Research Associate in Modelling and Control of VSC HVDC

Faculty/Organisational Unit: Science and Engineering
Location: Manchester
Employment type: Fixed Term
Division/Team: Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Hours per week: 1 FTE
Closing date (DD/MM/YYYY): 21/07/2025
Contract duration: Fixed term 24 months starting 1st October 2025
School/Directorate: School of Engineering

A Postdoctoral Research Associate (PDRA) position is available for an outstanding and ambitious electrical power engineer in the field of modelling and control of power electronic converters in power systems – specifically voltage sourced converter based HVDC. The work will involve developing and analysing models of VSC-HVDC, their associated controls, and network connection, in PSCAD and Matlab/SIMULINK. The research is part of a project to investigate future network performance funded by National Grid Electricity Transmission through the Network Innovation Allowance.

You should have a PhD or equivalent in power engineering as well as demonstrable experience in modelling of power electronics at a distribution or transmission system level and control of electrical systems. Experience working with PSCAD/EMTDC is desirable but not essential (training will be provided). You should be capable of working under your own initiative and communicating effectively with a research team, so excellent communication and organisational skills are also required.

Overall Purpose of the Job

This research role is part of a project to investigate the operation of voltage sourced converter high voltage DC transmission (VSC-HVDC) within future power networks and is funded by National Grid Electricity Transmission through the National Innovation Allowance.

VSC-HVDC systems have a key role to play in the future electrical power system, as the leading technology of choice for interconnections to other countries, links to offshore wind farms, new embedded transmission links within the UK, and the start of multi-terminal systems expected in the future. As the role of VSC-HVDC evolves, so too will the control requirements of the converters themselves.

Future system modelling by UK utilities has identified the need for improved converter models, at a time when evolving network requirements like the UK Holistic Network Design are providing new performance challenges to power electronics interfaced components. A better understanding is needed of applied VSC-HVDC modelling – particularly around VSC-HVDC controls as they evolve – alongside generic models which can be edited during analysis to avoid intractable modelling situations. This project compliments the network modelling work undertaken in TOTEM and TOTEM2 projects by looking forward to what future inverter modelling requirements may be needed as controls evolve, and as converters need to operate in close proximity to each other. The project will investigate how this may be included in typical converter modelling.

This project will investigate the modelling of the VSC-HVDC system and its control, considering both detailed PSCAD/EMTDC and more simplified models. It will investigate proposed control schemes for present and future systems, and the impact future network designs may have on the models and control.

Please note that we are unable to respond to enquiries, accept CVs or applications from Recruitment Agencies.

Any CVs submitted by a recruitment agency will be considered a gift.

Enquiries about the vacancy, shortlisting and interviews:

Name: Prof Mike Barnes

Email: mike.barnes@manchester.ac.uk

General enquiries:

Email: People.recruitment@manchester.ac.uk

Technical support: jobseekersupport.jobtrain.co.uk/support/home

This vacancy will close for applications at midnight on the closing date.

Further particulars including job description and person specification are available on the University of Manchester website - click on the 'Apply' button above to find out more

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