Study level

  • PhD
  • Master of Philosophy

Faculty/School

Faculty of Engineering

School of Electrical Engineering and Robotics

Topic status

We're looking for students to study this topic.

Research centre

Centre for Clean Energy Technologies and Practices

Supervisors

Dr Saman Asghari Gorji
Position
Visiting Fellow
Division / Faculty
Faculty of Engineering
Associate Professor Dezso Sera
Position
Associate Professor
Division / Faculty
Faculty of Engineering
Professor Mahinda Vilathgamuwa
Position
Professor in Power Engineering
Division / Faculty
Faculty of Engineering

Overview

Faults in any elements such as modules, lines, DC-DC converters and DC-AC inverters of photovoltaic (PV) systems can impact the reliability of the system and exacerbate the efficiency. Some other faults such as ground-fault might lead to significant issues such as the risk of fire. Therefore, it is crucial to investigate and detect the faults in the PV system and prescribe the appropriate actions.

The supervisory team is looking for passionate students who are keen to conduct an overarching review and classify the fault detection methods in PV systems, then simulate an example case study. Further assistance such as on-site test equipment and industry-partner involvement may be provided by the supervisors.

Research activities

This project will develop your skills in analytical, simulation and experimental techniques. In this project, you will be involved in:

  • an overarching literature review of current PV fault detection methods and finding the relevant research gaps
  • developing a promising technique with supervisory the team for PV fault detection
  • analysis and simulation of the proposed technique
  • an-site implementation and verification of the proposed method.

Outcomes

The outcomes include:

  • development of a PV fault detection technique with high reliability and simplicity of implementation
  • a prototype of the simulated/designed technique for PV fault detection
  • liaising with the relevant industry partners to investigate the commercialization possibility.

Skills and experience

Depending on your background, the scope of the project will vary. However, relevant skills include:
  • knowledge in Power Electronics and Circuits and Systems
  • experience with software packages such as MATLAB, PLECS
  • experience with circuit design and implementation.

Contact

Contact the supervisor for more information.