TU Delft is a top tier university and is exceedingly active in the field of Artificial intelligence and the TU Delft's campus has strong expertise in energy systems. Energy systems are the backbone of our modern society, but are becoming increasingly complex and challenging to operate as renewable energy, heating and transport sectors are integrated into the system. It’s crucially important that energy systems are sustainable, reliable and effective, now and in the future.

As part of your 4-year PhD project, you will develop novel graph-based machine learning algorithms for state estimation of energy systems. The scientific challenge is to design a real-time state estimator for the distribution system that accounts for future needs. The future system requires tasks to manage flexibility provisions from distribution systems, effective anomaly detection, congestion management, and fraud detection. State estimation is an important task where the operator considers very little noisy measurement data to infer the full system state. However, often, the accuracy is used to infer the full state while the true state is seldom known and can only be reproduced in computer simulations. Therefore, you will explore a novel approach investigating graph neural networks and structural information and learn the state-estimator semi-supervised enforcing known constraints.

You will be hired as a PhD researcher at TU Delft. Your academic supervisors are Dr. Jochen Cremer (TU Delft, daily supervisor) and Prof. Peter Palensky (TU Delft). Recognising the transformational power of AI, TU Delft has launched a large cross-faculty AI initiative where this lab will expand the Delft AI Energy Lab. There, we combine ground-breaking Artificial Intelligence (AI) methods with the reliable theory of the physical energy system. The area of data-driven scientific computing promises to combine statistics, time-frequency analysis, low-dimensional model reductions, and other techniques to extract information from data. With AI, we make such information useful for the management and planning of complex energy systems. While being part of the DAI Energy Lab at TU Delft, you will be a member of the Intelligent Electrical Power Grids research group. Additionally, you will spend two days a week at Alliander (in Arnhem) where you will be supported by around 10 Scientific staff, data scientists and power system experts.

• A MSc degree in either Machine Learning, Robotics, Control Systems, Operations Research or in Power/Energy Systems, Electrical Engineering, etc.
• Demonstrated competences in one or more of these categories: AI, computer/data science, machine learning, energy system modelling, dynamic systems, power systems or another relevant field.
• An affinity with teaching and guiding students
• A proven record and interest in further developing your modelling, programming, analytical and scientific writing skills
• An affinity with energy and power systems, with net-zero carbon targets, technical challenges
• The minimum requirement of a TOEFL score of 100 IELTS of 7.0 per sub-skill (writing, reading, listening, speaking) applies to all PhD candidates.
• The ability to work in a team, take initiative, be results oriented and systematic

Doing a PhD at TU Delft requires English proficiency at a certain level to ensure that the candidate is able to communicate and interact well, participate in English-taught Doctoral Education courses, and write scientific articles and a final thesis. For more details please check the Graduate Schools Admission Requirements.

Fixed-term contract: 4 years.

Doctoral candidates will be offered a 4-year period of employment in principle, but in the form of 2 employment contracts. An initial 1,5 year contract with an official go/no go progress assessment within 15 months. Followed by an additional contract for the remaining 2,5 years assuming everything goes well and performance requirements are met.

Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, increasing from € 2443 per month in the first year to € 3122 in the fourth year. As a PhD candidate you will be enrolled in the TU Delft Graduate School. The TU Delft Graduate School provides an inspiring research environment with an excellent team of supervisors, academic staff and a mentor. The Doctoral Education Programme is aimed at developing your transferable, discipline-related and research skills.

The TU Delft offers a customisable compensation package, discounts on health insurance and sport memberships, and a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged. For international applicants we offer the Coming to Delft Service and Partner Career Advice to assist you with your relocation.

Delft University of Technology

Delft University of Technology is built on strong foundations. As creators of the world-famous Dutch waterworks and pioneers in biotech, TU Delft is a top international university combining science, engineering and design. It delivers world class results in education, research and innovation to address challenges in the areas of energy, climate, mobility, health and digital society. For generations, our engineers have proven to be entrepreneurial problem-solvers, both in business and in a social context. At TU Delft we embrace diversity and aim to be as inclusive as possible (see our Code of Conduct). Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale.

Challenge. Change. Impact! 

Faculty Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science

The Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science (EEMCS) brings together three disciplines - electrical engineering, mathematics and computer science. Combined, they reinforce each other and are the driving force behind the technology we use in our daily lives. Technology such as the electricity grid, which our faculty is helping to make future-proof. We are also working on a world in which humans and computers reinforce each other. We are mapping out disease processes using single cell data, and using mathematics to simulate gigantic ash plumes after a volcanic eruption. There is plenty of room here for ground-breaking research. We educate innovative engineers and have excellent labs and facilities that underline our strong international position. In total, more than 1,100 employees and 4,000 students work and study in this innovative environment.

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science.

About the department at TU Delft:

The research in the Department of Electrical Sustainable Energy is inspired by the technical, scientific, and societal challenges originating from the transition towards a more sustainable society and focuses on three areas:

• DC Systems, Energy Conversion and Storage (DCE&S)
• Photovoltaic Materials and Devices (PVMD)
• Intelligent Electrical Power Grids (IEPG)

The Electrical Sustainable Energy Department provides expertise in each of these areas throughout the entire energy system chain. The department owns a large ESP laboratory assembling High Voltage testing, DC Grids testing environment, and a large RTDS that is actively used for real-time simulation of future electrical power systems, AC and DC protection, and wide-area monitoring and protection.

The Intelligent Electrical Power Grid (IEPG) group, headed by Professor Peter Palensky, works on the future of our power system. The goal is to generate, transmit and use electrical energy in a highly reliable, efficient, stable, clean, affordable, and safe way. IEPG integrates new power technologies and smart controls, which interact with other systems and allow for more distributed and variable generation.