware PE designs is strongly desired.
• Ability to work in a team and interested in collaborating with the industrial partners.
• Fluent in spoken and written English.

• A meaningful job in a dynamic and ambitious university with the possibility to present your work at international conferences.
• A full-time employment for four years, with an intermediate evaluation (go/no-go) after nine months.
• To develop your teaching skills, you will spend 10% of your employment on teaching tasks.
• To support you during your PhD and to prepare you for the rest of your career, you will make a Training and Supervision plan and you will have free access to a personal development program for PhD students (PROOF program ).
• A gross monthly salary between €2,542 (first year) and 3,247 (fourth year) and benefits (such as a pension scheme, pregnancy and maternity leave, partially paid parental leave) in accordance with the Collective Labor Agreement for Dutch Universities.
• Additionally, an annual holiday allowance of 8% of the yearly salary, plus a year-end allowance of 8.3% of the annual salary.
• Should you come from abroad and comply with certain conditions, you can make use of the so-called ‘30% facility’, which permits you not to pay tax on 30% of your salary.
• A broad package of fringe benefits, including an excellent technical infrastructure, moving expenses, and savings schemes.
• Family-friendly initiatives are in place, such as an international spouse program, and excellent on-campus children day care and sports facilities.

Do you recognize yourself in this profile and would you like to know more?
Please contact prof. George Papafotiou (email: g.papafotiou[at]tue.nl).

For information about terms of employment, click here or contact HR Services (email: HRServices.Flux[at]tue.nl).

Please visit www.tue.nl/jobs and www.tue.nl/en/education/graduate-school/ to find out more about working at TU/e!

Application

We invite you to submit a complete application by using the 'apply now'-button on this page.
The application should include a:

• Cover letter in which you describe your motivation and qualifications for the position.
• Curriculum vitae, including a list of your publications and the contact information of three references.
• Brief description of your MSc thesis.
• Extract of the grades acquired in the courses for your BSc and MSc studies.

We look forward to your application.
We will screen your application as soon as possible and the vacancy will remain open until the position is filled.

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