Cardiff University President’s Research Scholarship: Dynamic Demand to Support Smart Grid Operation, UK

Key Studentship Information

This is a Cardiff University President's Research Scholarship, part of a new £4M investment to coincide with the inauguration of Professor Sir Martin Evans (Nobel Prize for Medicine 2007) as Cardiff’s new President.

All of the University Schools and Research Centres offering opportunities under the programme have demonstrated the real potential of the Scholarships to contribute to research excellence through significant, challenging and original PhD research projects and excellent PhD supervision and support. Other attractive features of the Scholarships include the presence of multiple President’s Scholars in each of the research areas and the guaranteed exposure of President’s Scholars to innovative technologies, theories, methodological approaches, and debates. More information on the President's Research Scholarships scheme is available here: www.cardiff.ac.uk/presidents

Project Title: Dynamic Demand to Support Smart Grid Operation

Project Description: 

To meet the UK carbon reduction targets the Climate Change Committee has called for the power sector to be de-carbonised by 2030. Smart Grid has been widely recognised as an essential vehicle to decarbonise the electrical energy sector, and many countries around the world are working on the technologies for its realisation. Among these technologies, demand-side integration is vital. Dynamic demand technology helps households and business contribute towards lowering the country’s carbon emissions through transforming electrical appliances like fridges, air-conditioners and heaters into smart devices that respond to changes on the national grid to improve its efficiency and save carbon, energy and money.

This project will investigate a number of important aspects of the dynamic demand technology. The aim is to develop a dynamic demand model and integrate it with a GB grid model. Not only primary response will be investigated, but also secondary frequency response will be studied to consider the coordination with the central generation dispatch over longer timescales (30 sec-15 min).  This research will inform the design of the dynamic demand controller and will contribute to the development of feasible demand-side integration solutions for the Smart Grid.

Supervisor: Prof. N Jenkins / Dr J wu

Start Date: 1st October 2011

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Funding

The award will cover tuition fees at the Home/EU fee rate and will provide a stipend at the UK Research Council rate (£13,590 in 2010/11) plus an enhancement of £1,000 per annum.  Please note that overseas candidates will be required to fund the balance of fees at the overseas fee rate themselves. 

Number of Awards Available: 1

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Eligibility

Academic Criteria: Candidates should have a first-class honours degree, or a 2.1 plus a Postgraduate Masters degree (or their equivalents), in a relevant subject (e.g.  Electrical/Electronic Engineering, Physics).

A good knowledge of electric power systems is desirable but training will be available though MSc modules.  Practical experience of instrumentation and computer programming would be an advantage.

Applicants whose first language is not English will be required to demonstrate proficiency in the English language (IELTS 6.5 or equivalent)

Residency: Open to all UK/EU students without further restrictions and International students at UK/EU rate only (the difference to be funded by the student).

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How to Apply

Applicants should apply using the Online Application Service at www.cardiff.ac.uk/apply, ensuring that you include the follwowing information:

Please state in the 'funding' section that you wish to apply for the President's Research Scholarship in Engineering.

PLEASE ENSURE THE STUDENTSHIP REFERENCE PS6-NJ-2011 IS QUOTED ON YOUR APPLICATION. (For online applications, please put reference in the “Prospective Supervisor” section).

Applicants are advised to contact Dr Jianzhong Wu(see below) for more information regarding these projects.

Application Deadline: 30th June 2011

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