Zhou's paper was with the titled "Breakdown Prediction Modelling of PP with Different Crystal Morphology Insulation under HVDC". The work was supervised by Prof. George Chen and Dr. Thomas Andritsch. The paper introduces a 3-phase breakdown model aimed at examining how different crystal morphologies of polypropylene (PP) insulation influence its breakdown behaviour when subjected to HVDC stress. This model promises to be a tool for exploring the breakdown characteristics of polymeric insulation and facilitating the design and advancement of more robust insulation materials tailored for HVDC applications.
The theme of ISH 2023 provides a forum to present results, advances and discussions among engineers, researchers, and scientists, and share ideas, knowledge, and expertise on high voltage engineering. At ISH 2023, the challenges of high voltage engineering in the next decades will be shared, and these include HVDC, distributed generation, smart design, and operation of power networks, including integration of renewable energies, green energy generation, and their challenges.
In the photo: Mr. Dinesh (left) and Dr. Stratis Batzelis (right)
TDHVL kicked off the trial phase of the Solar Pump App in India, Jointly developed by Dr. Stratis Batzelis, TDHVL member and RAEng research fellow, and Prof Bikash Pal’s group at Imperial College London in partnership with Oorja Development Solutions, this mobile phone app aims at digitalizing the solar-driven irrigation services in India.
These solar pumps comprise 4.8kWp solar panels and a 5HP motor to pump water and irrigate farmland in isolated agricultural areas in many developing countries. The main challenge they face though is high weather dependence and uncertainty on when and how much water the farmer will be able to get. The developed app performs weather and water output forecasting and optimal scheduling of the farmers’ water requests towards improved system utilization and customer satisfaction.
A paper by Xi Luo (PhD student), Dr Stratis Batzelis and Dr Abhinav Kumar Singh from the Tony Davies High Voltage Laboratory (TDHVL), University of Southampton, was selected as one of the Best Conference Papers at the 2023 IEEE Power & Energy Society (PES) General Meeting (GM) held in Orlando, Florida. Xi presented the work in the Best Paper Session on “Advancements in Power System Generation, Transmission, and Distribution” and Poster Session.
The paper entitled “Modeling of DC-Side Dynamics in PV/Battery Grid-forming Inverter Systems” proposes a novel equivalent model for the DC side dynamics of GFM systems. The model captures important dynamics and limits in a simple formulation, thus proving a useful tool for grid stability studies. This paper is one of the outcomes for the successful collaboration between members of the TDHVL, and Dr Alexandros Paspatis, Prof Nikolaos Hatziargyriou from National Technical University of Athens (NTUA).
The 2023 PES GM was held in person in Orlando, Florida from 16th to 20th July 2023. The theme for this year’s conference was Meeting the Energy Needs of a Dynamic World. The IEEE PES GM is an annual flagship conference of the IEEE Power and Energy Society that brings together leading PES members, power and electrical engineers, key academics, and engineering students from all over the world.
Dr Stratis Batzelis of TDHVL visited Indian partners of the RE-EMPOWERED project (Re-empowering European and Indian communities) in 3-6 September 2023 as part of another round of EU-India knowledge exchange activities. Stratis first visited CMERI, where he had the chance to interact with several research groups and see in person a series of innovative solar PV configurations, such as solar tree, solar umbrella and solar tractor. He also delivered a talk on solar integration challenges in an audience of about 50 people.
Highlight of the visit was a daytrip to Ghoramara, a small island in the bay of West Bengal with about 3,000 residents. Because of extreme erosion, the island is expected to disappear from the map in a couple of dozens of years, which has left its people without an electric grid and energy access. RE-EMPOWERED will install an 150 kWp PV system to cover basic electricity needs of the 1,000 households in the island, as well as the medical centre, the municipality facilities, the commercial district and an EV (three-wheelers) charging station. Stratis had the chance to see the progress of the works, as well as interact with the residents that eagerly await completion and the change in their lives this will bring.
As part of the highly successful university of Southampton Engineering Taster Course, aspiring engineers and curious minds had the exclusive opportunity to explore the University's High Voltage Laboratory (TDHVL). This unique experience offered a glimpse into the world of advanced electrical engineering and innovation.
The TDHVL Lab at University of Southampton stands at the forefront of electrical engineering research and development. During the taster course tours, participants:
Witnessed state-of-the-art equipment and technology in action.
Learned about the latest advancements in high voltage systems.
Engaged with expert faculty members who explained the practical applications of HV engineering.
Gained insights into the exciting and impactful career opportunities in electrical engineering.
"We were thrilled to welcome students and enthusiasts to our HV Lab during the Engineering Taster Course last month," said Professor Paul Lewin, Director of the Tony Davis High Voltage Laboratory at the University of Southampton. "This unique opportunity allowed individuals to see how high voltage engineering plays a pivotal role in shaping our modern world."
The tours of the HV Lab took place on the first week of August 2023. The event was met with overwhelming enthusiasm, and participants left with a deeper appreciation for the world of electrical engineering.
The Tony Davis High Voltage Laboratory is a leading institution renowned for its commitment to fostering innovation and excellence in engineering education. With world-class faculty, cutting-edge research facilities, and a vibrant academic community, the University of Southampton empowers the engineers of tomorrow to transform the world.
The director of the Tony Davies High Voltage Laboratory Prof Paul Lewin leads a collaboration with Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand EGAT. Today, EGAT signed a memorandum of understanding with the University of Southampton as a start point for the collaboration.
This collaboration with technical experts from the TDHVL and the school of engineering will not only help to research and develop promising technology solutions but will also help develop strategies for the innovation of high voltage applications in Thailand.
Workshop participants next to statue of Michael Faraday at the Royal Institution
Dr George Callender, a lecturer at the University of Southampton and a member of the Tony Davis High Voltage Laboratory attended a workshop on electromagnetic field emissions from high voltage cables at the Royal Institution in London.
The workshop was funded through the Crown Estate’s Offshore Wind Evidence and Change (OWEC) programme. A range of stimulating talks and discussions between the attendees from a diverse range of academic disciplines were held, including members of the British Geological Survey, National Grid and Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS). Dr George presented his work on simulating electromagnetic fields from high voltage submarine cables and received a range of useful feedback and opportunities for future collaboration.
The 15th UHVnet was hosted by Glasgow Caledonian University and features contributions from staff and students of the TDHVL. Dr Istebreq Saeedi presented as a keynote talk with the title “Tailoring the electrical properties of epoxy resins to suit new generation technologies”. In addition, Xiaobing Wang (PhD student) presented a poster with the title “Study on the thermal ageing performance and electrical properties of polypropylene blended polymers”.
The UHVnet was set up in 2004, by a group of universities (which currently includes, The University of Southampton, Staffordshire University, Cardiff University, Glasgow Caledonian University, Leicester University, Liverpool University, The University of Manchester and The University of Strathclyde). The UHVnet was formed to further the interests of high voltage research within the United Kingdom. Specific objectives of the group include raising the awareness of the research capabilities of group members to UK high-voltage related industry, particularly manufacturers and electricity supply companies. The UHVNet is an annual colloquium which brings together key players from industry and academia in the field of High Voltage engineering. It also serves as a welcoming platform for PhD students and researchers to present their research to the community.
Stratis Batzelis, Lecturer at the University of Southampton and member of the EU-India RE-EMPOWERED consortium on clean energy, visited Indian partners. With the recent easing of travel restrictions in the post-pandemic era, this is the forerunner of many visits to come in the framework of Europe-India knowledge exchange activities.
Stratis visited 5 solar pumps of Oorja in Uttar Pradesh, industrial partner supporting the project. He had the opportunity to talk to pump operators and get field experience on the technical and social challenges governing the solar-driven irrigation in rural areas.
Next stop was IIT Kharagpur, where he interacted with the research group of Dr Suman Maiti and Prof Chandan Chakraborty, partner of RE-EMPOWERED. Stratis had the chance to visit the lab and meet again in-person Siva and Preeti, two PhD students of the group that have been working together and discuss further collaboration within the project. As part of the knowledge exchange, he was invited by the group and the local IEEE CSS chapter to give a talk on “Roadmap towards high solar integration into the electric grid”.
Stratis also visited the rural village of Ranipada in Keonjhar, one of the four pilots of RE-EMPOWERED, alongside Dr Srinivas Karanki and his group from IIT Bhubaneswar. During the project, the existing 22kW PV/Battery standalone system will be enhanced by an additional 50kW of PV, batteries, biogas and biomass generation to improve the energy access of these communities. With these interventions, residential households will have electricity for more hours during the day, a local school will get light and commercial loads currently running on diesel (rice hullers) will be electrified. Stratis and Srinivas had the chance to discuss the technical challenges of extending the legacy system with the new one while ensuring compatibility and reliable operation.
Next stop was IIT Bhubaneswar and Dr Srinivas Karanki, partner of RE-EMPOWERED.. The knowledge exchange involved a talk organised by IEEE PELs Society Joint Chapter Kolkata/Bhubaneswar, a meeting with the Head of Department of the School of Electrical Sciences and other Academics working on the theme of Electric Power, and interaction with the research group of Dr Karanki. Stratis also got the chance to take a glimpse of the devastating power of Cyclone Fani which in 2019 completely destroyed the rooftop solar installations at IIT Bhubaneswar.
This visit is to be followed by a series of bilateral in-person interactions between the European and Indian sides as part of the knowledge exchange programme.
Two members of the Tony Davies High Voltage Laboratory, University of Southampton, won two best Poster awards at the 14th Universities High Voltage Network Colloquium (UHVnet). Jing Nan (PhD student) received the best poster award in the PhD category and Xintong Ren (Post-doc) won the best poster award in the post-doctoral category. The 14th UHVnet was hosted by Cardiff University and features 6 contributions from staff and students of the TDHVL. In addition, Dr. Stratis Batzelis presented an overview of the Tony Davis High Voltage and other Electric Power Research Activities at the University of Southampton.
The UHVnet was set up in 2004, by a group of universities (which currently includes, The University of Southampton, Staffordshire University, Cardiff University, Glasgow Caledonian University, Leicester University, Liverpool University, The University of Manchester and The University of Strathclyde). The UHVnet was formed to further the interests of high voltage research within the United Kingdom. Specific objectives of the group include raising the awareness of the research capabilities of group members to UK high-voltage related industry, particularly manufacturers and electricity supply companies. The UHVNet is an annual colloquium which brings together key players from industry and academia in the field of High Voltage engineering. It also serves as a welcoming platform for PhD students and researchers to present their research to the community.