Seminar by Dr. Prem Ranjan

Title: Sustainability through High Voltage Engineering and Research

Abstract : Through this talk, we will take a glance at applications of high voltage engineering in three different sustainable technologies. (a) Direct application of high voltage and pulsed power will be shown for economical generation of nanoparticles (NPs) through wire explosion process (WEP). Control of NPs size, phase and formation mechanism will be discussed through modelling studies and different material characterisation techniques. Application of WEP-synthesized semiconductor NPs will be discussed for wastewater treatment. (b) Then, we will go through the need of high voltage electric system in more electric aircraft (MEA) to reduce the carbon footprint. Different tools available to evaluate the arc faults and damage caused to the neighbouring systems will be detailed through mathematical and experimental tools. (c) Drive towards sustainable environment is leading to search of SF6 alternatives in power equipment, which are responsible for more than 80% of total SF6 emission. Research towards SF6 alternatives in gas insulated systems to reduce the global warming potential will be discussed in brief. Finally, the prospective of high voltage engineering and research in some other areas will be discussed.

Speaker Biodata: Prem Ranjan is working as a postdoc researcher at High Voltage Lab, The University of Manchester, UK, since Nov. 2019. He obtained the B. Tech. degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from NIT Calicut, India in 2015 and the integrated MS, PhD degrees in Electrical Engineering from IIT Madras, Chennai, India in 2019. He worked as an exchange researcher at Nagaoka University of Technology, Japan for 4 months during 2016 and 2017. His research interests are focused on sustainable applications of high voltage engineering including exploding wire, gas insulation (SF6 alternatives), arc-tracking in more electric aircraft and condition monitoring of power apparatus.