SPEECH: Chinese HVDC Technology and Application

Dr. Junzheng Cao, C-EPRI, NARI, China

Dr. Junzheng Cao was born in Shaanxi, China in 1960. He received his B.Eng. and M.Sc. degrees from Xi’an Jiaotong University, China respectively in 1982 and 1985, and the Ph.D. degree from South Bank University, UK in 1997. He is currently a professorate senior engineer and technical director of C-EPRI, a wholly owned subsidiary of NARI Group Corporation. He was entitled to China’s National Distinguished Expert of "1000-Elit Program" in 2010, and a guest professor of Xian Jiaotong University in 2012. Prior to returning China in 2010, he served as a principal engineer and an HVDC expert at AREVA/ALSTOM T&D. Dr. Cao is a member of IEEE, IET, Cigre, and several IEC and Cigre working groups. His research interests are in the development and engineering of power electronics for FACTS, HVDC and future DC grid applications. During the last five years, he has authored or co-authored more than 39 publications, was a co-inventor on 45 Chinese and foreign patents, and jointly won 3 Chinese ministerial science and technology awards. 

Dr. Jinliang HE, Tsinghua University, China 

Dr. He received the Ph.D. degree from Tsinghua University, Beijing, China, in electrical engineering, in 1994. From April 1997 to April 1998, he was a Visiting Scientist in Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute in Changwon, Korea. In August 2001, he was promoted to Professor in Tsinghua University. During Jan. 2014 to Jan. 2015, Prof. He is a visiting professor in Department of Electrical Engineering, Stanford University. Now he is the Chair of High Voltage Engineering Research Institute.  His research interests concern electromagnetic transient analysis of power system, lightning and overvoltage protection of power system and electronic system, HVDC, electromagnetic environment of power system, GMR and TMR current sensors for smart grid, electromagnetic compatibility, surge arresters, and dielectric materials. Prof. He obtained the honor of China National Outstanding Young Scientist Foundation in 2004, which is the highest honor for young scientists in China, and he has been elected as the Changjiang Scholar Professor of China Education Ministry in 2010. Since 2014, he has been assigned by China Science and Technology Ministry as the Chief Scientist in charge of a 5-year China National Fundamental Research Project titled as Fundamental Research on Huge-capacity HVDC Power Transmission Cables and Gas-insulated Lines. He was elected a Fellow of IEEE in 2007, and elected as a Fellow of IET in 2011. Prof. He had co-authored more than 250 papers in peer review international archival journals, and the authors of 7 books. His research works had won him a National Science and technology Progress Award in 2015, a National Invention Award in 2008 and 13 Science and Technology Awards of Province/Ministry-grade. He won the Technical Achievement Award of IEEE EMC Society in 2010, Hoshino Prize from the Institute of Electrical Installation Engineers of Japan, Distinguished Contribution Award from Asia-Pacific International Conference on Lightning in 2015.

Dr Andrew Kusiak, The University of Iowa, USA 

Dr Andrew Kusiak is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at The University of Iowa, Iowa City. He speaks frequently at international meetings, conducts professional seminars, and consults for industrial corporations.

He has served on the editorial boards of over forty journals. He is the author or coauthor of numerous books and hundreds of technical papers published in journals sponsored by professional societies, such as the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Institute of Industrial Engineers, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and other societies.

His current research interests include applications of computational intelligence and big data in automation, energy, manufacturing, product development, sustainability, and healthcare.

Professor Kusiak is a Fellow of the Institute of Industrial Engineers and the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Intelligent Manufacturing. Besides his academic appointment at the University of Iowa, he holds a Visiting Research Professorship at the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong and Distinguished Adjunct Professorship at King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

His past academic appointments, include Technical University of Nova Scotia and University of Manitoba in Canada, as well as visiting positions at University of Lion, University of Grenoble, and University of Nancy, France.

SPEECH: VSC-HVDC application in CSG 

Hong RAO, State Key Laboratory of HVDC, Electric Power Research Institute of China Southern Power Grid Co., Ltd. China

Hong Rao (SM'12) is currently the director of State Key Laboratory of HVDC and the President of the Electric Power Research Institute of China Southern Power Grid Co., Ltd. He received his bachelor degree in Huazhong Institute of Technology in Wuhan, China in 1983. He has worked in the area of bulk power system design, system operation, HVDC system design, and VSC-HVDC system design for more than 30 years. He has rich research experience of HVDC system design, bulk power system operation with paralleling AC and DC, power electronic application in high voltage power system and so on. He led the research on equipment design, system design and operation for the first ±800 kV UHVDC transmission project in the world.  He also led research on system design and operation of the first pilot project of multi-terminal VSC-HVDC system in the world. His research interests include HVDC system design and operation, VSC-HVDC system design, STATCOM, smart gird, and so on. 

SPEECH: The Power of VSC Technology for a Future Low Carbon Grid 

Dr Ziming SONG , Toshiba International (Europe) Ltd, UK

Dr Song is the Chief Specialist for HVDC at Toshiba International (Europe) Ltd, based in the UK, a subsidiary of the Toshiba Social Infrastructure Company, which specializes in T&D systems, railways, photovoltaic cells, semiconductors, batteries, etc.  Dr Song is responsible for the overall design of HVDC and FACTS systems, R&D activities and international business development in power electronics.  Prior to this he worked in a number of senior technical positions with National Grid, GE Harris and then GEC Alstom for over 25 years. He is a chartered electrical engineer in the UK, a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Technology and a regular member of CIGRE.  He served as the chair of the international VLPGO WG5 and a member of the standing committee of the Association of Chinese Engineers in the UK in 2010.  He is a visiting professor at the Lanzhou University of Technology in China.

His professional experiences span a wide spectrum in the field of power system from system analysis, modelling, computer simulation and planning, to power quality, compliance, network operation and asset management.  In the field of power electronics, his interest lies in the design, manufacture and construction of both LCC and VSC HVDC systems and FACTS devices.  He has been working on tendering for some multi-million dollar HVDC projects in the capacity of project manager.

SPEECH: Current and Future World Energy Outlook and the Impact of Power Electronics

Dr Ahmed Zobaa, Brunel University London, U.K

Eur-Ing Dr Ahmed Zobaa received the B.Sc.(Hons), M.Sc., and Ph.D. degrees in electrical power and machines from Cairo University, Egypt, in 1992, 1997, and 2002, respectively. From 2007 to 2010, he was a Senior Lecturer in renewable energy at University of Exeter, U.K.  He was also an Instructor from 1992 to 1997, a Teaching Assistant from 1997 to 2002, an Assistant Professor from 2003 to 2008, an Associate Professor from 2008 to 2013 at Cairo University where he has also been a Professor (on leave) since December 2013. Currently, he is a Senior Lecturer in power systems, an MSc Course Director and a Full Member of the Institute of Energy Futures at Brunel University London, U.K. His main areas of expertise are power quality, (marine) renewable energy, smart grids, energy efficiency, and lighting applications. 

Dr. Zobaa is an Editor-in-Chief for the International Journal of Renewable Energy Technology and Technology and Economics of Smart Grids and Sustainable Energy. He is also an Editorial Board member, Editor, Associate Editor, and Editorial Advisory Board member for many international journals. He is a registered Chartered Engineer, Chartered Energy Engineer, European Engineer, and International Professional Engineer. He is also a registered member of the Engineering Council U.K., Egypt Syndicate of Engineers, and the Egyptian Society of Engineers. He is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy of U.K. He is a Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology, the Energy Institute of U.K., the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers, the Royal Society of Arts, the African Academy of Science, and the Chartered Institute of Educational Assessors. He is a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. Also, He is a member of the International Solar Energy Society, the European Power Electronics and Drives Association, and the IEEE Standards Association.