Dr. Sanjeevikumar Padmanaban, a Professor at the University of South-Eastern Norway, is renowned worldwide for his expertise in power electronics. His research focuses on renewable energy systems, grid-connected systems, DC/DC converters, and electric vehicle power trains. Having authored over 800 scientific papers, he has been recognized with the Best Paper cum Most Excellence award. He has been honored with the esteemed title of Fellow – the Institution of Engineers, India, the Institution of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineers, India, and the Institution of Engineering and Technology, UK. In addition, Stanford University, USA, has recognized his exceptional achievements and named him one of the world’s top 2 scientists since 2019. He is an Editor/Associate Editor/Editorial Board for refereed journals, in particular the IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics, IEEE Transaction on Industry Applications, IEEE ACCESS, IET Power Electronics, IET Electronics Letters, and Wiley-International Transactions on Electrical Energy Systems, Subject Editorial Board Member—Energy Sources—Energies Journal, MDPI, and the Subject Editor for the IET Renewable Power Generation, IET Generation, Transmission and Distribution, and FACETS Journal (Canada).
What is your background?
My area of expertise as a professor at the University of South-Eastern Norway, Porsgrunn, is power electronics and its application to EVs, renewable energy, and grid-connected/standalone systems, as well as microgrids. In the past two decades, we have been at the forefront of developing hybrid algorithms like “Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference Systems,” “Lyapunov,” and “Fuzzy Particle Swarm Optimization. These algorithms are designed specifically for optimal power point tracking, secure anti-islanding, and grid-connected operations. Additionally, my investigation into non-isolated DC/DC converters for microgrid applications received widespread acclaim for its pioneering insights and emphasis on affordable solutions. Young researchers around the world working on microgrid technology were influenced by my contribution. It encouraged them to choose the Lyapunov function over the PLL and stressed signifying integration with hybrid renewable energy systems. A simplified approach with new constraints can achieve reducing the sampling rate and using low-cost digital processors for low-voltage, high-current applications. With over 21000 citations, my paper inspired researchers worldwide.
What are the most profound changes you have seen in your field across your career?
Through my experience in power electronics and drives, I have observed how the progress in this area is revolutionizing industries. Notable enhancements in business performance and reliability are driven by the progress in power electronics. Advanced semiconductor materials, digital integration, and modular designs guarantee continuous operation, lower costs, and boost energy efficiency. By incorporating advanced power electronic technologies into systems such as LV switchboards, businesses can enhance operational efficiency and reliability while contributing to a sustainable and energy-efficient future.
Integrating renewable energy into the grid depends on power electronics. Advanced converters and inverters convert and manage power from renewable sources, ensuring a stable grid and reliable energy supply. With their enhanced thermal conductivity, silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) are well-suited for high-power applications such as renewable energy inverters and electric vehicle (EV) powertrains. Their ability to function at elevated temperatures enhances the durability and reliability of systems. This aids businesses in adopting sustainable energy practices and achieving energy independence.
Combining power electronics, advanced microcontrollers, and IoT connectivity has paved the way for smarter and more adaptive power management solutions. Enhanced performance, predictive maintenance, fault detection, and optimal energy usage are possible in power electronic systems with implementing real-time monitoring and control. Safety and reliability are enhanced in modern LV switchboards using circuit breakers, Residual Circuit Devices (RCDs), real-time monitoring, and automated load management. Cutting energy expenses and minimizing maintenance costs can help businesses accelerate their high returns on investments (ROI). Direct cost savings are achieved through efficient power management and reduced energy consumption.
What motivated you to write/edit the book Reliability Analysis of Modern Power Systems?
In my quest for reliability, I am focused on advancing the analysis of power electronics components and systems for today’s power system applications. Covering AC & DC converters, multilevel inverters, snubber circuits for industrial power grids, grid-integrated power systems, electric vehicles, reliability assessments, and microgrids.
Who is the primary audience for Reliability Analysis of Modern Power Systems?
This textbook is targeted towards universities, research centers, and members of different IEEE societies in various fields like power electronics, industrial electronics, industry applications, power & energy systems, and Systems Council. Typhoon HIL enables readers to engage in system reliability modeling and simulation through practical assessments, illustrated examples, and numerical problems.
What are the key challenges this audience faces?
For students, researchers, designers, and industrial practitioners, the challenge lies in gathering and synthesizing information on power electronics and power systems for modernized grids because of its complexity, varying levels of detail, and potential difficulty in understanding. Accuracy alone is insufficient in technical writing; it must also be easily comprehensible. Another challenge is the practical application of advanced reliability and evaluation in real-time. Young and professional individuals need a sole source to learn the field and understand real-time programming specific to Reality. Inadequate exposure to modern power electronics and power systems during post-graduate education may lead to unreasonable expectations or technophobia.
How does your book solve these needs/challenges?
Reliability Analysis of Modern Power Systems addresses the above challenges in multiple ways.
The theory of reliability analyzes the probability of breakdowns in particular components or systems given specific circumstances. It is an essential concept that helps sustain the technologies in modern power electronics and power systems. The book presents fundamental reliability theory concepts advancing reliable modern power systems and modern power electronics. Through solving practical issues with basic definitions, theoretical background with concrete equations, research-based learning with numerical real-test case problems, and realization through Typhoon HIL system integration with the book’s Companion Site for Instructors
What current projects are you working on?
My current focus in research involves power electronic converters and hybrid controller advancements for renewable energy applications like wind, solar PV, batteries, supercapacitors, and other energy storage systems. Designing cost-efficient power converters for microgrids, including DC/DC, DC/AC, and AC-DC-AC for grid-connected/standalone systems. The priority lies in advancing electric vehicle powertrains and building high-power converter systems with AI controllers to enable self-recovery, resilience, and reliability over their lifespan. Power electronics in the modern era is tailored for artificial intelligence systems to oversee, control, and ensure reliable performance with renewable sources, applied to microgrids and electric vehicles.
What problems are you trying to solve?
Developing power electronics and control systems that are both economical and dedicated to tackling reliability issues across a wide range of applications in power generation, transmission, distribution, power electronics components, converters, electric vehicles, renewable energy systems, and microgrids, emphasizing the technology’s extensive coverage in power and energy applications. To ensure high core reliability and minimize failures, focus on user-centric planning incorporating diverse real-time hardware-in-loop (HIL) testing cases. The reliability testing of guidelines, utilization of Artificial Intelligence in power and energy systems, and the study of research-based learning for university courses. Working together with multiple academic and industrial partners, which include Tinfos (Norway), Brunvoll Mar-El AS (Norway), InnoCell (Denmark), Danfoss A/S (Finland), Dash Dynamic (India), and Typhoon HIL.
Can you summarize your book?
The book “Reliability Analysis of Modern Power Systems” is the pioneer in discussing power systems, power electronics, and system-level studies based on research findings. Reliability is a challenging subject with few resources, yet the book covers various aspects such as power generation, transmission, distribution, power electronics, semiconductor design, control systems, renewable energy, and microgrids. The next chapters will delve into computing hardware, designing virtual worlds, and the programming involved.
Where can we find you online?
Readers may find my profile on LinkedIn or email me at sanjeev.padma@usn.no (official) & sanjeevi_12@yahoo.co.in (personal).
I am excited to hear your opinions!