Modeling and Filtering in Energy Systems

Mauricio de Oliveira, UC San Diego

May 11, 2016, 11:00 - 12:00pm, EBU-II 479

Abstract:  In this talk we will showcase the application of optimal estimation and filtering techniques to two types of systems of interest to the energy community. In the first part we will review some recent results in modeling the closed-loop steady-state behavior of gas turbines based on a combination of computer experiments and experimental field data. The goal is to be able to assess the current state of the turbine and predict key quantities vital to the operation of the machine based on a limit number of sensors. In the second part we will revisit the problem of estimating currents and voltages in three-phase electrical systems using Kalman filters. Kalman filters have been widely used in this type of application for many years in a number of setups. We will show that some of these setups can lead to suboptimal performance if care is not used when characterizing the underlying noise properties and will also establish conditions under which optimality is indeed attained.

Bio:  Maurício de Oliveira conducts research in the area of Optimization, Dynamic Systems and Control. His work is focused on the application of convex optimization to solve problems in systems, dynamics and control. His Ph.D. (1999), M. S. (1996) and B. S. (1995) are all in Electrical Engineering from the University of Campinas, Brazil. He is currently an Adjunct Associate Professor at the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California, San Diego, CA, a department he joined in 2003. Prior to that he was an Assistant Professor at the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Campinas, SP, Brazil from 2001 to 2003. From 2005 to 2006 he was the Chief Research Engineer at Dynamic Systems Research, Inc., San Diego, CA, where he led a large team on the development of an energy harvesting station keeping sea drogue.