FEBRUARY 2025
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Whole of project conference in Auckland
FAN held a whole of project conference on 4th and 5th February at the University of Auckland. On the first day, after an introduction to FAN and summary of mid-term progress by Science Leader Prof Neville Watson, a keynote presentation was given by Prof Subhashish Bhattacharya, North Carolina State University on ‘Solid State Transformer journey – from concept to pilot demonstration in a decade, and Solid-State DC Transformers for DC Grids’ which was very well received. After lunch, presentations on each workstream were given by Neville Watson on behalf of Radnya Mukhedkar (WS1), Nirmal Nair (WS2), Tek Lie (WS3), Neville Watson on behalf of Andrew Lapthorn (WS4) and Ramesh Rayudu and Tipene Merritt (Vision Mātauranga). The second day started with labs tours of University of Auckland – City campus, University of Auckland – Newmarket campus and Auckland University of Technology. A tutorial on ‘Hardware-in-loop for Grid interconnection’ was also run in parallel by Dr Felipe Arraño-Vargas from Real-Time Simulations Laboratory (RTS), University of New South Wales Sydney. These were followed by industry talks by Dr Kuntal Satpathi (American Bureau of Shipping, Singapore) on ‘Modelling and Simulation to Support Maritime Decarbonisation’ and Dr Tarek Lamara (Sécheron SA, Switzerland) on ‘Trends and Evolution of DC Circuit Breakers in Railway Systems and DC Micro-Grids’. FAN students also had the opportunity to attend the conference and present their PhD research at a student session chaired by Josh Schipper, Veerabrahmam Bathini and Yuan Liu. Posters from the team were on display for the whole conference and were the subject of many interesting discussions! The focus of the conference was to provide updates on the team’s work to date and to discuss future work and collaborations. Presentations and documents from the conference are available here:
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January 2025
IEEE Fellowship awarded
Our investigator, Nirmal Nair, has been elevated to the status of IEEE Fellow. This prestigious distinction is reserved for select IEEE members whose extraordinary accomplishments in any of the IEEE fields of interest are deemed fitting of this grade elevation. To date, only about 7828 IEEE fellows have been awarded this honour. Nirmal’s home IEEE technical society is the Power and Energy Society which this fellowship has been awarded for contributions towards secure renewables grid integration, particularly under the Power System Relaying and Control Committee (PSRC). Nirmal is also an active member of IEEE Power Electronics, Industrial Electronics, Industrial Applications, Systems, Man and Cybernetics societies which co-shares this member recognition.
Our investigator, Nirmal Nair, has been elevated to the status of IEEE Fellow. This prestigious distinction is reserved for select IEEE members whose extraordinary accomplishments in any of the IEEE fields of interest are deemed fitting of this grade elevation. To date, only about 7828 IEEE fellows have been awarded this honour. Nirmal’s home IEEE technical society is the Power and Energy Society which this fellowship has been awarded for contributions towards secure renewables grid integration, particularly under the Power System Relaying and Control Committee (PSRC). Nirmal is also an active member of IEEE Power Electronics, Industrial Electronics, Industrial Applications, Systems, Man and Cybernetics societies which co-shares this member recognition.
November 2024
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November was a busy month for FAN researchers!
FAN had a very successful presence at the 50th IEEE Annual Conference on Industrial Electronics – IECON in Chicago from 3 – 6 November. Multiple papers from FAN were successfully presented and well-received. Abhisek Ukil attended and served as two technical oral session co-chairs:
Four papers were presented from WS2:
PhD student Saad Khan also attended IECON 2024 and presented two papers:
Three papers were presented from WS3:
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October 2024
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FAN research shared with leading UK universities
University of Canterbury Key Researcher Jeremy Watson recently returned from visiting a number of leading universities in the UK, including Imperial College London, the Universities of Cambridge, Manchester Aberdeen, Edinburgh, and Leicester. On this visit, he presented seminars at five of these universities entitled “Future Architecture of the Network: Perspectives from New Zealand” which overviewed research of the FAN project with an emphasis on Workstream 3 (Converter control and enabling technologies). The talks were very well received and discussions around further collaboration are ongoing. Jeremy also had the opportunity to tour various labs, including the University of Manchester’s Net Zero and High Voltage Labs (pictured), and hear several presentations regarding related research at various UK universities. |
April 2024
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Case study report
Following the update on the power-flow analysis tool at the February 2024 FAN Workshop, the case-study report is now available. The report demonstrates proof of function; especially, the ability to simulate hybrid AC-DC networks. |
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DC Distribution Conference, Germany
University of Canterbury researcher Dr. Josh Schipper presented at the 1st DC Distribution conference (1. DC-Verteilnetztagung), organised by VDE Dresden e.V. The presentation compared control and stability analysis between AC and DC networks. The conference was held on the Görlitz campus of Hochschule Zittau/Görlitz, Germany, from the 11th to 12th of April, 2024. Download a copy of the paper and the presentation. The Technical University of Dresden also hosted Dr. Josh Schipper in one of their laboratories to conduct harmonic testing of a small transformer. This work supports Workstream 1 goals in developing power system analysis tools. |
March 2024
Technical brochure
The CIGRE B5.64 working group released the technical brochure ‘Methods for specification of functional requirements of protection, automation, and control’.
Nirmal Nair (Workstream 2 Leader) was a major contributor, working for 6+ years with the group.
This brochure presents the main treats of an informal or near-formal definition of a simplified Domain-Specific Language (DSL), informally called PacDSL, intended for the formal specification of functional requirements of Protection, Automation and Control of electrical power systems. This is relevant to Workstream 2.
The CIGRE B5.64 working group released the technical brochure ‘Methods for specification of functional requirements of protection, automation, and control’.
Nirmal Nair (Workstream 2 Leader) was a major contributor, working for 6+ years with the group.
This brochure presents the main treats of an informal or near-formal definition of a simplified Domain-Specific Language (DSL), informally called PacDSL, intended for the formal specification of functional requirements of Protection, Automation and Control of electrical power systems. This is relevant to Workstream 2.
february 2024
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Whole of project conference in Christchurch
FAN held a whole of project conference on 12th and 13th February 2024 at the University of Canterbury, Christchurch. A FAN Vision Mātauranga workshop was held in the morning of the first day, hosted by Tipene Merritt (Kaiārahi Māori Research, Research & Innovation, University of Canterbury) and attended by FAN’s research team. The goals were to review the current status of VM activities and to agree which areas to focus on going forward. After lunch, Neville Watson opened the session and presentations on each workstream were given by Josh Schipper (WS1), Nirmal Nair (WS2), Jeremy Watson (WS3), Andrew Lapthorn (WS4) and Nirmal Nair (on behalf of WS5 leader Ramesh Rayudu). Dr Veerabrahmam Bathini also presented 2 case studies:
The second day started with a poster session, run by Nirmal Nair. Neville Watson then chaired an Industry Engagement Workshop, which was followed by a tour of the University of Canterbury electrical engineering labs. FAN students also had the opportunity to attend the conference and present their research at a student session chaired by Jeremy Watson and Abhisek Ukil. The focus of the conference was to provide updates on the team’s work to date and to discuss future work and collaborations. Download the presentation slides:
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November 2023
Conference Chair
Nirmal Nair (Workstream 2 Leader) was General Chair of 2023 IEEE PES ISGT Asia conference, 21-24 November 2023. Nirmal was also General Co-Chair at the conference TALE 2023.
Tran T. Hoang chaired the NZPEC day, which is the first day combined with IEEE PES ISGT-ASIA 2023. Tran was also chair at one technical session during the ISGT Asia 2023 (TS2: Protection, Control & Automation of Modern Power Systems).
Abhisek Ukil was a chair at two technical sessions during the ISGT Asia 2023 (TS1: Smart Grid Planning, Operation & Analysis and TS4: Protection, Control & Automation of Modern Power Systems).
Nirmal Nair (Workstream 2 Leader) was General Chair of 2023 IEEE PES ISGT Asia conference, 21-24 November 2023. Nirmal was also General Co-Chair at the conference TALE 2023.
Tran T. Hoang chaired the NZPEC day, which is the first day combined with IEEE PES ISGT-ASIA 2023. Tran was also chair at one technical session during the ISGT Asia 2023 (TS2: Protection, Control & Automation of Modern Power Systems).
Abhisek Ukil was a chair at two technical sessions during the ISGT Asia 2023 (TS1: Smart Grid Planning, Operation & Analysis and TS4: Protection, Control & Automation of Modern Power Systems).
October 2023
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Session Chair
In Oct 2023, Abhisek Ukil (Key Researcher) organised and chaired a Special Session: SS060: AC/DC/Hybrid Microgrid: Generation, Energy Storage, Control at the 49th IEEE Annual Conference on Industrial Electronics, IECON, Singapore. This special session included papers on smart management of AC, DC or hybrid microgrids using innovative control systems for energy storage system to balance fluctuations of renewable energy supply, as well as usage of renewable generations systems like solar photovoltaic, wind energy, etc. Topics of the Session:
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September 2023
Panel Chair
Workstream 2 Leader Nirmal Nair attended the IEEE Region 10 Symposium (TENSYMP), held in Canberra from 6th to 8th September 2023. TENSYMP brings together research scientists, engineers and practitioners from across the region and the world to share their latest ideas advancing technology for humanity. The theme for 2023 was 'Technology for an Autonomous World'. Nirmal chaired the panel 'Building Energy Security in the Asia Pacific: Challenges and Opportunities' and used the opportunity to discuss FAN amongst potential PhD researchers attending the event.
Workstream 2 Leader Nirmal Nair attended the IEEE Region 10 Symposium (TENSYMP), held in Canberra from 6th to 8th September 2023. TENSYMP brings together research scientists, engineers and practitioners from across the region and the world to share their latest ideas advancing technology for humanity. The theme for 2023 was 'Technology for an Autonomous World'. Nirmal chaired the panel 'Building Energy Security in the Asia Pacific: Challenges and Opportunities' and used the opportunity to discuss FAN amongst potential PhD researchers attending the event.
Committee member
Nihal Kularatna (Key Researcher) has been appointed as a member of a new adhoc IEEE committee to promote the ‘Urgency to Implement End to End DC Power Networks for Low-Cost Green Electric Power for All’. Chairperson of the committee is Prof Rajendra Singh.
Nihal Kularatna (Key Researcher) has been appointed as a member of a new adhoc IEEE committee to promote the ‘Urgency to Implement End to End DC Power Networks for Low-Cost Green Electric Power for All’. Chairperson of the committee is Prof Rajendra Singh.
August 2023
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University of Auckland open day
Tran The Hoang (Workstream 2 Research Fellow) gave a real-time demonstration at the University of Auckland Open Day on 26th August 2023. This demonstration illustrates how advanced modelling technologies are employed to simulate electrical networks, encompassing renewable energy sources like solar and wind. It provides insight into what students can gain from the program. Furthermore, the showcase emphasizes the pivotal role that future electrical engineers can play in expediting the energy transition and shaping a sustainable energy future for both New Zealand and the world. |
Book review
Nihal Kularatna (Key Researcher) reviewed three of the latest books related to electrical power systems:
Nihal Kularatna (Key Researcher) reviewed three of the latest books related to electrical power systems:
- Electrochemical Energy Storage Devices and Supercapacitors—An Overview by Sandeep A Arote (IOP Publishing, ISBN 978-0-7503-3103-6)
This four-chaptered book is on electro-chemistry fundamentals of electrochemical energy storage devices, with a strong focus on supercapacitors. - Transportation Technologies for a Sustainable Future by Richard A Dunlap (IOP Publishing, ISBN 978-0-7503-5304-5)
Transportation is a major component of the worldwide energy use and accounts for nearly a third of the global energy consumption. At present over 90% of the transportation energy comes from fossil fuels. This book attempts to address the transportation technologies for a sustainable future, based on an easily understandable simple approach, without going into excessive academic-type presentation. - Litium-Ion and Lithium-Sulfur Batteries by Sandeep A Arote (IOP Publishing, ISBN 978-0-7503-4879-9)
The content of the book focuses on energy storage technologies, namely lithium-ion and lithium-sulfur batteries. with a strong practical orientation. This will be a very useful reference book for postgraduate students working on lithium batteries, and academics.
July 2023
CIGRE Workshop on HVDC
Nirmal Nair and Tran The Hoang (Workstream 2), in collaboration with other CIGRE members, hosted the CIGRE workshop on HVDC in Wellington, from 12th to 13th July 2023. Several interesting topics that are directly related to FAN Workstream 2/ Topology were presented at the event:
Nirmal Nair and Tran The Hoang (Workstream 2), in collaboration with other CIGRE members, hosted the CIGRE workshop on HVDC in Wellington, from 12th to 13th July 2023. Several interesting topics that are directly related to FAN Workstream 2/ Topology were presented at the event:
- Giving a new life to interisland HVDC Pole 2 in supporting New Zealand’s renewable future by Tim Williams, Power Electronics Engineer from Transpower
- Power Electronics on Grids also by Tim Williams
- Earthing concepts by Patrick Combe, Senior Power System Consultant from ElectroNet
IEEE International Conference on Industrial Electronics for Sustainable Systems (IESES 2023)
Invited tutorial
Nihal Kularatna (Key Researcher) delivered an invited tutorial at the IEEE International Conference on Industrial Electronics for Sustainable Systems (IESES 2023) in Shanghai titled ‘Supercapacitor Assisted (SCA) Techniques for Power Converters and Protection Systems: Can Supercapacitors Change the Roadmap of Power Electronics for Renewable Systems?’ Over 50 people attended the tutorial.
Conference Best Paper Award
Chamara Dassanayake, Nihal Kularatna and their team were presented with the Conference Best Paper Award in recognition of their paper 'Plasma Absorption Techniques in Direct Current Circuit Breakers'.
Invited tutorial
Nihal Kularatna (Key Researcher) delivered an invited tutorial at the IEEE International Conference on Industrial Electronics for Sustainable Systems (IESES 2023) in Shanghai titled ‘Supercapacitor Assisted (SCA) Techniques for Power Converters and Protection Systems: Can Supercapacitors Change the Roadmap of Power Electronics for Renewable Systems?’ Over 50 people attended the tutorial.
Conference Best Paper Award
Chamara Dassanayake, Nihal Kularatna and their team were presented with the Conference Best Paper Award in recognition of their paper 'Plasma Absorption Techniques in Direct Current Circuit Breakers'.
June 2023
EEA 2023 Conference
The Electricity Engineers' Association (EEA) 2023 Conference was held at Te Pae in Christchurch from 27th to 29th June.
Three papers were published:
The Electricity Engineers' Association (EEA) 2023 Conference was held at Te Pae in Christchurch from 27th to 29th June.
Three papers were published:
- Simulating Solar Storms via Active DC Injection from the HVDC Link, Andrew Lapthorn, Stewart Hardie, Paul Agger, Soren Subritzky, Mike Dalzell, Mark Clilverd, Ciaran Beggan, Juliane Huebert, Eliot Eaton, and Craig Rodger
As part of the MBIE Endeavour programme “Solar Tsunamis: Space-Weather Prediction and Risk Mitigation for New Zealand’s Energy Infrastructure” we are interested in the effects of geomagnetically induced currents (GICs) on New Zealand’s electrical infrastructure. GICs in transformers have many parallels with DC egress with the effects being similar. This work is a practical example of both situations and reinforces the relationship between this and the FAN programme. - DC Homes Integration to Low-voltage AC Electricity Distribution Networks, Michael Gibson, Nirmal Nair
This paper is directly relevant to Workstream 2 and explores the development of a low-voltage DC home architecture model to evaluate associated protection requirements that are likely required for its feasibility. This paper shows the modelling behind implementing a low-voltage DC home distribution network that works with the current single-phase AC network. Despite this model being partially complete, if the proper steps are taken to develop the model further, this highly efficient DC home architecture could become a reality for residential consumers. - LV cable renewal forecasting – how near is the wall of wire? Andre Cuppen and Michael Gibson
With relevance to Workstream 2, this paper explores the benefits and potential challenges related to implementing proactive renewal of ageing low voltage cables, rather than continually repairing reactively.
Book review
Nihal Kularatna (Key Researcher) reviewed two of the latest books related to electrical power systems:
Nihal Kularatna (Key Researcher) reviewed two of the latest books related to electrical power systems:
- Alternative Liquid Dielectrics for High Voltage Transformer Insulation Systems by U Mohan Roa, I Fofana and R Sarathi (John Wiley-IEEE Press, ISBN 978-1-119-80018-7)
This book is on the specialized subject of alternative liquid dielectrics for mineral oils for transformers, based on a collection of articles written by a set of experts, carefully selected by the editorial panel, who are working on the subject of liquid dielectrics for transformers. - DC Microgrids: Advances, Challenges, and Applications by Nikita Gupta, Mahajan Sagar Bhaskar, Sanjeevikumar Padmanaban and Dhafer Amakhles, Editors (John Wiley & Sons Ltd 2022, ISBN 978-1-119-77716-8)
As an overall summary, this 450+ page book is an edited collection of chapters based on more analytical and research-oriented articles on DC microgrids that will be quite useful for researchers and academics working on different aspects of microgrids.
May 2023
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Green book published
Nirmal Nair (Workstream 2 Leader) has published the second edition of the Green Book on IEC 61850 Principles and Applications to Electric Power Systems. This publication serves as a valuable resource in the field, highlighting his contributions to the understanding and application of IEC 61850 standards The first edition, which was launched in Paris in August 2022, has received outstanding reception and also gave visibility for the FAN project as the event was attended by three FAN researchers (Nirmal Nair and Andre Cuppen of Workstream 2 and Andrew Lapthorn of Workstream 4). |
April 2023
Presentation
Tek Lie (Workstream 3 Leader) gave a speech on DC microgrid in the IEEE PES day at Tianjin University, China on 16th April 2023 with Dr Jessica Bian (IEEE PES President).
Tek Lie (Workstream 3 Leader) gave a speech on DC microgrid in the IEEE PES day at Tianjin University, China on 16th April 2023 with Dr Jessica Bian (IEEE PES President).
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CIGRE Technical Brochure
CIGRE Technical Brochure Protection for Developing Network with Limited Fault current capability of Generation was completed and released in April 2023. Nirmal Nair (Workstream 2 Leader) was a key member of this working group that generated this document. Read more |
March 2023
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FAN project highlighted in the NZ Media
Professor Neville Watson spoke to media about how University of Canterbury and NZ researchers are contributing to Aotearoa New Zealand reaching its energy goals by 2050. Prof Watson. As Science Leader for FAN, he is now two years into leading a seven-year project to integrate renewable energy into Aotearoa New Zealand’s century-old electrical grid. Highlighting the importance of FAN, he says "If we don’t do anything, in future we will be using band-aid solutions to address problems as they occur, such as system constraints, equipment malfunction and premature component failure. This will result in a sub-optimal system. We need to be working on cohesive and enabling solutions for achieving low emissions, for which electricity will be our primary energy medium.” Read more |
February 2023
FAN sponsors CIGRE NZ 2023 Summer Workshop
CIGRE NZ 2023 Summer Technical Workshops bring together experts and key players from within the power system industry to share experiences and technical expertise on practical issues and methodologies as our sector is transitioning into the future. This year, the event was hosted by the University of Canterbury and supported by FAN. Key FAN researchers took part in leading workshops and giving presentations.
CIGRE NZ 2023 Summer Technical Workshops bring together experts and key players from within the power system industry to share experiences and technical expertise on practical issues and methodologies as our sector is transitioning into the future. This year, the event was hosted by the University of Canterbury and supported by FAN. Key FAN researchers took part in leading workshops and giving presentations.
January 2023
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DC Injection testing at Haywards
Workstream 4 leader Andrew Lapthorn and his team did several DC injections using the HVDC link into Haywards substation at the end of January 2023. Data processing is ongoing over the next few months but expect this work to be presented at a future conference and in several journal papers. Photos are from student projects and onsite testing. This research is a collaboration between FAN and Solar Tsunamis programmes. |
DeceMber 2022
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FAN highlighted at eGRID 2022
FAN sponsored eGrid 2022. FAN researchers presented during the Hybrid AC/DC Grid Day at the Conference, held in Auckland on 2 Dec 2022. Day 4 of the conference included FAN-sponsored panel sessions. |
Speakers included:
Modelling the AC-DC Hybrid Grid
EGrid Advances: Power Electronics in Transmission and Distribution
Chair: Tek Tjing Lie, Speakers: Neville Watson (University of Canterbury, NZ), Georgios Konstantinou (UNSW Sydney, Aus) and Tobias Massier (TUM-CREATE, Singapore)
Topologies and Projection for Hybrid AC-DC Grid
EGrid Advances: Power Electronics in Transmission and Distribution
Chair: Ramesh Rayudu. Speakers: Abhisek Ukil (University of Auckland, NZ), Aleksandra Lekić (TU Delft, Netherlands), Tran The Hoang (University of Auckland, NZ)
Enabling Technologies for Hybrid AC DC Grid
EGrid Advances: Power Electronics in Transmission and Distribution
Chair: Andrew Lapthorn Speakers: Frede Blaabjerg (Aalborg, Denmark), Bernd Wunder (GFZ Potsdam, Germany) and Tek Tjing Lie (AUT, NZ)
Modelling the AC-DC Hybrid Grid
EGrid Advances: Power Electronics in Transmission and Distribution
Chair: Tek Tjing Lie, Speakers: Neville Watson (University of Canterbury, NZ), Georgios Konstantinou (UNSW Sydney, Aus) and Tobias Massier (TUM-CREATE, Singapore)
Topologies and Projection for Hybrid AC-DC Grid
EGrid Advances: Power Electronics in Transmission and Distribution
Chair: Ramesh Rayudu. Speakers: Abhisek Ukil (University of Auckland, NZ), Aleksandra Lekić (TU Delft, Netherlands), Tran The Hoang (University of Auckland, NZ)
Enabling Technologies for Hybrid AC DC Grid
EGrid Advances: Power Electronics in Transmission and Distribution
Chair: Andrew Lapthorn Speakers: Frede Blaabjerg (Aalborg, Denmark), Bernd Wunder (GFZ Potsdam, Germany) and Tek Tjing Lie (AUT, NZ)
SEPtember / OCtober 2022
CICED 2022
Tek Li delivered a keynote speech entitled “Hierarchical Management Strategies for DC Microgrids Clusters in Distribution Systems” in the 10th China International Conference on Electricity Distribution (CICED 2022) which was held in Changsha on 7-8 September, 2022.
Tek Li delivered a keynote speech entitled “Hierarchical Management Strategies for DC Microgrids Clusters in Distribution Systems” in the 10th China International Conference on Electricity Distribution (CICED 2022) which was held in Changsha on 7-8 September, 2022.
STEM Outreach
Tek Lie from Workstream 3 attended the AUT STEM Camp, with a session titled Future Architecture of the Network and Renewable Energy Resources. Presentations by Tek Lie, Kosala Gunawardane and Nishita Padmawansa (PhD student). The STEM camp was an outreach activity focused on Māori and Pasifika students. https://www.aut.ac.nz/study/aut-stem-camp-2022
Tek Lie from Workstream 3 attended the AUT STEM Camp, with a session titled Future Architecture of the Network and Renewable Energy Resources. Presentations by Tek Lie, Kosala Gunawardane and Nishita Padmawansa (PhD student). The STEM camp was an outreach activity focused on Māori and Pasifika students. https://www.aut.ac.nz/study/aut-stem-camp-2022
August 2022
CIGRE Paris 2022
Nirmal Nair was a keynote speaker at CIGRE Paris Tutorial in August 2022, Tutorial on Protection, Automation and Control (PAC) of the Evolving Grid. CIGRE Paris, a biennial conference, is a global platform to share and showcase the work we are doing to vendors, utilities and engineers. Nirmal received Outstanding Service award in recognition of his contribution, commitment and dedication to CIGRE Study Committee B5: Protection and Automation. Andrew Lapthorn, WS4 leader, attended Cigre Paris session as part of WG B1.82 MVDC cables and as part of A3 Transmission and Distribution.
Nirmal Nair was a keynote speaker at CIGRE Paris Tutorial in August 2022, Tutorial on Protection, Automation and Control (PAC) of the Evolving Grid. CIGRE Paris, a biennial conference, is a global platform to share and showcase the work we are doing to vendors, utilities and engineers. Nirmal received Outstanding Service award in recognition of his contribution, commitment and dedication to CIGRE Study Committee B5: Protection and Automation. Andrew Lapthorn, WS4 leader, attended Cigre Paris session as part of WG B1.82 MVDC cables and as part of A3 Transmission and Distribution.
JULY 2022
MECON 2022
Tek Lie was a keynote speaker at Multimedia University Engineering Conference (MECON 2022) in July 2022, relevant to WS3 work in FAN, on Technologies and Control Mechanism for DC Microgrids Clusters.
Tek Lie was a keynote speaker at Multimedia University Engineering Conference (MECON 2022) in July 2022, relevant to WS3 work in FAN, on Technologies and Control Mechanism for DC Microgrids Clusters.
June 2022
FAN Mātauranga Māori Workshop
The first annual FAN Mātauranga Māori Workshop was held in Wellington on 21 June 2022, hosted by Ramesh Rayudu, WS5 leader (Vision Mātauranga), at Victoria University of Wellington. The workshop was attended by all members of FAN's research leadership team and associate investigators in person. The goals were to have demonstrated greater capability in Vision Mātauranga and Mātauranga Māori for the FAN team. The workshop was led and facilitated by Assistant Vice-Chancellor (Mātauranga Māori), Dr Meegan Hall from Victoria University of Wellington.
The first annual FAN Mātauranga Māori Workshop was held in Wellington on 21 June 2022, hosted by Ramesh Rayudu, WS5 leader (Vision Mātauranga), at Victoria University of Wellington. The workshop was attended by all members of FAN's research leadership team and associate investigators in person. The goals were to have demonstrated greater capability in Vision Mātauranga and Mātauranga Māori for the FAN team. The workshop was led and facilitated by Assistant Vice-Chancellor (Mātauranga Māori), Dr Meegan Hall from Victoria University of Wellington.
APRil 2022
Industry/Academia Collaboration
The launch of our Industry/Academia Collaboration began, with a postgraduate student starting in June 2022 (partnership with PowerCo). Providing an opportunity for collaborative research, this arrangement will prepare your organisation for future challenges by arming your employees with cutting edge knowledge through industry-academic postgraduate studies.
Read more about our Industry/Academia Collaboration opportunities here https://www.fan.ac.nz/uploads/1/3/2/8/132808079/fan_-_an_opportunity_for_collaborative_research.pdf
The launch of our Industry/Academia Collaboration began, with a postgraduate student starting in June 2022 (partnership with PowerCo). Providing an opportunity for collaborative research, this arrangement will prepare your organisation for future challenges by arming your employees with cutting edge knowledge through industry-academic postgraduate studies.
Read more about our Industry/Academia Collaboration opportunities here https://www.fan.ac.nz/uploads/1/3/2/8/132808079/fan_-_an_opportunity_for_collaborative_research.pdf
December 2021
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FAN at TENCON 2021
FAN held at workshop on 21 Dec 2021 at TENCON. TENCON is a premier IEEE international technical conference which has been conducted in region 10, to bring exciting discoveries, knowledge & understanding together. TENCON 2021 has been themed inspired by the IEEE Future Directions platforms both graduated & ongoing. |
The TENCON Welcome was presented by Assoc Prof Nirmal Nair. A FAN Introduction was given by Prof. Neville Watson. Presentations on each workstream were given by Prof. Aniruddha Gole (WS1), Prof. Frede Blaabjerg (WS2), A/Prof. Ioannis Lestas (WS3), and Dr. Dan Martin (WS4). Panel session opening pitches were moderated by Andrew Lapthorn, and included Babak Badrzadeh (Aurecon, Australia), Ram Adapa (EPRI, USA), Bernd Wunder (Germany), Hamish Laird (ELMG Digital Power, New Zealand) and Tipene Merritt (New Zealand). Read more here: https://tencon2021.com/fan/
NOVEMBer 2021
EEA Forum 2021
Professor Neville Watson presented the FAN project to 70+ at EEA Asset Management Forum. The 2021 forum was held online over three half days, the focus was on Asset Management and Asset Planning for Climate Change in electricity business.
Professor Neville Watson presented the FAN project to 70+ at EEA Asset Management Forum. The 2021 forum was held online over three half days, the focus was on Asset Management and Asset Planning for Climate Change in electricity business.
August 2021
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FAN at EEA 2021 Conference
Dr Radnya Mukhedkar introduced the FAN programme at the 2021 EEA Conference in Wellington on the 2nd to 4th of August. The programme: “Architecture of the Future Low-Carbon, Resilient, Electrical Power System” also known as Future Architecture of the Network (FAN) or Te Whatunga Hiko, aims to develop the knowledge and understanding of the extent of DC technology and circuit penetration within the existing AC network. It will also address a suitable transition pathway for the New Zealand (NZ) context. The programme has a long time horizon of 2050 and beyond. |
FAN supports Māori at LUMO
To encourage Māori-led innovation as we look to the future of our power system, the Future Architecture of the Network (FAN) | Te Whatunga Hiko programme is offering support to Māori participants wanting to attend the LUMO Symposium this November. Support will be in the form of tickets, and in some circumstances, assistance to attend.
We invite you to apply in email to [email protected] with subject “LUMO support” describing yourself, why you would like to attend and what benefits you might gain from the LUMO Symposium.
Applications close midnight on the 5th of September and successful applicants will be notified by the 10th of September.
To encourage Māori-led innovation as we look to the future of our power system, the Future Architecture of the Network (FAN) | Te Whatunga Hiko programme is offering support to Māori participants wanting to attend the LUMO Symposium this November. Support will be in the form of tickets, and in some circumstances, assistance to attend.
We invite you to apply in email to [email protected] with subject “LUMO support” describing yourself, why you would like to attend and what benefits you might gain from the LUMO Symposium.
Applications close midnight on the 5th of September and successful applicants will be notified by the 10th of September.
July 2021
FAN at the Transpower Asset Owner Industry Forum 2021
Workstream One lead, Dr Radnya Mukhedkar presented at the 2021 Asset Owners Industry Forum on the FAN project. You can find the slides of the presentation here
Workstream One lead, Dr Radnya Mukhedkar presented at the 2021 Asset Owners Industry Forum on the FAN project. You can find the slides of the presentation here
May 2021
The Research team has been busy planning the next steps and meeting with potential partners and international research collaborators, including the 2 following meetings or workshops:
- 11 March 2021: First meeting with the Advisory Board made of New Zealand industry representatives including Stephen Jay (Transpower), Peter Berry (EEA), Gareth Wilson (MBIE), Neville Goodwin (Powerco), Craig Wong (Orion), Dan MArting(ETEL), Bhaba Das (Hitachi ABB PowerGrids) and Warren Poh.
- 20 May 2021: Presentation of the programme to about 15 researchers from the UK, Germany, Denmark, France, USA, Canada, Japan and Singapore.
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Other updates:
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December 2020
FAN Project presentation to industry at NZPSC Schowcase - 11 December in Wellington
New Zealand Power Systems Collaborative (NZPSC) - Hiko in collaboration with MBIE’s SSIF AETP programme on Future Architecture of the Network (FAN) and Victoria University of Wellington cordially invites you to join (both online and in-person) for a showcase of power systems related projects and an industry lunch to introduce the FAN programme.
Download the programme.
New Zealand Power Systems Collaborative (NZPSC) - Hiko in collaboration with MBIE’s SSIF AETP programme on Future Architecture of the Network (FAN) and Victoria University of Wellington cordially invites you to join (both online and in-person) for a showcase of power systems related projects and an industry lunch to introduce the FAN programme.
Download the programme.
October 2020
Professor Neville Watson on Radio NZ - 20 October 2020
Professor Neville Watson explains on RNZ Nine to Noon how his research project, which has received $13mil MBIE funding, will look at where best to change the electrical grid to future-proof the power supply and benefit New Zealanders.
Listen here.
Professor Neville Watson explains on RNZ Nine to Noon how his research project, which has received $13mil MBIE funding, will look at where best to change the electrical grid to future-proof the power supply and benefit New Zealanders.
Listen here.
September 2020
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Hon Dr Megan Woods meets the research team - 29 September 2020
The future-proof NZ electrical grid research team led by Professor Neville Watson, and UC PVC College of Engineering Jan Evans-Freeman and UC Deputy VC Research Ian Wright, were delighted to welcome Hon Dr Megan Woods on University of Canterbury (UC) campus. |
MBIE Funds $13M UC Research to Future-proof NZ Electrical Grid - 16 September 2020
MBIE announced the programmes funded through the Advanced Energy Technology platform, included the “Architecture of the future low-carbon, resilient, electrical power system” programme.
MBIE announced the programmes funded through the Advanced Energy Technology platform, included the “Architecture of the future low-carbon, resilient, electrical power system” programme.
