Brief description of the research topics
Energy systems, such as fuel cell systems, micro-grids and electric vehicles, have posed research problems in the automatic control field. These systems present distributed nature, multi-domain and time-varying, complex dynamics, multiple time and space scales. Modelling these systems using traditional analytical methods is almost impossible. This also challenges the existing automation theory and technology that generally work with well-established models in specific forms. In order to overcome the difficulties, my research is devoted to data-driven learning and control and their applications in energy systems. Currently, a large amount of data is produced and stored during energy system operations. It would be very useful if the behaviours of the systems can be learned from either historical or online data. In addition, data can also be processed to directly design the controller, predicting and evaluating system states, evaluating performance, performing real-time optimization.
In this sense, the data-driven methodologies in my research cover modelling, diagnosis, prognosis and control. Three specific systems are currently focused on: fuel cell systems, micro-grids, electric vehicles.
Key words:
- Fuel cell systems: design, modeling, diagnosis, prognosis, and fault tolerance control
- Fault diagnosis and prognosis methodologies
- Energy storage: modeling and control
- Design and control of power electronics
- Control of converters interfacing renewable energy and electric grid
- Energy management for micro-grids and hybrid electric vehicles
- Artificial intelligence and advanced control methods and their applications in energy domain
Research projects
Ongoing project
- Started in 2022: Region SUD project AMULTI. PI
- Started in 2021: CNRS Cellule Energie GIALE. Principal Investigator.
- Started in 2021: ANR JCJC project DEAL. Principal Investigator.
- Started in 2020: H2020 project VPP4Islands. Work Package co-leader.
- Started in 2019: « Du pronostic de la durée de vie de piles à combustibles au pronostic de systèmes énergétiques en réseau” IDEX Université Grenoble Alpes, Partner leader.
- Started in 2020: « Realizing fuel cell durability enhancement by self-cognizant multi-level control” Open Research Project in Chinese State Key Laboratory of Industrial Control Technology (SKLICT), Principal Investigator.
Past projects
- 2016-2019: project European Commission: GIANTLEAP, Improves Automation of Non-polluting Transportation with Lifetime Extension of Automotive PEM fuel cells, Participant.
- 2014-2016: project ADEME: PRODIG, pronostic de Durée de Vie et Garantie de services de Systèmes piles à Combustible, Participant.
- 2011-2014: project ANR: DIAPASON 2, DIAgnostic de Pile à combustible Pour Applications automobiles et Stationaires sans instrumentatiON (2ème phase), Participant.
- 2017-2020: “Contrôle et optimisation d’un système hybride nomade à base de sources renouvelables pour la production énergétique” Thèse CIFRE. Participant and thesis advisor.
Equipment and Facilities
In my team, we have two experimental platforms, named SUPER and SPIDER respectively, dedicated to the research activities concerning energy system analysis and control. On each platform, we have different facilities for various purposes.
SUPER
- Thermal solar panels
- Thermal pumps & water tanks & heat exchangers
- Wind turbine emulator
- Wind turbine generator & AC/DC power converter
- Photovoltaic panels & DC/DC converter & battery pack
- Fuel cell stack & auxiliary components & DC/DC power converter
- Electrolyser & hydrogen tank
- Hybrid energy storage units (battery & supercapacitor) and bidirectional DC/DC concerters
- Multiple NI RIO controllers for Rapid Control Prototype (RCP) purpose
- Dspace SCALAXIO Labbox for Hardware in Loop (HIL) tests at power electronic switch level
- Multiple pragrammable electronic loads and sources
- Computing work station & lab remote calculation server & lab GPU&CPU clusters
SPIDER
- High-power (30 kW) DC/AC programmable power sources & loads
- High-performance real-time controllers/simulators (OPAL-RL, TYPHOON, DSPACE, etc.)
- Multiple power-level modular power electronics