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Geometric Power System Optimization (jointly with PSL) [SA/MA]

Manifold optimisation is a powerful new paradigm for the optimisation of power systems and an active research area at the Power Systems Lab and the Automatic Control Lab at ETH. Taking a geometric viewpoint sheds a new light on existing problems such as frequency and voltage control, the integration of renewable energy sources, and raises new questions about voltage collapse prevention and controllability under critical conditions. However, the conceptual clarity and elegance comes at expense of a more involved theory.

In our student projects we try to explore meaningful applications and/or reinforce the theoretical foundations of our methods. The skills that students acquire in the process include knowledge about (non-convex) optimization, (nonlinear) control, dynamical systems and differential geometry.

Topics for student project change frequently and are closely tied to our main research. They include various degrees of theoretical work and practical coding and can be tailored to the student’s interests. Please contact us for more information.

Previous work in this field done at IfA include: [1], [2]

Students are expected to have a strong track record in mathematical subjects such as analysis, linear algebra, numerical methods, optimisation and control and are able to write clean, reusable Matlab code. Since this is a very young research field, almost all of our student projects incorporate original work. Therefore, we favour students who are capable and willing to go the extra mile and help us getting their work published.