PhD Student in electric power engineering

- a stochastic approach to market barriers set by the power grid

Luleå University of Technology experiences rapid growth with world-leading expertise within several research domains. We shape the future through innovative education and groundbreaking research results and drawing on our location in the Arctic region, we create global societal benefit. Our scientific and artistic research and education are carried out in close collaboration with international, national and regional companies, public actors and leading universities. Luleå University of Technology has an annual turnover of SEK 1.9 billion. Today, we have 1,815 staff and 19,155 students.

In the coming years, multi-billion investments will be made in large projects in Northern Sweden to create a fossil-free society both nationally and globally. Luleå University of Technology is involved in several of these cutting-edge research projects and in the societal transformation that they entail. We offer a broad range of courses and study programmes to match the skills in demand. We hope that you will help us to build the sustainable companies and societies of the future.

Electric Power Engineering in Skellefteå, Sweden, is a successful group at Luleå University of Technology led by Professor Math Bollen and Professor Sarah Rönnberg. The current research directions for the group are hosting capacity, smart grid solutions and power quality. The group has a good national and international reputation for its leading research.

The group currently consists of a chaired professor, two more professors, four other senior researchers, one research engineer and 16 doctoral students.

More information about the research group: Electrical power engineering at Luleå University of Technology

Subject description
Electric power engineering covers the study of the system for production, transport and consumption of electrical energy. This includes the interaction between the power grid electricity production and electricity consumption.

Project description
We are looking for a doctoral student within a project regarding the use of stochastic instead of deterministic methods to decide when it is needed to intervene in the free functioning of the electricity market. The project is funded of the Swedish Energy Agency.

Bottlenecks in the electricity grid limit the functionality of the electricity markets. They can lead to high prices for consumption, make it unattractive to build renewable electricity production and can even put a stop to new connections. The amount of power that the network can handle, before a bottleneck occurs, is based on so-called deterministic methods, where there is a sharp border between what is possible and what is not. The alternative, which will be developed in this project, is to quantify the risks that the market in combination with unforeseen component failure and forecast errors will lead to overload, major supply interruptions, etc. Information about the risk enables an assessment from case to case (e.g. day-ahead, for each hour) whether it is worth taking the risks, considering the risks of limiting the market. There will still be bottlenecks, but they will no longer impose unnecessary restrictions on the electricity market with serious consequences.

Duties
As a PhD student you are expected to perform both experimental and theoretical work within your research studies as well as communicate your results at national and international confer-ences and in scientific journals. Most of your working time will be devoted to your own re-search studies. In addition, you can have the opportunity to try the teacher role. As a researcher, you work as a neutral party in many contexts, which provides a great opportunity to be in-volved in challenging development projects.

Qualifications
You are qualified to apply for this position if you have an MSc or equivalent technical degree with specialization appropriate for research in electrical power engineering such as electrical engineering, electronics, energy, engineering physics or similar areas. Alternatively, an individual fulfills the general eligibility requirements for the third-cycle educational program when he or she 1) has completed a second-cycle degree, 2) has completed higher education courses worth at least 240 credits, of which at least 60 are for second-cycle courses, or 3) in some other manner, in this country or abroad, has acquired the equivalent qualifications courses in electrical engineering.

Advanced knowledge of written and spoken English is required. Previous experience in design of electricity markets and/or in stochastic methods applied to electric power systems, is considered an important merit. In addition, ability to contribute to the education done by the group (to a large part done in Swedish) is regarded meriting.

For further information on specific doctoral education, see;
General curricula for the Board of the faculty of science and technology 

Information
Employment as a PhD student is limited to 4 years, teaching and other department duties may be added with max 20%. Placement: Skellefteå. Starting: by agreement.

For further information, please contact: Math Bollen, math.bollen@ltu.se or Jin Zhong, jin.zhong@ltu.se

Union representatives:
SACO-S Kjell Johansson (+46)920-49 1529 kjell.johansson@ltu.se or OFR-S Lars Frisk, (+46)920-49 1792 lars.frisk@ltu.se

In case of different interpretations of the English and Swedish versions of this announcement, the Swedish version takes precedence.

Application
We prefer that you apply for this position by clicking on the apply button below. The application should include a CV, personal letter and copies of verified diplomas from high school and universities. Your application, including diplomas, must be written in English or Swedish. Mark your application with the reference number below.

Reference number: 238-2023
Closing date for applications: February 16, 2023