About the position

The Department of Electric Power Engineering, has two vacancies (100% positions) as PhD candidates within the area of: “Efficiency increase and emissions reduction in offshore Oil & Gas platforms by wind integration, storage deployment and cooperative control". The described positions are part of a collaborative project (Smart Platform) among NTNU, Equinor, ABB, SAFT, the San Paulo State University (Brazil) and the Federal University of Minas Gerais (Brazil), supported by the Research Council of Norway.

The prospective candidates will work in the research group Power Electronic Systems and Components (PESC)

The main supervisor of the PhD candidates will be Prof. Elisabetta Tedeschi.

The positions report to Head of Department.

Duties of the position

NTNU, Equinor, ABB, SAFT, the San Paulo State University (Brazil) and the Federal University of Minas Gerais (Brazil) have established a scientific collaboration within the Smart Platform project to investigate how energy storage and cooperative control strategies can affect energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions in a typical offshore oil and gas platform, and identify technical solutions to mitigate the impact of offshore wind integration into the platform's electric network.

Within this framework, the goal of the first PhD position is: “Power quality enhancement by cooperative control provision in Oil and Gas platforms with wind energy integration”. The PhD project will work on reference test cases selected by the consortium and identify margins for power quality improvement, by coordinating pre-existing compensation systems, controlled power electronic interfaces, non-critical loads and energy storage systems.

The goal of the second PhD position is: “Energy Storage design and optimization for oil and gas platforms applications”. This PhD project will investigate the design and integration of (battery-based) energy storage (ES) systems into the oil and gas platform, including technology suitability assessment, preliminary sizing, comparison between centralized and decentralized deployment, benefit from the applicability of hybrid ES solutions and ES cost-benefit analysis.

Required selection criteria

The objective of the PhD education is to qualify for scientific research of high international standard. The PhD education has a nominal duration of three years of full-time study and includes required coursework or similar academic training comprising a minimum of 30 credits. The most important component of the PhD education is an independent scientific research project carried out under academic supervision, which results in the PhD thesis. The PhD degree is conferred based on these two elements and the doctoral examination, which consists of a trial lecture and a public defence of the scientific thesis.

The candidate is expected to fully complete the course work and the PhD thesis within the period of employment, which could be 3 or 4 years. The doctoral examination may take place after the period of employment. The option of 4-year employment would imply 1 year of duties as teaching Assistant for the Department and may be offered to a candidate with clear motivation and ability for such work, if the Department sees the need. This will be clarified during and after any interview.

The qualification requirement is completion of a master’s degree with strong academic background with a grade of B or better in terms of NTNU’s grading scale.

Applicants for the first PhD position must hold a M.Sc. degree (or equivalent) within electrical engineering and have a strong background in power electronics control, and good knowledge of basic concepts of power systems stability and operation. Competence on offshore and/or isolated power systems and experience with real-time simulations and Hardware-in-the-Loop testing (especially with OPAL-RT) will be an advantage.

Applicants for the second PhD position must hold a M.Sc. degree (or equivalent) within electrical engineering, have a solid background in power electronics and competence on optimization and control of energy storage systems. Experience with offshore and/or isolated power systems will be an advantage and experience with real-time simulations and Hardware-in-the-Loop testing (especially with OPAL-RT) is also appreciated.

Relevant scientific publications in international journals and peer-reviewed conferences are merited for both positions.

Applicants for both positions are required to submit a one-page research proposal within the proposed research area. They should also clearly indicate for which PhD position they are applying.

Both PhD projects require excellent analytical and communication skills.

The applicants for both positions must be able to work independently, but also to collaborate with the other project participants and other colleagues at the department.

Other qualifications:

Applicants must have very good English language skills, written and spoken. Applicants from non-English speaking countries outside EU/EEA/Switzerland must provide preliminary documentation of English language proficiency, in terms of an approved test. The following tests can be used: TOEFL, IELTS and Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English (CAE) or Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE).

Further assessment of both written and oral English language skills and the ability to communicate fluently will be conducted in the continued selection process and during any interviews for all applicants.

The appointment is to be made in accordance with the regulations in force concerning State Employees and Civil Servants and national guidelines for appointment as PhD, post doctor and research assistant.

NTNU is committed to following evaluation criteria for research quality according to The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment - DORA

Personal characteristics

In the evaluation of which candidate is best qualified, emphasis will be placed on education, experience and personal suitability.

• Be structured, targeted and solution-oriented;
• The successful candidate will be a team player in a group with the project consortium, professors, researchers, PhDs and scientists from the industrial sector
• Self-driven with a strong ability to work independently when required
• Proven ability to work with an interdisciplinary team
• Have good dissemination skills
• Personal skills like a positive and friendly attitude, and contributing to a sustainable social environment will also be valued

We offer

• exciting and stimulating tasks in a strong international academic environment
• an open and inclusive work environment with dedicated colleagues
• favourable terms in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund
• employee benefits

Salary and conditions

During the employment period at NTNU, the PhD candidate will be remunerated at gross NOK 479 600 per annum. From the salary, 2% is deducted as a contribution to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund.

The employment contract is for three years.

Appointment to a PhD position requires admission to the PhD programme in Electrical Power Engineering. Applicants must be qualified for admission as PhD students at NTNU. See  https://www.ntnu.edu/ie/research/phd  for information about PhD studies at NTNU.

As a PhD candidate, you will have to successfully complete the PhD academic training programme; the training includes mandatory course work and other obligatory activities. Within the first three months of your employment, you must formally qualify for admission to the PhD programme at the Faculty of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering.

The position is fully funded by the Research Council of Norway.

It is a prerequisite you can be present at and accessible to the institution daily.

About the application

The application and supporting documentation to be used as the basis for the assessment must be in English.

Publications and other scientific work must follow the application. Please note that applications are only evaluated based on the information available on the application deadline. You should ensure that your application shows clearly how your skills and experience meet the criteria which are set out above.

The application must include:

• A cover letter where the applicant describes the personal motivation, summarising scientific work, and how the applicant sees her/his background suitable
• A draft research proposal (1 or 2 pages) for the PhD study, where the candidate presents her/his own ideas for the PhD-work and how it can be applied, based on the project description given in this advertisement. This proposal will be neither final nor binding for the project.
• CV (summarising education, positions, pedagogical experience, administrative experience and other qualifying activity).
• Copies of educational certificates, academic transcript of records and letters of recommendation. Applicants from universities outside Norway are kindly requested to send a diploma supplement (https://ec.europa.eu/education/diploma-supplement_en ) or a similar document, which describes in detail the study programme and grading system.
• The required documentation of English language proficiency.
• Names and contact information of at least two references (name, relation to candidate, e-mail and telephone number).

In assessing the applications, emphasis will be placed on the documented, academic qualifications, the cover letter and the ideas and/or originality of the draft research proposal in shortlisting of candidates. Interviews with the best-qualified candidates will be arranged.

Incomplete applications will not be taken into consideration.

The engagement is to be made in accordance with the regulations in force concerning State Employees and Civil Servants, and the acts relating to Control of the Export of Strategic Goods, Services and Technology. Candidates who by assessment of the application and attachment are seen to conflict with the criteria in the latter law will be prohibited from recruitment to NTNU.

The Department of Electric Power Engineering works closely with key players in the Norwegian electricity supply sector, which manage critical infrastructure. A comprehensive risk assessment of the candidates' research interests and potential activities related to national threat assessments will therefore also form basis for the final selection of candidates.

In the final assessment of the candidates also strategic considerations at the Department of Electric Power Engineering will be taken into account.

General information

Working at NTNU

A good work environment is characterized by diversity. We encourage qualified candidates to apply, regardless of their gender, functional capacity or cultural background. 

The city of Trondheim is a modern European city with a rich cultural scene. Trondheim is the innovation capital of Norway with a population of 200,000. The Norwegian welfare state, including healthcare, schools, kindergartens and overall equality, is probably the best of its kind in the world. Professional subsidized day-care for children is easily available. Furthermore, Trondheim offers great opportunities for education (including international schools) and possibilities to enjoy nature, culture and family life and has low crime rates and clean air quality.

As an employee at NTNU, you must at all times adhere to the changes that the development in the subject entails and the organizational changes that are adopted.

Information Act (Offentleglova), your name, age, position and municipality may be made public even if you have requested not to have your name entered on the list of applicants.

Questions about the positions can be directed to  Professor Elisabetta Tedeschi elisabetta.tedeschi@ntnu.no , or to Head of Department Prof. Ole-Morten Midtgård ole-morten.midtgard@ntnu.no.

Please submit your application electronically via jobbnorge.no with your CV, diplomas and certificates. Applications submitted elsewhere will not be considered. Diploma Supplement is required to attach for European Master Diplomas outside Norway. Chinese applicants are required to provide confirmation of Master Diploma from China Credentials Verification (CHSI).

If you are invited for interview you must include certified copies of transcripts and reference letters. Please refer to the application number 2020/23091 when applying.

Application deadline:01.10.2020

NTNU - knowledge for a better world

The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) creates knowledge for a better world and solutions that can change everyday life.

Department of Electric Power Engineering

The Department of Electric Power Engineering is one of the seven departments at the Faculty of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering. Our department is Norway’s leading in the field, and our vision is to be at the centre of the digital, green shift. We have excellent collaboration with business and industry as well as other universities and research organizations internationally. This gives us outstanding opportunities for interdisciplinary research with high relevance for the society, addressing industrial needs and global challenges.

Deadline 1st October 2020
Employer NTNU - Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Municipality Trondheim
Scope Fulltime (2 jobs)
Duration Temporary
Place of service Campus Gløshaugen