Sustainable Energy

Sustainable Energy is one of the two major research themes for the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering. The other is Sensing and Processing. The academic and research staff in the School contribute towards this theme through their teaching, research and consulting, through membership of research groups and participation in research projects.

The Sustainable Energy theme is broadly aligned with the Faculty of ECMS Sustainable Energy Research Group.

The Sustainable Energy research theme concerns the generation, storage, distribution and efficient use of electrical energy from environmentally sustainable sources. Teaching, research and consulting activities in this theme include:

• Power Electronics and Electrical Machines
• Power Systems

	Power Electronics and Electrical Machines Associate Professor Nesimi Ertugrul, Dr Wen L Soong, Dr Rastko Zivanovic The research in power electronics and machines is primarily focussed at developing low-cost power electronics and motor drives in applications such as : small-scale wind turbine generators; PV grid-connected inverters and automotive auxiliary motor drives. This involves using novel magnetic material types (e.g. soft magnetic composites, amorphous magnetic material) and simplified power electronics and control techniques. There is also ongoing work in condition monitoring of electrical machines and power quality analysis. Examples of recent research projects include: Design of small-scale permanent magnet wind generator based on soft magnetic composites Control of low-cost power electronics for small-scale wind turbine generator Optimisation of interior permanent magnet traction machines for electric vehicles Stator winding fault detection based on negative-sequence currents
	Power Systems Associate Professor Nesimi Ertugrul, Dr Michael Gibbard, Mr David Vowles, Dr Rastko Zivanovic The research in power systems is divided into two key areas. First, in the area of power system protection, our research is examining areas such as automated fault and disturbance analysis; sensitivity analysis of protection devices and algorithms and signal processing applications in power engineering. Second in the area of power system control and dynamics, our research interests includes areas such: as damping performance of power systems; determining of power system limits; and integration of wind farms into power systems. Examples of recent research projects include: Automated fault and disturbance analysis Sensitivity analysis of protection devices and algorithms System modelling, analysis and commissioning assistance for Basslink (HVDC link between Victoria & Tasmania) Tuning of controllers and assisting client with commissioning of power system stabilizers and oscillation dampers Performance of wind turbines and wind farms in weak transmission networks Control of power electronics for HVDC links

More Information

Further details are available, please contact the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering office.