PhD in A Resilience-Oriented Approach for Multi-Commodity Positive Energy Districts Operation

The mission of the Department of Electrical Engineering is to acquire share and transfer knowledge and understanding in the whole field of Electrical Engineering through education research and valorization. We work towards a Smart Sustainable Society a Connected World and a healthy humanity (Care & Cure). Activities share an application-oriented character a high degree of complexity and a large synergy between multiple facets of the field.

Research is carried out into the applications of electromagnetic phenomena in all forms of energy conversion telecommunication and electrical signal processing. Existing and new electrical components and systems are analyzed designed and built. The Electrical Engineering department takes its inspiration from contacts with high-tech industry in the direct surrounding region and beyond.

The department is innovative and has international ambitions and partnerships. The result is a challenging and inspiring setting in which socially relevant issues are addressed.

Introduction

Do you want to be part of a large scale national project and work on multi-commodity energy districts

The envisioned research is part of the research program Intelligent Energy Systems (IES) performed within the Electrical Energy Systems (EES) group of TU/e. Within the IES program research is conducted into operation and planning of future sustainable energy systems with an emphasis on electricity systems markets and systems integration. This research is performed in two research labs: the Digital power and energy systems lab (EES DigiPES lab) and the Electricity markets and power system optimization lab (EES EMPDO lab). The former focuses on intelligent energy network research including: demand management and flexibility digital twinning data analytics smart grid ICT architectures and systems integration in multi energy systems. The latter specializes in electricity market design (centralized & decentralized) market products & system services to integrate new technologies forecasting market participation strategies and risk management large-scale distributed multi-objective optimization techniques applied to energy markets and power systems and AI for optimization and control in power and energy systems. The EES group has strong ties with industry both nationally and internationally with several part-time industry researchers working in the group and a large group of strategic collaboration partners.

Recently the Electrical Energy Systems group received grants for nationally-funded projects in Intelligent Electricity Systems. Therefore this group currently has multiple vacancies in this field. We are currently looking for researchers with strong energy systems knowledge electricity heat and gas netwrok modelling & simulation and research software development skills that want to develop cutting-edge knowledge and software for the energy transition. The focus of the work will be on the application of intelligent software approaches (distributed control systems distributed optimization market mechanisms multi-scale modelling etc.) in electrical power systems (energy system flexibility coordination local energy markets capacity & congestion management etc.).

Job Description

The transition to sustainable urban energy systems is a cornerstone of climate-neutral cities. Positive Energy Districts (PEDs) are emerging as a key concept in this transition aiming to produce more energy than they consume on an annual basis. However the operation of PEDs is increasingly complex due to the integration of multiple energy vectors (electricity heating gas water etc.) the variability of renewable energy sources and the need for real-time coordination among distributed assets.

Resilience the ability of a system to anticipate absorb adapt to and rapidly recover from disruptions is a critical yet underexplored dimension in PED operations. This research is a part of an NWO project called Enabling Positive Energy Districs through citizen-centered socio-technical models for upscaling pf the heat transition or EmPowerED that studies various aspects of the PEDs to deliver a theoretically informed and empirically validated scalable integrated systems co-creation approach for carbon-neutral heating that can be tailored to the specific local PED context. This PhD is part of the technical study and modelling of the project that needs to focus on a resilience-oriented operational framework for multi-commodity PEDs addressing both steady-state optimization and dynamic response to disturbances. EmPowerED is a large project with around 38 partners including different universities research institutes municipalities energy communities distribution system operators and technology providers. The student will have the opportunity to be a part of this project and participate in project meetings contribute to the discussion with the end-users energy communities and municipalities. There would be close collaboration between the PhD students in this project and the technology providers as the outcomes of the PhD studies could be incorporated into their commercial solutions.

Current PED operational strategies often prioritize energy efficiency and carbon neutrality but lack mechanisms to ensure resilience against disruptions such as grid outages extreme weather events or cyber-physical attacks. Moreover the multi-commodity nature of PEDs introduces interdependencies that can amplify vulnerabilities. Although the congestion management is and remains one of the main concerns for the stakeholders involved in PEDs there are further research questions that come to mind when the multi-energy aspect of PEDs is considered:

• How can resilience be quantitatively assessed in the context of multi-commodity PEDs
• What operational strategies can enhance the resilience of PEDs without compromising energy positivity
• How do interdependencies among energy vectors affect the propagation of disruptions
• What are the trade-offs between resilience efficiency and sustainability in PED operations

Considering the above-mentioned research questions and regarding the framework of the EmPowerED project the objective of this PhD study is defined as follows:

1. Develop a comprehensive resilience assessment framework tailored to multi-commodity PEDs considering electricity heating and water drainage networks.
2. Design a multi-layered operational strategy that integrates resilience metrics into energy management systems on a district level.
3. Model and simulate the dynamic behavior of PEDs under various disruption scenarios with a focus on electricity and heat networks.
4. Validate the proposed approach through case studies and use cases of the project.

These goals are achieved through the implementation of a comprehensive analysis of the existing resilience metrics and operational strategies of PEDs. Various scenarios need to be created and studied for each commodity (i.e. electricity heat water drainage) and their interdependencies impact on energy management within a district while maintaining energy positivity. The use of new technologies in district heating systems (e.g. low-temperature heating) and their impact should be included in these scenarios.

Conceptual framework development requires establishing resilience indicators for PEDs as well as defining its dimensions considering the interdependence among various networks. The scenarios and the developed concept need to be modelled and simulated for each energy carrier flow following an optimization problem incorporating resilience techniques. A digital twin of PED needs to be developed integrating real data (where available) and the analysed scenarios. AI models for predictive resilience assessment should be developed and tested. The results of this simulation and modelling can be integrated within the commercial interfaces of the project for the end users involved in the project.

The position is supervised by . N. Neyestani and . J.K. Kok.

Job Requirements

We are looking for a highly motivated and pro-active candidate with good communicative skills and English language proficiency. As a PhD candidate you should have the following qualifications

• A MSc degree related to modelling and analysis of multi-energy systems electrical power systems and/or district heating systems.
• Having a good understanding of different energy systems including electricity and heat networks as well as water drainage systems and their components.
• Experience in modelling distributed energy resources optimization and decision making and district level energy management.
• Experience in data-driven modelling AI techniques probabilities stochastic optimization solutions is an advantage.
• Excellent modelling skills and skills in scientific programming and/or numerical computing in languages like Python Julia or MATLAB are advantages.
• Enthusiasm in open-source software development and motivated to learn basic skills of scientific software engineering.
• Ability to work in an interdisciplinary team and interested in expanding the research to real-world applications through participating in projects.
• Motivated to develop your teaching skills and coach MSc and BSc students.
• Fluent in spoken and written English (C1 level).
• Dutch language skill is an advantage.

Conditions of Employment

A meaningful job in a dynamic and ambitious university in an interdisciplinary setting and within an international network. You will work on a beautiful green campus within walking distance of the central train addition we offer you:

• Full-time employment for four years with an intermediate assessment after nine months. You will spend a minimum of 10% of your four-year employment on teaching tasks with a maximum of 15% per year of your employment.
• Salary and benefits (such as a pension scheme paid pregnancy and maternity leave partially paid parental leave) in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities scale P (min. 3059 - max. 3881).
• A year-end bonus of 8.3% and annual vacation pay of 8%.
• High-quality training programs and other support to grow into a self-aware autonomous scientific researcher. At TU/e we challenge you to take charge of your own learning process.
• An excellent technical infrastructure on-campus childrens day care and sports facilities.
• An allowance for commuting working from home and internet costs.
• A Staff Immigration Team and a tax compensation scheme (the 30% facility) for international candidates.

Information

Do you recognize yourself in this profile and would you like to know more Please contact the hiring manager . Nilufar Neyestani .

Visit our website for more information about the application process or the conditions of employment. You can also contact .

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Application

We invite you to submit a complete application by using the apply button. The application should include a:

• Cover letter in which you describe your motivation and qualifications for the position.
• Curriculum vitae including a list of your publications and the contact information of three references.

We look forward to receiving your application and will screen it as soon as possible. The vacancy will remain open until the position is filled.

Please note

• You can apply online. We will not process applications sent by email and/or post.
• A pre-employment screening (e.g. knowledge security check) can be part of the selection procedure. For more information on the knowledge security check please consult the National Knowledge Security Guidelines.
• Please do not contact us for unsolicited services.

Eindhoven University of Technology is an internationally top-ranking university in the Netherlands that combines scientific curiosity with a hands-on attitude. Our spirit of collaboration translates into an open culture and a top-five position in collaborating with advanced industries. Fundamental knowledge enables us to design solutions for the highly complex problems of today and tomorrow.