PhD position NewGen

A PhD position is available at the University of Twente (the Netherlands) within the Faculty of Science and Technology. The research project will develop and demonstrate novel chemical additives for mitigating space charge accumulation in next generation PP-based thermoplastic and conventional DC-XLPE insulation materials for high voltage HVDC cables.

There is a significant need for developing new dielectric materials and solutions to overcome the issue of space charge accumulation in the main insulation layer of polymeric HVDC cables. Under HVDC stresses, both the XLPE insulation, and also the more recently emerging PP-based thermoplastic insulation materials, are prone to harmful space charge accumulation which can lead to local electric field stress enhancement, electrical treeing and premature dielectric breakdown, hence degrading the HVDC cable system reliability and lifetime.

Currently, we are looking for a PhD candidate for the project:

"New generation of HVDC insulation materials, cables and systems" (NewGen).

The candidate will develop and demonstrate novel molecularly defined space charge mitigating additives for PP- and XLPE-based HVDC cable insulation matrices where polar species capable of acting as charge trapping sites are directly anchored to suitable polyolefin (PO) backbones via chemical modification. This approach ensures compatibility with the polymeric host, hence providing a pathway for controlled and homogeneous dispersion of the space charge mitigating functionality in the insulation matrix.