Inter-oPEn (Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action project) offers a unique doctoral training program for 10 researchers that integrates multi-sectorial knowledge, gathering electrical engineering and legal researchers. To achieve the common goal of the interoperable PE-dominated power system, openness will be a pivotal factor across the different doctoral projects, tackling fundamental aspects of modern PE-based electrical systems such as control, protection, interoperability, governance, and intellectual property challenges. Comprised of 8 academic partners and 13 industrial associated partners, Inter-oPEn offers a broad industry and transmission system operator expertise for doctoral trainings, research, and secondments. Compared to previous EU projects and doctoral training networks on the interoperable PE-dominated grid, Inter-oPEn is innovative by including two fundamental and new aspects: (1) the interplay of technical and legal perspectives is considered, and (2) openness principles are the heart of engineering and legal research, as well as, training. The project will provide training through doctoral research to talented Doctoral Candidates. InterOpen Doctoral Candidates will enrol on PhD degree programmes and be employed for 36 months in a network of universities and industry with expertise in the field of power electronics, HVDC and modern power systems. Please find below more information on the doctorate position that we offer at CITCEA-UPC.

This thesis aims to develop data-driven controllers to be implemented in VSC-based grid-connected power converters. The transition of the power networks towards a system of black-boxed systems interconnected together with their highly variable nature driven by renewable energy variation, requires new technology capable of operating in such an environment. Optimization-based data-driven-based predictive controllers thrive in such an environment as they are capable of construct high performance, reliable and adaptable controllers fully based on network captured data, without requiring detailed models. The thesis will provide the methodology to synthetize such controllers, starting from the system data capture process, model identification (if needed), construction of the optimization-based controller and then simulation verification in simulation benchmark power systems implemented in Simulink and PSCAD. As an example of this class of controllers, the thesis will further develop and expand the concept of Data-enabled Predictive Control (DeePC) further. The key applications for the developed techniques will be HVDC, FACTS and renewable energy systems controllers.

CITCEA-UPC is a research and technological innovation centre in the field of electrical energy and power electronics founded in 2001. It is made up of 71 people, including professors, lecturers, researchers, engineers and PhD students. Its capabilities range from the design of equipment based on power electronics and the use of electrical energy, to energy management and efficiency systems using optimisation techniques and artificial intelligence. CITCEA-UPC provides expertise in the areas of converter control and analysis, power system planning, and grid integration of renewable generation. CITCEA-UPC has developed models and studies related to the project and has extensive experience in participating in research projects (European and national) and technology transfer projects to the private sector. CITCEA-UPC is part of the Technical University of Catalonia - BarcelonaTech (UPC), which is a public research and higher education institution in the fields of engineering, architecture, science and technology, and is one of the leading polytechnic universities in Europe. Each year it graduates around 6,000 Bachelor's and Master's students, more than 231 PhDs and 3,591 graduates in lifelong learning programmes. The UPC has 18 teaching centres, 209 research groups and 3523 teaching and research staff.

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