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

Updated: over 1 year ago
Job Type: Temporary
Deadline: 19 Sep 2022

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.



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