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School of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science
  1. School of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science
  2. PhD
  3. PhD studentships
  4. Principal and EPSRC-DTP PhD Studentships in Electronic Engineering and Computer Science
  5. Improving Energy Conversion Efficiency of Wind Turbines using Digital Twins and Advanced Control

Improving Energy Conversion Efficiency of Wind Turbines using Digital Twins and Advanced Control

Primary Supervisor: Dr Shady Gadoue

Email: s.gadoue@qmul.ac.uk

Google Scholar Profile: https://scholar.google.co.uk/citations?user=1diHQaMAAAAJ&hl=en

Personal Website: http://eecs.qmul.ac.uk/profiles/gadoueshady.html

This project will investigate several real-time control and optimization techniques which are suitable to solve the problem of energy optimization for wind energy conversion systems. Advanced control strategies, such as model predictive control, will be investigated combined with digital twins of wind turbines to produce the optimal control law in real-time to maximise energy conversion efficiency. Digital twins combine the mathematical models describing the physics of the energy conversion system operation, with sensor data collected and processed from real assets during real world operations. This can provide accurate virtual models of the wind energy conversion systems, particularly the generator and the power electronic converter, suitable for online monitoring of their operation. This project will take advantage of the great recent advances in digital signal processing, advanced control and optimisation techniques and twin models to develop online technique, suitable for real time implementation for energy optimisation. Improving the efficiency of the wind turbine energy conversion system is a major requirement which has been conventionally carried out off-line. The lack of accurate model or the existence of complicated models combined with high computational effort has limited the development of fast, online energy optimisation strategies.  

This project requires a strong background in various specialised areas within power electronics, control systems, optimization algorithms and mathematical modelling. Experience in building power electronics test rigs and associated practical skills in control system implementation in real-time is mandatory. This background expertise is crucial for this project to generate successful outcomes.