PhD Candidate in Risk-Based Power System Operation and Utilisation of Transformer Capacity

This is NTNU NTNU is a broad-based university with a technical-scientific profile and a focus in professional education. The university is located in three cities with headquarters in Trondheim. At NTNU, 9,000 employees and 43,000 students work to create knowledge for a better world. You will find more information about working at NTNU and the application process here.     Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KHQjc4ndas&t=41s About the position Are you motivated to take a step towards a doctorate and open up exciting career opportunities? Do you have a background in electric power systems and are you interested in risk-based power system operation? As a PhD Candidate with us, you will work to achieve your doctorate, and at the same time gain valuable experience that qualifies you for a further career in higher education and research, in and outside academia.  The Department of Electric Energy (IEL) at NTNU is seeking a highly motivated candidate for a full-time (100%) PhD position for 3 years in “Risk-Based Power System Operation and Utilisation of Transformer Capacity”. You will join the research group  Power System Operation and  Analysis (PSOA) at IEL, where we foster an open, inclusive, and collaborative working environment. Our working environment is characterized by a friendly, supportive atmosphere, with regular gatherings such as professional meetings within the research group, weekly research colloquia, shared lunches, and “Friday coffee” sessions to wrap up the week. Formal and informal gatherings provide opportunities to exchange ideas, celebrate milestones, and strengthen connections. PhD Candidates also arrange social activities, open to everyone who wishes to join, creating a welcoming and inclusive community. Your immediate Line Manager will be the Head of Department. About the project The PhD position is a part of the Knowledge-building Project “Increasing Emergency Load Limits for Transformers” (KSP UPLOAD) that is starting up in 2027. SINTEF Energy Research is the project owner.  NTNU is a participating partner, together with leading industry partners. Hiring for the PhD position is subject to the final confirmation of funding availability from KSP UPLOAD. Liquid-immersed power transformers are critical power grid assets. Due to an ageing power grid, growing demand for electricity, and very long lead times on installing new transformers, there is a need to both increase the utilization of existing infrastructure of transformers and to maximise the value of new investments. Increasing the short-term load limits for transformers will free up capacity to accommodate new load and generation, reduce the need for reinvestments, and provide back-up capacity in case of emergency. Improved methods for condition monitoring and prediction, along with better risk criteria can reduce uncertainties and offer a possibility for increasing the transformer loading. KSP UPLOAD will investigate key failure mechanisms for transformers, map the benefits and risks of increasing the load and temperature limits, and pilot new concepts for risk control.  The PhD Position belongs to Work Package 1 of KSP UPLOAD: ‘System-level Benefits and Risks in from Increased Loading’. It addresses the question of how to quantify the socio-economic benefits, as well as the risk with respect to reliability of supply, when operating transformers beyond nameplate limits.  The tasks meant for the PhD work are related to:   • Quantifying how higher loading limits affect the socio-economic trade-off between reliability of supply and making additional capacity available to power markets with flow-based market coupling. • Developing methods for optimally allocating the additional transfer capability enabled by increased transformer loading limits across day-ahead, intraday, and balancing markets to maximize socio-economic value while respecting system security and reliability constraints. Different approaches can be explored, such as integrating probabilistic and deterministic reliability criteria with market operation in a single security-constrained optimal power flow model, and combining optimal power flow analysis with reliability analysis methods. The main supervisor of the PhD Candidate will be Associate Professor  Vijay Venu Vadlamudi (IEL). Co-supervisors will be Professor Hossein Farahmand (IEL) and Senior Research Scientist  Iver Bakken Sperstad (SINTEF Energy Research).  Duties of the position • Conduct high-quality research within the framework described above. • Participate in activities of the research group  Power System Operation and  Analysis  (PSOA). • Complete academic training consisting of coursework corresponding to a minimum of 30 ECTS. • Contribute to publications in relevant journals and to popular science dissemination. • Participate in international activities such as conferences and/or research stays at foreign educational institutions. Career-enhancing work, which is in addition to the research project and doctoral education, may be offered to a candidate who demonstrates clear motivation and ability for such work, and if the Department determines there is a need. Examples of career-enhancing work include, but are not limited to, contributing to teaching, laboratory and exercise teaching, supervision, and examination work within the employee's areas of competence.  Be prepared for changes to your work duties after employment. Required selection criteria • You must hold a Master’s degree within Electric Power Engineering, with specialization in electric power and/or energy systems.  • Your course of study must correspond to a five-year Norwegian course, where 120 credits have been obtained at the Master's level. Master's students can apply, but the Master's degree must be obtained and documented before starting the position, and no later than autumn 2026. • You must have proficient programming skills in Python. • Employment is contingent upon the candidate’s ability to obtain the required security clearance. • You must have a strong academic background from your previous studies and have an average grade from your Master's degree study, or equivalent education, which is equal to B or better compared to  NTNU's grading scale . If you do not have letter grades from previous studies, you must have an equally good academic foundation. If you have a weaker grade background, you may be considered if you can document that you are particularly suitable for a PhD education, i.e., by having relevant work experience and/or published/publishable scientific papers. • You must meet the requirements for admission to the  Faculty's Doctoral Programme . • You must have English language skills, both written and spoken, corresponding to the scale  B2   in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). Applicants who are not native English speakers are encouraged to document their English language proficiency. One of the following test scores could be documented for this purpose:  • TOEFL internet-based test (iBT) - Score equivalent to the B2 level: 79 - 101.  • IELTS - Score equivalent to the B2 level: 5.5 - 6.0  • Cambridge English - Score equivalent to the B2 level: 160 - 179. Further assessment of both written and oral English language skills and the ability to communicate fluently will be conducted in the continued selection process and during any interviews for all applicants. PLEASE NOTE: For detailed information about what the application must contain, see paragraph “About the application”. The appointment is to be made in accordance with  NTNUs guidelines for recruitment positions for general criteria for the position. Preferred selection criteria • Master’s thesis relevant to the announced position. • English language skills, both written and spoken, corresponding to the scale  C1   in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). See which scores are equivalent to the C1 level  here . • Profici