Access profile

Any student who has completed a master’s degree in engineering (or the 60 corresponding ECTS) has sufficient capacity to undertake a doctoral degree in our programme. However, preference will be given to students whose knowledge is directly related to electrical engineering. Students from other master’s degrees will be considered if they can demonstrate basic knowledge of fundamental electrical subjects such as electrotechnics and electrical machinery. In general, the programme committee and the future tutor will decide whether these students need to take any bridging courses to study on the doctoral programme.

Output profile

Doctoral candidates who complete a doctoral degree will have acquired the following competencies, which are needed to carry out quality research (Royal Decree 99/2011, of 28 January, which regulates official doctoral studies):

a) A systematic understanding of the field of study and a mastery of the research skills and methods related to the field.
b) An ability to conceive, design or create, put into practice and adopt a substantial process of research or creation.
c) An ability to contribute to pushing back the frontiers of knowledge through original research.
d) A capacity for critical analysis and an ability to assess and summarise new and complex ideas.
e) An ability to communicate with the academic and scientific community and with society in general as regards their fields of knowledge in the manner and languages that are typical of the international scientific community to which they belong.
f) An ability to foster scientific, technological, social, artistic and cultural progress in academic and professional contexts within a knowledge-based society.

The award of a doctoral degree must equip the graduate for work in a variety of settings, especially those requiring creativity and innovation. Doctoral graduates must have at least acquired the personal skills needed to:

a) Develop in contexts in which there is little specific information.
b) Find the key questions that must be answered to solve a complex problem.
c) Design, create, develop and undertake original, innovative projects in their field.
d) Work as part of a team and independently in an international or multidisciplinary context.
e) Integrate knowledge, deal with complexity and make judgements with limited information.
f) Offer criticism on and intellectually defend solutions.

Finally, with respect to competencies, doctoral students must:
a) have acquired advanced knowledge at the frontier of their discipline and demonstrated, in the context of internationally recognised scientific research, a deep, detailed and well-grounded understanding of theoretical and practical issues and scientific methodology in one or more research fields;
b) have made an original and significant contribution to scientific research in their field of expertise that has been recognised as such by the international scientific community;
c) have demonstrated that they are capable of designing a research project that serves as a framework for carrying out a critical analysis and assessment of imprecise situations, in which they are able to apply their contributions, expertise and working method to synthesise new and complex ideas that yield a deeper knowledge of the research context in which they work;
d) have developed sufficient autonomy to set up, manage and lead innovative research teams and projects and scientific collaborations (both national and international) within their subject area, in multidisciplinary contexts and, where appropriate, with a substantial element of knowledge transfer;
e) have demonstrated that they are able to carry out their research activity in a socially responsible manner and with scientific integrity;
f) have demonstrated, within their specific scientific context, that they are able to make cultural, social or technological advances and promote innovation in all areas within a knowledge-based society;
g) have demonstrated that they are able to participate in scientific discussions at the international level in their field of expertise and disseminate the results of their research activity to audiences of all kinds.

Number of places

30

Duration of studies and dedication regime

Duration
The maximum period of study for full-time doctoral studies is three years, counted from the date of admission to the programme to the date of submission of the doctoral thesis. The academic committee of the doctoral programme may authorise a doctoral candidate to pursue doctoral studies on a part-time basis. In this case, the maximum period of study is five years, counting from the date of admission to the programme to the date of submission of the doctoral thesis. For calculating these periods, the date of admission is considered to be the date of the first enrolment for tutorials, and the date of submission the moment in which the Doctoral School officially deposits the doctoral thesis.

For full-time doctoral candidates, the minimum period of study is two years, counted from the date of an applicant's admission to the programme until the date on which the doctoral thesis is deposited; for part-time doctoral candidates it is four years. When there are justified grounds for doing so, and the thesis supervisor and academic tutor have given their authorisation, doctoral candidates may request that the academic committee of their doctoral programme exempt them from the minimum period of study requirement.

The calculation of periods of study will not include periods of absence due to illness, pregnancy or any other reason provided for in the regulations in force. Students who find themselves in any of these circumstances must notify the academic committee of the doctoral programme, which, where appropriate, must inform the Doctoral School. Doctoral candidates may also temporarily withdraw from the programme for up to one year, and this period may be extended for an additional year. Doctoral candidates who wish to interrupt their studies must submit a justified request to the academic committee of the doctoral programme, which will decide whether or not to approve the request. Each programme will establish conditions for readmission to doctoral studies.

Extension
If full-time doctoral candidates have not applied to deposit their thesis by the end of the three-year period of study, the academic committee of the programme may authorise an extension of up to one year. In exceptional circumstances, a further one-year extension may be granted, subject to the conditions established by the corresponding doctoral programme. In the case of part-time doctoral candidates, an extension of two years may be authorised. In both cases, in exceptional circumstances a further one-year extension may be granted by the Doctoral School's Standing Committee, upon the submission of a reasoned application by the academic committee of the doctoral programme.

Dismissal from the doctoral programme
A doctoral candidate may be dismissed from a doctoral programme for the following reasons:

• The doctoral candidate submitting a justified application to withdraw from the programme.
• The maximum period of study and of extensions thereof ending.
• The doctoral candidate not having enrolled every academic year (unless he or she has been authorised to temporarily withdraw).
• The doctoral candidate failing two consecutive assessments.
• The doctoral candidate having disciplinary proceedings filed against him or her that rule that he or she must be dismissed from the UPC.

Dismissal from the programme implies that doctoral candidates cannot continue studying at the UPC and the closing of their academic record. This notwithstanding, they may apply to the academic committee of the programme for readmission and the committee must reevaluate them in accordance with the criteria established in the regulations.

Organization

• Villafafila Robles, Roberto

• Galceran Arellano, Samuel
• Gomis Bellmunt, Oriol
• Montaña Puig, Joan
• Montesinos Miracle, Daniel
• Villafafila Robles, Roberto

• Department of Electrical Engineering (PROMOTORA)

Doctoral Area, UTGAEIB-ETSEIB. Pavelló I (South Campus)
Tel.: (+34) 934 016 586
E-mail: doctoratb.utgaeib@upc.edu

Agreements with other institutions

The doctoral programme has strong ties with lecturers in electrical engineering at the University of Girona. As the University of Girona does not offer a doctoral programme in Electrical Engineering, the UPC is the closest university at which to take this doctoral degree. This has happened in some cases. There is no specific agreement between the universities.
The doctoral programme also has strong ties with lecturers in electrical engineering at the Rovira i Virgili University (Tarragona). Likewise, as there is no doctoral programme in Electrical Engineering at this university, the UPC is the closest university at which to take the doctoral degree. This has happened in some cases. There is no specific agreement between the universities.
There is collaboration on research projects and teaching activities with Cardiff University, Imperial College London and Leuven University (KUL).
The Centre for Technological Innovation in Static Converters and Drives (CITCEA) research group is in close contact with the Energy Research Institute of Catalonia (IREC).
For many years, the UPC Lightning Research Group has had ties with Horacio Torres’s group at the National University of Colombia, and reciprocal research visits take place.

Access profile

Any student who has completed a master’s degree in engineering (or the 60 corresponding ECTS) has sufficient capacity to undertake a doctoral degree in our programme. However, preference will be given to students whose knowledge is directly related to electrical engineering. Students from other master’s degrees will be considered if they can demonstrate basic knowledge of fundamental electrical subjects such as electrotechnics and electrical machinery. In general, the programme committee and the future tutor will decide whether these students need to take any bridging courses to study on the doctoral programme.

Access requirements

Applicants must hold a Spanish bachelor’s degree or equivalent and a Spanish master’s degree or equivalent, provided they have completed a minimum of 300 ECTS credits on the two degrees (Royal Decree 43/2015, of 2 February)

In addition, the following may apply:

• Holders of an official degree awarded by a university in Spain or any other country in the European Higher Education Area, pursuant to the provisions of Article 16 of Royal Decree 1393/2007, of 29 October, which establishes official university course regulations, who have completed a minimum of 300 ECTS credits on official university degrees, of which at least 60 must be at the master's degree level.
• Holders of an official Spanish bachelor’s degree comprising at least 300 credits, as provided for by EU regulations. Holder of degrees of this kind must complete bridging courses unless the curriculum of the bachelor’s degree in question included research training credits equivalent in value to those which would be earned on a master's degree.
• Holders of an official university qualification who, having passed the entrance examination for specialised medical training, have completed at least two years of a training course leading to an official degree in a health-sciences specialisation.
• Holders of a degree issued under a foreign education system. In these cases, homologation is not required, but the UPC must verify that the degree certifies a level of training equivalent to an official Spanish master's degree and qualifies the holder for admission to doctoral studies in the country where it was issued. Admission on this basis does not imply homologation of the foreign degree or its recognition for any purpose other than admission to doctoral studies.
• Holders of a Spanish doctoral qualification issued under previous university regulations.

Note 1: Doctoral studies entrance regulations for holders of an undergraduate degree awarded before the introduction of the EHEA (CG 47/02 2014)

Note 2: Governing Council Decision 64/2014, which approves the procedure and criteria for assessing the fulfilment of academic admission requirements for doctoral studies by holders of non-homologated foreign degrees (CG 25/03 2014)

Admission criteria and merits assessment

1.a) Students who have taken a master’s degree in engineering that is directly related to the electrical field will have direct access to the programme.
2.a) Students who have taken a master’s degree in engineering that is not related to the electrical field must take bridging courses in subjects in this field. The bridging courses will be defined by the programme committee and the tutors, depending on the student’s previous knowledge and the research area in which they will prepare their thesis.

The following aspects will be considered for admission, as well as the selection criteria and weighting of applicants to prioritise those who meet the access and admission requirements:
• Studies relating to electrical engineering (75%).
• Academic record (20%).
• Research experience and/or language knowledge (5%).

Training complements

Students who have taken a master’s degree in engineering that is not related to the electrical field must take bridging courses in subjects in this field. These will be selected by the academic committee of the doctoral programme and the tutors, depending on the students’ previous knowledge and the research area in which they wish to complete the thesis.

The bridging courses are basic (electrotechnics, electrical machines, etc.) or more specific (advanced electrotechnics; operation and management of electric power systems; the design, simulation and control of electrical machines; calculation, supervision and control of electrical systems; quality of electricity supply, etc.) depending on the applicant’s CV. For these bridging courses, the reference studies will be those of the master’s degree in Energy Engineering (specialisation in Electrical Engineering) at the UPC.

Enrolment period for new doctoral students

The enrolment period for new doctoral students will be in September.

More information at the registration section for new doctoral students

Enrolment period

After the first year, the enrolment period for doctoral students will run from September to mid-October.

More information at the general registration section

Procedure for the preparation and defense of the research plan

Doctoral candidates must submit a research plan, which will be included in their doctoral student activity report, before the end of the first year. The plan may be improved over the course of the doctoral degree. It must be endorsed by the tutor and the supervisor, and it must include the method that is to be followed and the aims of the research.

At least one of these annual assessments will include a public presentation and defence of the research plan and work done before a committee composed of three doctoral degree holders, which will be conducted in the manner determined by each academic committee. The examination committee awards a Pass or Fail mark. A Pass mark is a prerequisite for continuing on the doctoral programme. Doctoral candidates awarded a Fail mark must submit a new research plan for assessment by the academic committee of the doctoral programme within six months.

The committee assesses the research plan every year, in addition to all of the other activities in the doctoral student activity report. Doctoral candidates who are awarded two consecutive Fail marks for the research plan will be obliged to definitely withdraw from the programme.

If they change the subject of their thesis, they must submit a new research plan.

Formation activities

• Activity: Tutorial.
- Hours: 288.
- Type: compulsory.

• Activity: Courses, seminars and workshops.
- Hours: 6.
- Type: optional.

• Activity: Mobility.
- Hours: 480.
- Type: optional.

• Activity: Training in information skills.
- Hours: 1.5.
- Type: optional.

• Activity: Research methodology.
- Hours: 12.
- Type: optional.

• Activity: Innovation and creativity.
- Hours: 8.
- Type: optional.

- Activity: Language and communication skills.
- Hours: 18.
- Type: optional.

• Activity: Assessment based on doctoral student activity report (DAD) and research plan.
- Hours: 4.
- Type: compulsory.

Procedure for assignment of tutor and thesis director

The academic committee of the doctoral programme assigns a thesis supervisor to each doctoral candidate when they are admitted or enrol for the first time, taking account of the thesis supervision commitment referred to in the admission decision.

The thesis supervisor will ensure that training activities carried out by the doctoral candidate are coherent and suitable, and that the topic of the candidate’s doctoral thesis will have an impact and make a novel contribution to knowledge in the relevant field. The thesis supervisor will also guide the doctoral candidate in planning the thesis and, if necessary, tailoring it to any other projects or activities undertaken. The thesis supervisor will generally be a UPC professor or researcher who holds a doctoral degree and has documented research experience. This includes PhD-holding staff at associated schools (as determined by the Governing Council) and UPC-affiliated research institutes (in accordance with corresponding collaboration and affiliation agreements). When thesis supervisors are UPC staff members, they also act as the doctoral candidate’s tutor.

PhD holders who do not meet these criteria (as a result of their contractual relationship or the nature of the institution to which they are attached) must be approved by the UPC Doctoral School's Standing Committee in order to participate in a doctoral programme as researchers with documented research experience.

The academic committee of the doctoral programme may approve the appointment of a PhD-holding expert who is not a UPC staff member as a candidate’s thesis supervisor. In such cases, the prior authorisation of the UPC Doctoral School's Standing Committee is required. A UPC staff member who holds a doctoral degree and has documented research experience must also be proposed to act as a co-supervisor, or as the doctoral candidate’s tutor if one has not been assigned.

A thesis supervisor may step down from this role if there are justified reasons (recognised as valid by the committee) for doing so. If this occurs, the academic committee of the doctoral programme will assign the doctoral candidate a new thesis supervisor.

Provided there are justified reasons for doing so, and after hearing any relevant input from the doctoral candidate, the academic committee of the doctoral programme may assign a new thesis supervisor at any time during the period of doctoral study.

If there are academic reasons for doing so (an interdisciplinary topic, joint or international programmes, etc.) and the academic committee of the programme gives its approval, an additional thesis supervisor may be assigned. Supervisors and co-supervisors have the same responsibilities and academic recognition.

The maximum number of supervisors of a doctoral thesis is two: a supervisor and a co-supervisor.

For theses carried out under a cotutelle agreement or as part of an Industrial Doctorate, if necessary and if the agreement foresees it this maximum number of supervisors may not apply. This notwithstanding, the maximum number of supervisors belonging to the UPC is two.

More information at the PhD theses section

Permanence

The academic committee of the programme may authorise an extension of up to one year for full-time doctoral candidates who have not applied to deposit their thesis by the end of the three-year period of study, in the terms outlined in the Academic Regulations for Doctoral Studies of the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. In the case of part-time candidates, an extension of two years may be authorised. In both cases, in exceptional circumstances a further one-year extension may be granted by the Doctoral School's Standing Committee, upon the submission of a reasoned application by the academic committee of the doctoral programme.

A doctoral candidate may be dismissed from a doctoral programme for the following reasons:

• The doctoral candidate submitting a justified application to withdraw from the programme.
• The maximum period of study and of extensions thereof ending.
• The doctoral candidate not having enrolled every academic year (unless he or she has been authorised to temporarily withdraw).
• The doctoral candidate failing two consecutive assessments.
• The doctoral candidate having disciplinary proceedings filed against him or her that rule that he or she must be dismissed from the UPC.

Dismissal from the programme implies that doctoral candidates cannot continue studying at the UPC and the closing of their academic record. This notwithstanding, they may apply to the academic committee of the programme for readmission and the committee must reevaluate them in accordance with the criteria established in the regulations.

International Mention

The doctoral degree certificate may include International Doctorate mention. In this case, the doctoral candidate must meet the following requirements:

a) During the period of study leading to the award of the doctoral degree, the doctoral candidate must have spent at least three months at a respected higher education institution or research centre outside Spain to complete courses or do research work. The stays and activities carried out must be endorsed by the thesis supervisor and authorised by the academic committee of the programme. The candidate must provide a certifying document issued by the person responsible for the research group of the body or bodies where the stay or activity was completed. This information will be added to the doctoral student’s activity report.
b) Part of the thesis (at least the summary and conclusions) must be written and presented in one of the languages commonly used for science communication in the relevant field of knowledge, which must not be an official language of Spain. This rule does not apply to stays and reports in Spanish or to experts from Spanish-speaking countries.
c) At least two PhD-holding experts belonging to a higher education institution or research centre outside Spain must have issued officially certified reports on the thesis.
d) The thesis examination committee must have included at least one PhD-holding expert from a higher education or research institution outside Spain who was not responsible for the candidate’s stay abroad (point a) above).
e) The thesis defence must have taken place on UPC premises or, in the case of joint programmes, at the location specified in the collaboration agreement.

List of authorized thesis for defense

• FUENTES RUIZ, SERGIO: Energy Security in Power Systems within the Frame of Energy Transitions
  
  Author: FUENTES RUIZ, SERGIO
  Thesis file: (contact the Doctoral School to confirm you have a valid doctoral degree and to get the link to the thesis)
  Programme: DOCTORAL DEGREE IN ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING
  Department: (DEE)
  Mode: Normal
  Deposit date: 07/07/2021
  Reading date: 22/10/2021
  Reading time: 12:00
  Reading place: Aula 28.8 - ETSEIB-UPC
  Thesis director: VILLAFÁFILA ROBLES, ROBERTO
  Committee:
       PRESIDENT: VILLA ARRIETA, MANUEL RICARDO
       SECRETARI: DÍAZ GONZÁLEZ, FRANCISCO
       VOCAL: CABRERA TOBAR, ANA KARINA
  Thesis abstract: Climate change is real. Global human population is growing as never before. Natural resources are limited. These factors have taken different countries to embrace new pathways in order to fulfill the energy needs of their population, understanding that energy is a fundamental instrument for achieving sustainable development. Since each economy decides, according to its needs, possibilities and interests, its own shift of energy production and consumption, this tendency has received the name of energy transitions. Energy transitions, through digitalization, decentralization and decarbonization of the energy system, have placed the power sector as the center of modern infrastructures, making it imperative to procure its security in the long-term.This thesis is focused on the security of electrical systems, for which, after performing a thorough review on energy policies of different economies, it presents a multi-dimensional index as a tool for policy makers aimed to assess long-term security of power systems. The composed index is subsequently applied to different nations from two different approaches: the tracking of a country¿s development and the evaluation, comparison and ranking of different economies in a specific time frame.The designed tool represents a comprehensive framework for assessing -and improving- energy security in power systems, being this precisely the main contribution of the present thesis: the development and proposal of an instrument that contributes, through the betterment of energy systems by making them more secure, to achieve sustainable development.
  

Last update: 16/10/2021 04:47:07.

List of lodged theses

Last update: 16/10/2021 04:30:36.

List of defended theses by year

• EL MARIACHET CARREÑO, JORGE: New Approach of Power Calculation for droop-controled inverters supplying nonlinear loads
  
  Author: EL MARIACHET CARREÑO, JORGE
  Thesis file: (contact the Doctoral School to confirm you have a valid doctoral degree and to get the link to the thesis)
  Programme: DOCTORAL DEGREE IN ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING
  Department: (DEE)
  Mode: Article-based thesis
  Reading date: 08/09/2021
  Thesis director: MATAS ALCALA, JOSE | MARTIN CAÑADAS, MARIA ELENA
  

  Committee:
       PRESIDENT: PÉREZ DONSIÓN, MANUEL
       SECRETARI: BARGALLO PERPIÑA, RAMON
       VOCAL: TAPIA SANCHEZ, ROBERTO
  Thesis abstract: This thesis framework is that of the control of single-phase inverters in alternate current (AC) microgrids. In this context, voltage sourced inverters present difficulties in coping with power quality issues derived from highly distorted nonlinear loads. When these microgrids operate in islanded mode, the voltage sourced inverters control dynamic performance degrades in terms of stability and speed in attending to abrupt power demand changes. This is more noteworthy when the local control of the inverters follows the droop principles. In this case, nonlinear loads presence affects the dynamic performance of the specialized block utilized for calculating the necessary averaged active and reactive power references (P-Q). Even more, power-sharing among parallelized single-phase inverters needs an accurate P-Q calculation. Therefore, a fast and precise obtention of P-Q becomes essential for the stability of systems with droopoperated VSI. Following this motivation, research has been conducted towards the mitigation of the reported power quality issues. This work provided a novel approach for the P-Q calculation in the presence of single-phase nonlinear loads highly distorted in current. That resulted in a reduction in the transient time of the system's response against abrupt load changes and achieving more accurate P-Q quantities in steadystate. The novel approach was assessed and validated through Hardware in Loop and experimental tests in the Centre of Research on Microgrids of the University of Aalborg, and in the E3PACS laboratory facilities of EEBE-UPC. This work is organized as follows: in Section 1 are listed the objectives and in Section 2 contains an introduction and the state of the art. Section 3 sucinctly shows the main outcomes of this research through the published papers in JCR Q2 journals, in which the results were validated. Section 4 describes the methodology of the conducted research. Section 5 discusses the obtained results and Section 6 summaryzes the main contributions of this work, along with the general conclusions. Section 7 are listed future lines of work and Section 8 contain the mentioned references in this document. Finally, in Appendix I a description of a double (cascaded) second order general integrator is attached, followed with Appendix II and Appendix III where are listed all the published works related to the research, both JCR ranked journals and Conference Proceedings.
  

• MUNNÉ COLLADO, ÍNGRID: Flexibility services for distribution network operation
  
  Author: MUNNÉ COLLADO, ÍNGRID
  Thesis file: (contact the Doctoral School to confirm you have a valid doctoral degree and to get the link to the thesis)
  Programme: DOCTORAL DEGREE IN ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING
  Department: (DEE)
  Mode: Normal
  Reading date: 01/10/2021
  Thesis director: SUMPER, ANDREAS | ARAGÜÉS PEÑALBA, MÒNICA
  

  Committee:
       PRESIDENT: MELENDEZ FRIGOLA, JOAQUIM
       SECRETARI: MONTESINOS MIRACLE, DANIEL
       VOCAL: FARAHMAND, HOSSEIN
  Thesis abstract: On the way towards a low carbon electricity system, flexibility has become one of the main sources for achieving it. Flexibility can be understood as the ability of a power system to cope with the variability and uncertainty of demand and supply. Both the generation-side and the demand-side can provide it. This research is focused on the role of the demand-side flexibility for providing a service to the distribution system operator, who manages the medium and low-voltage network. By activating this flexibility from the demand-side to the distribution network operator, the latter can avoid or mitigate congestions in the network and prevent grid reinforcement. This thesis starts with analyzing the current state of the art in the field of local electricity markets, setting the baseline for flexibility products in power systems. As a result of the previous analysis, the definition of flexibility is developed more specifically, considering the flexible assets to be controlled, the final client using this flexibility and the time horizon for this flexibility provision. Following the previous step, an aggregated flexibility forecast model is developed, considering a flexibility portfolio based on different flexible assets such as electric vehicles, water boilers, and electric space heaters. The signal is then modeled under a system-oriented approach for providing a service to the distribution network operator under the operation timeline on a day-ahead basis. The flexibility required by the distribution network operator is then calculated through an optimization problem, considering the flexibility activation costs and the network power flow constraints. Finally, since this scenario aims to lower the environmental impacts of the power system, its sustainability is assessed with the life-cycle assessment, considering the entire life cycle and evaluating it in terms of greenhouse gas emissions. This approach enhances the analysis of the potential role of flexibility in the power system, quantifying whether, in all cases, there is a reduction of emissions when shifting the consumption from peak hours to non-peak hours.
  

• RAZMJOO SHESHDEH, ALI: Measuring Energy Sustainability by Using Energy Sustainability Indicators
  
  Author: RAZMJOO SHESHDEH, ALI
  Thesis link: http://hdl.handle.net/10803/671796
  Programme: DOCTORAL DEGREE IN ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING
  Department: (DEE)
  Mode: Normal
  Reading date: 19/02/2021
  Thesis director: SUMPER, ANDREAS
  

  Committee:
       PRESIDENT: CANALS GUINAND, VICENTE JOSE
       SECRETARI: ALCARAZ SENDRA, OLGA
       VOCAL: VILLA ARRIETA, MANUEL RICARDO
  Thesis abstract: The main aim of this thesis is investigating energy sustainability in developing countries using useful indicators. As it is known, serious issues such as global warming and inefficient consumption of energy will lead to severe problems in the future in the world and in particular in developing countries. Those countries which have a proper policy and practical actions by policymakers and energy experts can prevent these problems confidently. For these reasons, the present thesis has focused on developing indicators that can measure the grade of energy sustainability in order to achieve energy sustainability the countries analyzed. In this sense, the thesis starts to investigate the Sustainable Energy Development Index (SEDI) method and improves this method by finding and evaluating the useful indicators to improve and complete the SEDI methodology. In this regard, a numerical analysis of 12 countries has been realized. Following the methodology, new indicators associated with energy are proposed in line with the Habitat III and the SDGs from the UN. Additionally, appropriate strategies to combine the different UN goals are analyzed, and indicators are chosen to provide the best performance of the index. For this research, it is needed to analyze many related data and find novel indicators based on these data that can be obtained and applied by policymakers and energy experts for application in developing countries due to high percentage of energy consumption sector in these communities. Therefore, the main findings of this thesis are proposed indicators for improving the quality life of the inhabitants of different areas in the world with respect with the different aspects of the energy such as access energy, affordable energy and saving energy. For achieving to these goals, is the need to a correct policy, the evaluation of energy sustainability based on energy systems of a country, the close collaboration of policymakers with energy experts, using useful indicators, the balance of the energy supply, equity in access to energy and environmental sustainability of the urban and remote areas. These actions will lead to achieving energy sustainability confidently.
  

• REY FERNÁNDEZ, JOSE ANTONIO: Aportación al análisis de la distribución de corriente del rayo en palas de aerogenerador equipadas con fibra de carbono
  
  Author: REY FERNÁNDEZ, JOSE ANTONIO
  Thesis link: http://hdl.handle.net/10803/672458
  Programme: DOCTORAL DEGREE IN ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING
  Department: (DEE)
  Mode: Normal
  Reading date: 04/08/2021
  Thesis director: MONTAÑA PUIG, JUAN
  

  Committee:
       PRESIDENT: MARCH NOMEN, VICTOR
       SECRETARI: LÓPEZ TRUJILLO, JESÚS ALBERTO
       VOCAL: YOUNES VELOSA, CAMILO
  Thesis abstract: This doctoral thesis investigates the current distribution in a wind turbine blade when it is struck by lightning. The thesis focuses on the problem of current distribution in blades with carbon fiber spar caps. In the first part of this thesis, a code is developed for the simulation of the current distribution from the resolution of Maxwell's equations using the method of finite differences the time domain (FDTD). In order to be able to model a wind turbine blade with a 25 meter carbon fiber (CFRP) spar cap, the standar FDTD method has been modified. In particular, the non-uniform meshing of the geometry to be simulated and the possibility of simulating materials with anisotropic electrical properties have been implemented. The code has been implemented combining the Matlab and Fortran programming languages, taking advantage of the facilities that Matlab provides for creating 3D geometries, assigning properties and post-processing. The resolution of the electromagnetic problem is carried out in Fortran, significantly reducing the simulation time. With the code carried out, the current distribution between the down-conductor of the lightning protection system and a CFRP laminate of the beam has been studied. Also the differences in electrical potential that occur between various points of the lightning protection system and the CFRP. The results have been published in the journal Electric Power Systems Research (EPSR).The results obtained from the current distribution show the significant effect due to the contact resistance between the elements that are part of the path of the lightning currents. In particular, those contacts between metallic conductors of the protection system and the CFRP components. The second part of the thesis deals with the modeling of these contacts. First, it is checked whether the analytical contact resistance formulas can be applied when one of the electrodes is made of CFRP. For this, experiments have been carried out with electrodes simulating point contacts to a CFRP laminate. The case of one and two point contacts in the same direction of the carbon fibers and in the perpendicular direction have been studied. From the experiments it is concluded that the Holm expression can be applied to a point contact but not to the total of a conventional electrode. In this case, the resistivity of the CFRP between the point contact points that form the global contact must be taken into account.After the analytical and experimental study, it has been verified that methods such as the finite element method (FEM) or FDTD produce very significant errors in the simulation of the contact between a medium with high conductivity (eg copper) and one with low conductivity. like the CFRP. To solve this problem, two electrical contact models are proposed where the first one identifies the contact areas between the electrode and the CFRP material by using thermography to subsequently discretize the contact area. In the discretization, each of the point contacts that form the connection is modeled with the resistance obtained from the Holm expression. This methodology is applied to methods such as FEM and FDTD. The second connection model is for application to a circuit theory model formed by a network of resistors. The model, in addition to representing the connection, allows to obtain in a simple way the total resistive value of the CFRP specimen as well as to be able to investigate the effect of the electrical conductivities of the CFRP in the longitudinal and perpendicular axes to the fibers.
  

Last update: 16/10/2021 05:11:51.

Research groups

• CITCEA-Centre of Technological Innovation in Power Electronics and Drives
• GAECE-Electronically Commutated Motor Drives Group
• LRG-Lightning Research Group
• QSE-Power Quality

Teachers

• Andrada Gascon, Pere
• Aragüés Peñalba, Mónica
• Bargallo Perpiña, Ramon
• Bergas Jane, Joan Gabriel
• Blanque Molina, Balduino
• Bogarra Rodriguez, Santiago
• Boix Aragones, Oriol
• Bosch Tous, Ricard
• Casals Torrens, Pau
• Corcoles Lopez, Felipe
• de la Hoz Casas, Jordi
• Diaz Gonzalez, Francisco
• Doria Cerezo, Arnau
• Galceran Arellano, Samuel
• Garcia Espinosa, Antoni
• Gomis Bellmunt, Oriol
• Martin Cañadas, Maria Elena
• Matas Alcala, Jose
• Mesas Garcia, Juan Jose
• Montaña Puig, Joan
• Montesinos Miracle, Daniel
• Mujal Rosas, Ramon Maria
• Pedra Duran, Joaquin
• Riba Ruiz, Jordi
• Rull Duran, Joan
• Sainz Sapera, Luis
• Sudria Andreu, Antoni
• Sumper, Andreas
• Torrent Burgues, Marcel
• Villafafila Robles, Roberto