REFleaf

Power case: highlights from the Research Excellence Framework 2014

In the recent leaflet "Insights from the Research Excellence Framework 2014", EPSRC made a specific mention to the power case study, listing it as one of the highlights of the REF.

EPSRC recognized that our researchers "made pivotal contributions in the design of power transmission networks, the equipment within these networks, and non-conventional electricity systems saving an estimated £500 million by 2013, and a projected overall saving of £1-2 billion by 2020".

Our mission

The Research Programme of the Control and Power Group combines curiosity-led and applications-led research in the domains of control systems, power electronics, power systems, and smart grids.

  • The research in Control Theory and Applications includes all aspects of control engineering needed to implement practical control systems, from analysis and design to simulation and hardware. Application fields include hybrid electric vehicles, system biology, robotics.
  • The research in Power Electronics covers the control, conversion, transmission and harvesting of electric power. Special focus is devoted to High Voltage DC technologies and wireless power transfer systems.
  • The research in Power Systems and Energy covers all the aspects of planning, analysis, reliability, operation and economics of the generation, transmission, and distribution of electrical energy for industrial and domestic uses.
  • The research in Smart Grids unifies the efforts of the other three macro research areas to propose solutions which deeply integrate smart sensors, control algorithms, power systems and power electronics.

- Alongside traditional PhD programmes we run, jointly with the University of Strathclyde, a Centre for Doctoral Training in Future Power Systems and Smart Grids
- We are a member of the EPSRC Centre for Power Electronics and we participate in the Centre for the Power Electronics Doctorate Scheme 
- The Group has also a team of researchers specialized in mid-range and long-range wireless power transfer systems.

A showcase of some of the active research projects of the Group can be seen here. 

The expertise of some of the researchers with the Group can be seen here: CAP_Directory_May_2020.

Activities

Universities

We have long established links with other groups engaged in control and power research, including groups at

- Bath, UK
- Cambridge, UK
- De Montfort, UK
- Edinburgh, UK
- Georgia Tech, USA
- Guadalajara, Mexico
- Hull, UK
- IIT Roorkee, India
- Manchester, UK
- McGill, Canada
- Notredame, Lebanon
- Strathclyde, UK
- UCL, UK
- Australian National University, Australia
- University of New Castle, Australia
- Milan Politecnico, Italy
- Iniversity of Lund, Sweden
- Supelec, Paris
- Ecole de Mines, Paris

Companies

We have long established links with companies including

- National Grid
- UK Power Networks
- EDF
- Arup
- Alstom Grid
- ABB
- Siemens
- BAe Systems
- FLAVIIR integrated Programme of Research
- McLaren
- Mechanical simulation corp.
- Ducati
- BT Adastral Park
- General Dynamics UK - Oakdale site
- MBDA

Journals

Academic staff hold Editorships with the following journals:

- Elsevier Automatica
- Elsevier Control Engineering Practice
- Elsevier European Journal of Control
- Elsevier Systems and Control Letters
- IEE Proceedings on Generation, Transmission and Distribution
- IEEE Systems Journal
- IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control
- IEEE Transactions on Control Systems Technology
- IEEE Transactions on Sustainable Energy
- IMA Journal Mathematical Control and Signals
- International Journal of Control
- Journal of Applied Mathematics and Optimization
- Journal of Optimization Theory and Applications
- Journal of Set Valued Analysis
- Mathematics of Control, Signals and Systems
- The International Journal of Robust and Nonlinear Control

Contacts

Prof. Thomas Parisini
Head of Group
Tel : +44 (0)20 7594 6240
Email: t.parisini@imperial.ac.uk

Mrs. Raluca Reynolds
Senior Research Group Administrator
Tel : +44 (0)20 7594 6281
Email: raluca.reynolds@imperial.ac.uk

Ms. Francesca Atkinson
Senior Research Group Administrator
Email:  f.atkinson@imperial.ac.uk