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Taimoor Muzaffar Gondal

PhD Student

Project - Advanced Control Methods for Grid-Connected Inverters in Unbalanced Distribution Networks

Australia's rapid adoption of renewable energy sources (RES), including solar and wind, has reshaped its power system dynamics, particularly impacting unbalanced distribution networks. This paradigm shift has introduced challenges like low inertia, unbalanced voltages, frequency instability, and under-frequency load shedding (UFLS). According to Australian Electricity Market Operator (AEMO) report, South Australia, Queensland, and Tasmania are especially vulnerable to low-inertia issues and phase voltage imbalances in distribution networks. To tackle these vulnerabilities, there is a dire need of sophisticated advanced control strategies capable to provide unbalanced voltage compensation, fault-ride-through (FRT) capacity, and system resilience. This research proposes a comprehensive approach to tackle the challenges of future grid under high photovoltaic (PV) penetration. The first phase involves the development of advanced control strategies: sliding mode control for grid-forming inverters and H-infinity control for grid-following inverters. These techniques aim to enhance virtual inertia, phase-level voltage stability, and fault-ride-through (FRT) capability. These control strategies will be tested on the IEEE test bed to assess stability under unbalanced conditions. Next, deep reinforcement learning (DRL) will be applied, utilizing model-free algorithms such as DQN and PPO to optimize performance and adapt control strategies for grid stability. Finally, the approach will be validated through Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) simulation using the HIL- 606 simulator, with real-time control, hyperparameter tuning, and optimization. The key performance metrics, including voltage and frequency stability, RoCoF, stability time, and frequency nadir, will be evaluated to measure effectiveness.

Research Areas and Interests

  • Optimisation Techniques
  • Renewable Energy Sources
  • Energy Management Systems
  • Power System Stability and Reliability
  • Future Grid and Power Systems
  • Net Zero

Qualifications

  • Master of Electrical Engineering, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus Pakistan, 2021.
  • Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Wah Campus, Pakistan, 2017.

Supervisors

Contact

Taimoor Muzaffar Gondal
School of Engineering

Email: t.gondal@ecu.edu.au

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