Organised by the IEEE PES SBC at the University of Manchester (UoM)
Event Overview
On Friday, 1st November 2024, the IEEE PES Student Branch Chapter (SBC) at the University of Manchester (UoM) hosted the Manchester Energy and Electrical Power Systems Symposium (MEEPS 2024) 🌍 at the Engineering Building B, Manchester Engineering Campus, University of Manchester, UK. 🇬🇧
This highly anticipated annual event ran from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm and attracted over 50 attendees, including students, independent researchers, and professionals from industry and academia. Delegates came from 9 universities across the UK, as well as internationally, including Aalborg University from Denmark.
MEEPS 2024, themed ‘Powering Tomorrow: Opportunities for Innovation in Energy Systems’ ⚙️, provided a platform to discuss solutions to pressing challenges in energy systems, striving towards a more sustainable future 🌱. The event featured three keynote speeches 🎤, two Women-in-Power (WiP) talks 👩🔬, and a research competition with 7 oral presentations 🗣️ and 9 poster presentations 📜, covering a wide range of topics in the energy sector.
Opening Session 🗝️
The symposium kicked off with a welcome address by Ms. Elizabeth Michalenko, Chair of IEEE PES SBC, who introduced the importance and history of the MEEPS event. She highlighted the ongoing relevance of power systems engineering and how MEEPS continues to contribute to this field by fostering collaboration and research.
Following this, Prof. Zhongdong Wang, Professor of High Voltage Engineering at the University of Manchester, delivered the opening address, discussing the critical role of academia in addressing the challenges posed by the energy transition and inspiring young researchers to contribute to power systems engineering advancement.
Keynote Session I: Innovation in Industry
The first keynote session was delivered by Edward Pitchford and Yaashiene Pukazhendi from EA Technology, the platinum sponsor for MEEPS 2024. They presented on ‘Innovation in Industry’, offering an insightful overview of their products, including the VisNet Hub, and demonstrating how these solutions support the development and maintenance of the grid.
Oral Presentations – Block I 🗣️
The first block of oral presentations featured research presentations, each followed by engaging Q&A sessions with the audience and guest judges. The topics covered included:
- Operating Grid-Forming Converters with Power Angle in the Four-Quadrant Range — Armando Jose Gomes Abrantes Ferreira (Aalborg University & Federal University of Campina Grande)
- Multiple Vehicles and Traction Network Interaction System Stability Analysis and Oscillation Responsibility Identification — Xiangyu Meng (University of Manchester)
- Identification of Transient Stability Boundary Using Structural Causal Modelling — Faheem Ul Haq (University of Manchester)
- Cascading Failure Modelling and Resilience Assessment in Power Systems — Yitian Dai (University of Manchester)
Women-in-Power (WiP) Session 👩💼⚡
Following a tea break 🍵, Rosa Serrano, Chair of IEEE Women-in-Power, UK & Ireland, introduced the WiP session, which showcased the contributions of women in power and energy. The session featured two impactful talks:
- Dr. Laiz Souto (University of Bath) — ‘Improving Power Grid Preparedness to Severe Weather Events Now and in the Future’. Dr. Souto deliberated on preparing grid systems for the increasing challenges posed by severe weather.
- Dr. Xinfang Wang (University of Birmingham) — ‘A Whole-Systems Approach for Sustainable Cooling and the Cold Chain’. Dr. Wang emphasized the impact of the cooling industry on power systems and its crucial role in sustainability goals.
Poster Session and Stalls 🎨🖼️
After lunch 🍽️, and with food still available, the poster session took place, where student researchers presented their findings on various topics. The posters included:
- Quantification of Lost LV Transformer Capacity due to Unbalanced Loading and Associated Cost — Scott Angus (Newcastle University)
- Model-free Voltage Calculation for Hosting Capacity Assessment — Vincent Umoh (University of Birmingham)
- Demand Side Response: How Our Electricity Usage Needs to Change Whilst Sustaining Growth — Ed Loveridge (University of Bristol)
- Towards Explainability in Power Systems Optimisation – A Counterfactual Approach — Benjamin Fritz (University of Strathclyde)
- Resilience Framework for Assessing Preventive Disconnections of Transmission Lines to Mitigate the Impact of Wildfires — Rosa Serrano (University of Manchester)
- Sensitivity Study and Operational PD Monitoring Experiences of SF6-free GIS — Constantinos Onoufrio (University of Manchester)
- Small-Signal Stability of Grid-Connected MMC-HVDC Systems: Impact of PLL Bandwidth and SCR — Shuai Wang (University of Manchester)
- Feasible Operating Envelopes of Distribution Network Buses Considering Utilisation of Allocated Operating Range and Power Injection Limits — Ester Marcel (University of Manchester)
- Day-ahead Demand Side Management Optimisation Considering Payback Potential — Lois Efe (University of Manchester)
EA Technology also held a sponsor booth 🏢, offering attendees the chance to interact with industry representatives 🤝.
High Voltage Laboratory Tour and MECD Tour
During the lunch break, attendees had the opportunity to tour the High Voltage Laboratory ⚡ and the Engineering Building A at the University of Manchester, guided by Dr. Shanika Matharage and the service delivery team 👥. The tours provided insights into the university’s state-of-the-art facilities for power systems research.
Oral Presentations – Block II 🗣️
The second block of oral presentations featured groundbreaking research 🌟:
- The Complementary Role of Interconnector and Demand Side Unit in Facilitating Grid Transition Towards Achieving 80% RES in the I-SEM System by 2030 — Faraedoon Ahmed (University of Manchester)
- Physics-Informed Deep Reinforcement Learning for Adaptive Load Shedding Scheme in Power Systems with Heterogeneous Resources — Alinane Kilembe (University of Strathclyde)
- Distribution System Reconfiguration to Mitigate Load Altering Attacks via Stackelberg Games — Sajjad Maleki (University of Warwick)
Each presentation explored cutting-edge solutions for improving grid stability ⚖️, load management 📈, and resilience in power systems 🌐.
Keynote Session II 🎤
Following a short tea break ☕, Kruna Vukmirovic from IET Journals delivered an insightful talk on ‘Open Access Journals’, offering valuable guidance on how researchers can publish their work and engage with the wider scientific community.
This was followed by a keynote speech by Prof. Xin Zhang, Professor of Control and Power Systems at the University of Sheffield. Prof. Zhang’s presentation on ‘Cyber-Physical Power System Digital Simulation and Security Analysis’ focused on integrating digital simulation with physical systems and the importance of securing power system infrastructures in the digital age .
Closing Session and Awards Presentation 🏆✨
The symposium concluded with an Awards Ceremony recognizing outstanding contributions:
- Best Oral Presentation: 🥇 Ms. Yitian Dai (University of Manchester)
- Best Poster: 🥇 Mr. Scott Angus (Newcastle University)
- EA Technology RFI Award: 🏅 Benjamin Fritz (University of Strathclyde)
- UoM Essay Award: 🏅 Mr. Ed Loveridge (University of Bristol)
Ms. Elizabeth Michalenko, Chair of IEEE PES SBC, delivered the closing remarks, thanking all speakers 🎤, participants 👥, sponsors 💼, volunteers 🤝, and committee members for their contributions in making MEEPS 2024 a successful event 🎉.
Participant Feedback 📝
The event received overwhelmingly positive feedback 💬, with attendees highlighting the quality and impact of the sessions 💡. Some notable remarks included:
- “The sessions were engaging, and the quality of discussions encouraged meaningful exchange of ideas.”
- “Provided me with renewed motivation for my PhD research.”
- “Brought together key individuals from both industry and academia, which is invaluable for the research community.”
This feedback underscored the symposium’s role in bridging academic and industrial spheres 🌉, inspiring researchers, and fostering productive discussions 🤗.
Acknowledgements 🙏
The IEEE PES SBC at the University of Manchester sincerely thanks all stakeholders, participants, guests, mentors, and volunteers from UoM’s EEE Society 🤗, as well as committee members for their invaluable contributions in making this event a success 💫. Special thanks to our sponsors, including the University of Manchester’s Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering 🏢, EA Technology, IET, and Weidmann 🙌. We are also grateful to IEEE UK & Ireland Women in Power 👩🔬, IEEE UK & Ireland PES Chapter, and IEEE UK & Ireland for their continued support 🤝.
We look forward to welcoming you to future events organized by IEEE PES SBC at UoM 📅. For more information on MEEPS 2024 and upcoming events, please visit 🌐 www.ieee-manchester.org.uk.
Prepared by: ✍️
Samvit Mavinkurve, Vice Chair, IEEE PES SBC at UoM
Reviewed by: ✅
Elizabeth Michalenko, Chair, IEEE PES SBC at UoM
Airam Perez Guillen, Past Chair & Current Industrial Liaison Officer, IEEE PES SBC at UoM