Control Strategies for Stability Guarantee in Oil and Gas Platforms with Significant Renewable Energy Integration About the position

The Faculty of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering (IE), http://www.ntnu.edu/ie at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) has a vacancy for a three-year position as PhD candidate at the Department of Electric Power Engineering (IEL), http://www.ntnu.edu/elkraft.

The described position is part of a new Research Centre for Low-Emission Technology for Petroleum Activities on the Norwegian Continental Shelf, "LowEmission", supported by the Norwegian Research Council.

The "LowEmission" center brings together world-leading Norwegian and international industrial players including vendors, operators and energy companies, and research institutions such as SINTEF and NTNU to pave the road towards zero-emission production of oil and gas from the Norwegian continental shelf.

The position reports to the Head of the department.

Main duties and responsibilities

Oil and gas platforms on the Norwegian Continental Shelf mostly use gas turbines for power and heat supply, with strict security-of-supply requirements. However, due to the very high environmental impact caused by the oil and gas industry, there is a strong commitment to identifying and implementing more sustainable solutions. Hybrid systems with wind energy integration can provide significant emission reductions, however, the short-term variability of such renewable generation may trigger low-frequency power oscillations, causing stability problems. These can be possibly mitigated by energy storage deployment and coordinated control of power electronics-interfaced units.

Currently, there is one vacant PhD position available at NTNU within the field of "Control strategies for stability guarantee in oil and gas platforms with significant renewable energy integration".

The goal of the PhD project is to address the possible causes of instability (e.g. voltage, frequency, rotor angle and harmonic instability) that may arise in oil and gas (O&G) platforms where traditional power generation by gas turbines is complemented by a significant share of wind power. The study should identify the root cause of possible instability problems, choose the right tools for their analysis and assess the criticality of O&G operation with wind turbine integration from the stability standpoint for different levels of wind penetration. Cooperative control strategies for energy storage interfaces, flexible loads and multifunctional inverters will be designed to address criticalities identified in the operation of the isolated power grid and can be experimentally validated at the National Smart Grid Laboratory as part of the task.

Qualification requirements

PhD candidate:

The PhD-position's main objective is to qualify for work in research positions. Applicants must hold a M.Sc. degree (or equivalent) within electrical engineering and have a strong background in the stability, analysis and control of power grids with significant power electronic penetration. Particularly, 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. Experience with open-source tools, such as Python or OpenModelica will be merited.

Applicants are required to submit a one-page research proposal within the described research area.

Scientific publications in relevant international journals and conferences are weighted. Excellent analytical and communication skills are required.

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, postdoctor and research assistant

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

Other qualifications:

Applicants must provide evidence of good English language skills, written and spoken. If your first language is not English, the following tests can be used as documentation: TOEFL, IELTS and Cambridge, Certificate in Advanced English (CAE) or Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE). Minimum scores are:

• TOEFL: 600 (paper-based test), 92 (Internet-based test)
• IELTS: 6.5, with no section lower than 5.5 (only Academic IELTS test accepted)
• CAE/CPE: grade B or A.

Personal characteristics

The ability to work in a team and good communication skills will be emphasized in the employment process.

In the evaluation of which candidate is best qualified, emphasis will be placed on education, experience and personal suitability, as well as motivation, in terms of the qualification requirements specified in the advertisement

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

PhD candidate:

PhD candidates are remunerated in code 1017, and are normally remunerated at gross from NOK 449 400 per year. From the salary, 2% is deducted as a contribution to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund.

The employment contract is for three years; however, there is a possibility for extension up to four years if selected for assistantship.

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 undertake to participate in an organized PhD programme during the employment period. A condition of appointment is that you are in fact qualified for admission to the PhD programme within three months.

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 criterias in the latter law will be prohibited from recruitment to NTNU. After the appointment you must assume that there may be changes in the area of work.

General information

A good work environment is characterized by diversity. We encourage qualified candidates to apply, regardless of their gender, functional capacity or cultural background. Under the Freedom of Information Act (offentleglova), information about the applicant may be made public even if the applicant has requested not to have their name entered on the list of applicants.

Questions about the position can be directed to Professor Elisabetta Tedeschi, elisabetta.tedeschi@ntnu.no.

About the application:

Applications are to be submitted electronically through this page (http://www.jobbnorge.no).

The application must contain:

• A project description (1 page).
• CV.
• Certified copies of academic diplomas and certificates.
• Applicants from universities outside Norway are kindly requested to send a diploma supplement or a similar document, which describes in detail the study and grading system and the rights for further studies associated with the obtained degree.
• Publications relevant to the research scope and any other work which the applicant wishes to be taken into account should clearly state the applicant’s contribution. A short summary should be attached outlining the applicant’s input to joint work.
• Names and contact information of at least two references.

Incomplete applications will not be taken into consideration.

Sensitivity related to critical infrastructure issues and strategic assessments will be considered for all applicants.

Application deadline: June 26, 2019.

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

Our department is Norway’s leading university environment 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 academic environments internationally. This gives us outstanding opportunities for interdisciplinary research with high relevance to society, while we meet industrial needs and address global challenges at the same time. The Department of Electric Power Engineering is one of seven departments in the Faculty of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering.

Deadline 26th June 2019
Employer NTNU - Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Municipality Trondheim
Scope Fulltime
Duration Temporary
Place of service Gløshaugen