Digital twining of energy hubs to accelerate transport and power grid decarbonization

This PhD research opportunity focuses on developing digital twin technology for energy hubs that interface with both transport networks and power grids to support decarbonization. Transportation is currently the largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in the UK, and 61 percent of the UK's railway tracks are non-electrified. Energy hubs are novel microgrid technology that transform power supply for electrifying transport networks from inflexible loads to flexible demand. The project aims to address key challenges in digital twinning technology including data sharing, interoperability among digital platforms, and connectivity. The research will develop cross-sector data sharing architecture, create standardized data models for semantic interoperability, establish policies for secure data sharing, and enable fast and effective management of multiple energy hubs to improve flexibility of traction power networks and support cost-effective transition to a low carbon society.