Electrical Power Engineering (EPE) is an interdisciplinary research area, combining classical electrical engineering with physics, materials science, chemistry, computer science and mathematics.
The EPE Research group has a wide variety of research projects and longstanding relationships with industry.
Research Areas
They range from Nanoelectronics to High Voltage Engineering.
Advanced Materials
The development of new advanced materials is of global interest, as we develop the capability to 'design' a dielectric from the ground up to have specific properties tailored for high voltage applications. It is also important for widely applied insulation materials to have minimal environmental impact, and we work on more sustainable alternatives to existing insulation systems.
Condition Monitoring
The operating condition and health of transmission and distribution assets is of great importance to ensure both security and quality of supply. Our interests span a range of high and medium voltage plants, cable circuits, substation equipment and rail overhead line equipment (OLE) components.
Electric grid operation
We specialize in studying and addressing operational challenges of the electric grid with special focus on its decarbonization for an all-electric future, including modelling and control of renewable energy resources, integration of renewables and power electronics into the electric grid, power system stability and control, and power system state estimation.
High Voltage Engineering
Our interests cover the design and operation of a wide range of high voltage systems, including insulation, protection and control of transmission and distribution power networks, insulation and clearances of railways and other electric transport systems, and bespoke HV circuits.
Modelling and Simulation
Our research has pioneered new ways of simulating power system components to support design and monitoring applications, including thermal, electromagnetic and mechanical modelling of cable systems, determining the impact of environmental factors on high voltage plant, constructing bespoke simulations of real-world installations to determine ampacity requirements, atmospheric plasma modelling, modelling lightning damage in complex structures, and modelling high-temperature superconductors in power systems.
Plasma and Space Science
Plasma plays an important role in modern science and technology. Our interests are primarily in applied plasma science with a focus on their application to space electric propulsion and power distribution systems, including vacuum and low-pressure systems, and atmospheric pressure plasmas in gases and liquids.
Tony Davies High Voltage Laboratory
The Tony Davies High Voltage Laboratory (TDHVL) is a world class centre for research into dielectric materials and insulation systems, as well as high voltage and related phenomena. It is also a commercial testing house and offers a consultancy service. It is one of only a handful of similar facilities in Europe and has established itself as leading institution in high voltage research.
PhD Research Laboratory
Our large open-plan PhD Research Laboratory houses PhD students and post-doctoral researchers. All full-time PhD students are allocated a permanent desk in this lab, located close to their academic supervisors. Our PhD students and staff are able to procure high-specification desktop or laptop PCs that are suitable for running complex simulations. The lab also has a social and meeting space for students to discuss their research in an informal environment.
Meet our PhD researchers
Consultancy
Our department has its own highly respected professional consultancy company, ECS Partners Ltd, which engages in short-term projects which can range from a single day of an academic’s time through to a short duration research project involving a team of research staff.