Research Studentship in Power Electronics Rich Distribution Network Design

4-year D.Phil. (PhD) studentship starting October 2026

Project: Power Electronics Rich Distribution Network Design

Supervisors: Prof Thomas Morstyn  (Primary Supervisor), Prof Dan Rogers (co-Supervisor), Dr Agustí Egea-Àlvarez (Industry Supervisor)

This project will investigate how power electronics can be best incorporated as a core design component for future distribution networks. The net-zero transition simultaneously makes distribution network design increasingly important and challenging. Distributed renewables and home/community batteries introduce bi-directional power flows and make voltage levels more variable. Distribution networks also need to accommodate ambitious electric vehicle and heat pump rollout targets. These challenges, along with recent advances in material science, thermal management and control systems, have led to a variety of new distribution-network focused power electronic devices, including solid-state and hybrid transformers, soft-open points and distribution-static compensators. These devices provide a dynamic range of control capabilities across power flow management, voltage regulation, power factor correction, phase balancing, and harmonic control, and motivate a fundamental reassessment of how distribution networks are designed.

The project will investigate three main research questions:

1. How can we best model power electronics-rich distribution networks to balance model fidelity and computational complexity? A key goal here is to bridge the gap from the device-level and switching timescales up to distribution network-scale coordination.
2. How can we optimise across system objectives including network efficiency, resilience, and the hosting capacity for renewables and electric transport/heating? A new framework is needed which can holistically assess the full variety of power electronic device types, siting/sizing options, network configurations, and network operator regulated incentives.
3. What value can power electronics rich design offer if scaled out across the UK, and what commercial barriers need to be overcome? This will motivate the future commercialisation and deployment of the methods developed through the project.

The successful candidate will develop an in-depth understanding of power electronics and distribution network design. They will investigate multiscale modelling and optimisation approaches to overcome the computational challenges of integrating fast timescale device-level interactions into distribution network-level coordination. They will also explore robust decision making in the face of the weather- and behaviour-dependent uncertainty inherent to renewables and electric transport/heating.  During the project, the student will also have the opportunity to join Oxford’s vibrant and interdisciplinary energy research community, which includes the ZERO Institute and the Oxford Energy Network.

The student will be based in the Power Systems Architecture Lab within Oxford’s Department of Engineering Science. The studentship will be supervised by Professor Thomas Morstyn, who leads the Power Systems Architecture Lab, and Professor Dan Rogers who leads Oxford’s Power Electronics Group. The project will also be supported by industry advisor Dr Agustí Egea-Àlvarez, Network Operational Performance Manager at SP Energy Networks.

Eligibility

This studentship is supported by SP Energy Networks and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) through an Industrial Doctoral Landscape Award (IDLA). It is open to home students (full award – home fees plus stipend). 

Award Value

Course fees are covered at the level set for Home students c. £10,470 p.a. The stipend (tax-free maintenance grant) is the UKRI Minimum Stipend c. £20,780 p.a. for the first year, and at least this amount for a further three years.

Candidate Requirements

Prospective candidates will be judged according to how well they meet the following criteria:

• A first class or strong upper second-class undergraduate honours degree in Engineering or related area
• Experience with mathematical modelling and optimisation
• Programming experience (preferably in Python)
• Excellent English written and spoken communication skills

The following skills are desirable but not essential:

• Experience with power electronics modelling, design and simulation
• Experience with power systems modelling, design and simulation
• Experience with machine learning
• Previous industry experience

Application Procedure

Informal enquiries are encouraged and should be addressed to Prof Thomas Morstyn thomas.morstyn@eng.ox.ac.uk.

Candidates must submit a graduate application form and are expected to meet the graduate admissions criteria. Details are available on this course page of the University website.

Please quote 26ENGEL_TM2 in all correspondence and in your graduate application.

Application deadline: noon on 3 March 2026 (In line with the University admissions deadline set by the University).

Start date: October 2026