Doctoral student in Smart and resilient microgrids

Project description

Third-cycle subject: Third-cycle subject: Electrical Engineering

As a promising smart grid technology, microgrid has attracted great attention in the modern grid for renewable energy integration, electrified transport, and local resilience. They serve as flexible building blocks for future sustainable and resilient energy systems. At the same time, microgrids are complex cyber-physical systems with tightly coupled power electronics, communication infrastructure, and software-based control, making them vulnerable to disturbances, and anomalies.

This PhD project aims to develop smart and resilient microgrids to support the energy transition and a carbon neutral society. The research can take one of two directions depending on the expertise of the selected candidate:

1. novel algorithm design, with advanced control, optimization and deep reinforcement learning;
2. hardware-oriented development involving converter control and experimental validation.

The method will be extended to large scale power converter dominated grids. This project is funded by WASP.  

Wallenberg AI, Autonomous Systems and Software Program (WASP) is Sweden’s largest individual research program ever, a major national initiative for strategically motivated basic research, education and faculty recruitment. Read more: https://wasp-sweden.org/

The graduate school within WASP is dedicated to provide the skills needed to analyze, develop, and contribute to the interdisciplinary area of artificial intelligence, autonomous systems and software. Through an ambitious program with research visits, partner universities, and visiting lecturers, the graduate school actively supports forming a strong multi-disciplinary and international professional network between PhD-students, researchers and industry. 

Supervision: Associate Professor Qianwen Xu is proposed to supervise the doctoral student. Decisions are made on admission

Admission requirements

To be admitted to postgraduate education (Chapter 7, 39 § Swedish Higher Education Ordinance), the applicant must have basic eligibility in accordance with either of the following:

• passed a second cycle degree (for example a master's degree), or
• completed course requirements of at least 240 higher education credits, of which at least 60 second-cycle higher education credits, or
• acquired, in some other way within or outside the country, substantially equivalent knowledge
• strong background at least one of the areas of power system/power electronics/optimization/DRL 

In addition to the above, there is also a mandatory requirement for English equivalent to English B/6.

Selection

In order to succeed as a doctoral student at KTH you need to be goal oriented and persevering in your work. During the selection process, candidates will be assessed upon their ability to:

• independently pursue his or her work
• collaborate with others,
• have a professional approach and
• analyze and work with complex issues.
• Strong capability in ML/DRL in power systems and good coding skills, or strong capability in power electronics and good hardware skills 

After the qualification requirements, great emphasis will be placed on personal skills. 

Target degree: Doctoral degree

Information regarding admission and employment

Only those admitted to postgraduate education may be employed as a doctoral student. The total length of employment may not be longer than what corresponds to full-time doctoral education in four years' time. An employed doctoral student can, to a limited extent (maximum 20%), perform certain tasks within their role, e.g. training and administration. A new position as a doctoral student is for a maximum of one year, and then the employment may be renewed for a maximum of two years at a time. In the case of studies that are to be completed with a licentiate degree, the total period of employment may not be longer than what corresponds to full-time doctoral education for two years.

As a doctoral student, you receive part of A workplace with many employee benefits and monthly salary according to KTH’s Doctoral student salary agreement. Read more about Doctoral studies (PhD) | KTH | Sweden.

Union representatives

Contact information for union representatives.

Doctoral Students`network (Students’ union on KTH Royal Institute of Technology)

Contact information for doctoral section.

To apply for the position

Apply for the position and admission through KTH's recruitment system. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that the application is complete in accordance with the instructions in the advertisement.

Applications must include the following elements:

• CV including your relevant professional experience and knowledge.
• Application letter with research statement about previous achievements (2 pages) and future research plan (3 pages).
• Representative publications or technical reports: For longer documents, please provide a summary (abstract) and a web link to the full text.

Applications must be received at the last closing date at midnight, CET/CEST (Central European Time/Central European Summer Time).

Other information

For information about processing of personal data in the recruitment process.

It may be the case that a position at KTH is classified as a security-sensitive role in accordance with the Protective Security Act (2018:585). If this applies to the specific position, a security clearance will be conducted for the applicant in accordance with the same law with the applicant's consent. In such cases, a prerequisite for employment is that the applicant is approved following the security clearance.

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Disclaimer: In case of discrepancy between the Swedish original and the English translation of the job announcement, the Swedish version takes precedence.