Postdoctoral position in Electrical stresses in cable insulation...

The department of Materials and Manufacturing Technology consists of six research groups. The research activities span from basic research on nanostructural materials to product- and process related issues within materials and manufacturing technology.

The research is carried out in close collaboration with national and international industries and universities. Our graduate as well as undergraduate education is organized in a wide range of courses, we are involved in four masters’ programmes and three graduate schools.

Project title: Postdoctoral position in Electrical stresses in cable insulation imposed by novel power electronic converter topologies

Information about the project
Power-electronic based solutions are today an integral part of the electric power system at all voltage levels. In the recent years the number of installations have significantly increased due to the increased demand for controllability of power flow, ability to transmit electric power over long transmission distances utilizing HVDC and increased penetration of intermittent power from renewable energy sources. Modern power electronic converters usually rely on IGBT-technologies that are operated according to various Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) schemes. Such converters generate voltage stresses having frequency components that significantly differ from the power frequent stress for which insulating systems usually are designed. Since most power system components operate at high voltages, electric field controlling solutions have to be introduced in the insulation systems. These combine materials having different properties, e.g. relative permittivity and conductivity, which thus result in an electric field distribution that is non-linear with respect to frequency. In addition, electrical and thermal hot-spots in the system can occur since the conductivity is temperature dependent. At very low frequencies (down to DC) free charges will accumulate in the insulation system and on dielectric surfaces which also will result in a redistribution of the electric field. When developing new converter technologies, for example Modular Multi-level Converters (MMC) or converters using novel modulation schemes, it is important to understand the stresses that these solutions impose onto the insulation system under normal operation but also the stresses that they create under faulty conditions such as short-circuit currents, switching over-voltages etc. The overall aim of this project is to elucidate and characterize the electrical stresses that novel converter topologies and switching schemes will impose onto electrical insulation systems of cable networks under normal and faulty operations.

The Division of High Voltage Engineering, as being a part of the Department of Materials and Manufacturing Technology, concentrates today its research and education activities on insulation systems for power network components. Studies of material properties and elucidation of operating ageing mechanisms in polymer based insulation as well as development of new measuring techniques and diagnostic tools are in focus. These activities involve experimental and modelling work and are performed in close cooperation with other research groups at Chalmers (e.g. electric power engineering), other universities and with industrial partners. The group contributes also to Chalmers' education in electric power engineering on undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate levels through participation in the Master’s Programme on Electric Power Engineering (MPEPO).

The work within this postdoc project will be conducted in close relation with the Division of Electric Power Engineering at the Department of Energy and Environment.

Major responsibilities
Your major responsibility as postdoc is to perform your own research in a research group. Another important aspect involves collaboration within academia and with society at large. The position is meritorious for future research duties within academia as well as industry/the public sector.

Position summary
Full-time temporary employment. The position is limited to one year with possibility for a one-year extension after successful evaluation and if financing is available, i.e. maximum of two years (1+1).

Qualifications
The applicant should possess a PhD in electric power engineering or equivalent. Well documented knowledge of power electronics is mandatory and well documented knowledge of high voltage engineering is meritorious.

The position requires sound verbal and written communication skills in English. Chalmers offers Swedish courses.

Chalmers continuously strives to be an attractive employer. Equality and diversity are substantial foundations in all activities at Chalmers.


Application deadline: 1 January 2016

For questions, please contact:
Associate Professor Jörgen Blennow, jorgen.blennow@chalmers.se, +46 31 772 1625 
Professor Stanislaw Gubanski, stanislaw.gubanski@chalmers.se, +46 31 772 1616

*** Chalmers declines to consider all offers of further announcement publishing or other types of support for the recruiting process in connection with this position. ***