Marija Ilic of Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Background
The field of electric power systems engineering is at its major crossroads. Operations and planning methods currently used have many implied assumptions which no longer hold. These assumptions, although often hidden, represent roadblocks to reliable/efficient/resilient system integration of new technologies at value. They also cause problems when power grid is required to supply very large new demand, expected to come in the near future as a result of hyperscale data centres and the overall electrification deployment. Meeting these new requirements calls for a better utilization across multi-energy system components. Viewing these complex systems as dynamical systems using systematic modelling, simulations and control is one possible way forward.

Learning objectives
This course offers modelling principles of modern electric power systems starting from a brief review of their structure and their physical components. In particular, a novel unified modelling in energy/power dynamical space is introduced to conceptualize dynamics of interactions of complex multi-physicals components. No specialized knowledge of physical components is required. This modelling sets a basis for analysis, computation, sensing, control, power electronics, optimization and market design concepts. The course prepares students for working on applying many novel methods and technologies, ranging from computer methods, power electronics control, for designing and operating more reliable, secure, and efficient (sustainable) electric energy systems. Students interested in both applied physics and signals and systems should consider taking this subject. Once the fundamentals of today's power systems are understood, it becomes possible to consider the role of smart electric power grids and power electronics-control in enabling evolution of future electric energy systems. Integration of intermittent energy resources into the existing grid by deploying distributed sensors and actuators at the key locations throughout the system (network, energy sources, consumers) and changes in today's Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) for better performance become well-posed problems of modelling, sensing and controlling complex dynamic systems. This opens opportunities to many innovations toward advanced sensing and actuation for enabling better physical performance. Modelling, sensing and control fundamentals for possible next generation SCADA in support of highly distributed operations and design are introduced. Most of the concepts will be illustrated using homegrown software.

Biography:

Marija Ilic currently holds a position of a Joint Adjunct Professor in the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department and a Senior Research Scientist at the Laboratory for Information and Decision Systems (LIDS) and at the Institute for Data, Systems and Society (IDSS) at MIT. Professor Ilic has had a long and distinguished career. From 2002 to 2017, she was a tenured Professor at CMU, during which time she also held an honorary chair professorship at TU Delft, Netherlands. She is now a Professor Emerita from CMU. Professor Ilic is a world leader in the area of electric power systems. Her work involves the toolbox of systems, optimization, and control, but is also combined with a deep knowledge of the real-world aspects of power systems and a strong engagement with the power industry.

She is a prolific author with hundreds of journal and conference publications, has supervised close to 100 doctoral theses, and is the co-author, with late Professor John Zaborszky, of a major text on "Dynamics and Control of Large Electric Power Systems.” Among several other awards, she is an IEEE Life Fellow, International Federation for Automatic Control (IFAC) Fellow and an Elected Foreign Fellow of Chinese Society for Electrical Engineering (CSEE). She has also been playing a prominent role in the power systems community, which she has served in many different roles, including as NSF Program Director (1999-2001). She was awarded a prestigious IEEE PES Outstanding Teaching Award, and got elected into US National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and European Academy of Science, Informatics (Europea).

Her contributions span the whole gamut, from detailed dynamical models of the physical aspects of power systems, all the way to high-level issues involving coordination and economics. She has been a strong advocate of an integrated hierarchical approach that faithfully takes into account the multiple time and spatial scales that are present in the power network. In the recent past, she has been working on defining the next generation of SCADA systems for power networks, that can take advantage of new capabilities in sensing and communications, accompanied by powerful and realistic simulation tools. She remains involved in teaching and mentoring https://eesg.mit.edu/ . Recently she developed a new EECS MIT course named "Principles of Modelling, Simulation and Control in the Electric Energy Systems" . She recognizes that managing complexity at scale will require revisiting principles of modelling at the level of abstraction accessible to non-experts. She has pursued proactive service by working closely with broad community, academic, industry and government. She was the co-founder of SmartGridz, Inc (formerly NETSS, Inc), which she enjoys tremendously through direct interactions with the industry.