PhD Scholarship Programme (Vicente Lopez) Artificial Intelligence and Charging Solutions


  • Job: Investigador/a en Formación
  • Department: Applied Artificial Intelligence
  • Location: Cerdanyola del Vallès (Spain)
  • Contract: Temporary
  • Working day: Full time
  • Sector: Energy
  • Vacancies: 1
  • Discipline: R&D
  • Work modality: On site

EURECAT

Eurecatis the main Research & Technology Organisation in Catalonia and the second largest private research organization in southern Europe. It brings together the experience of more than 700 professionals and provides services to more than 2,000 companies. Applied R&D, technological services, highly specialized training, technological consultancy or valorisation and exploitation of industrial property are some of the services that Eurecat offers for both large and small and medium-sized enterprises in all sectors. The technology centre participates in more than 200 large national and international consortium projects of high strategic R&I and has 181 patents and 10 spin-offs. The added value provided by Eurecat accelerates innovation, reduces spending on scientific and technological infrastructures, reduces risks and provides specialized knowledge tailored to each company.

Job description

The Applied Artificial Intelligence Unit of Eurecat develops innovative solutions (algorithms, methods, platforms) based on a combination of artificial intelligence and knowledge management technologies, especially for the industrial, energy and sustainability sectors.

 

In partnership with the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), AAI seeks a candidate to carry out a PhD project framed in the XL-Connect Horizon Europe Project. This European consortium aims to optimize the charging chain of battery-powered electric vehicles (from energy provision to the end user) to create a clear benefit for all stakeholders.

 

The PhD, framed on the Vicente Lopez scholarship, will be supervised by Professor Xavier Alvarez in the UAB and tutored by PhD Pol Torres in Eurecat. As part of the European consortium, the candidate could stay up to six months in Austria (AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GMBH) or Germany (Rheinisch-Westfaelische Technische Hochschule Aachen).

 

Functions and Responsabilities 

The PhD will be focused on the vehicle/grid interaction. Statistical and AI models and the optimization strategy for the entire charging chain will be developed. The main contribution of the PhD student to the project will be:

  • Development of statistical and AI models to predict the connected battery capacity based on location, user behaviour and incentives.
  • Study of the vehicle-grid interaction. Design and development of models based on physical correlations that include the information flow between the different agents and establish the flow structure to set up demand response situations and connections to the chargers and grid information.
  • Design of control and optimization strategies based on the detailed elaboration of agents, which balance the decision-making between users, vehicles, charging point operators, grid and other stakeholders. On the charging point management system level, smart charging and V2G charging strategies will be developed. The algorithms will include AI-based control strategies as well as optimal control-based approaches. These charging point-level strategies will be combined with demand response setups to support grid stability.

 

 

Requirements

  • Requirements

Studies and Knowledge:

  • Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, Physics or related disciplines. 
  • Proven experience working with, Python, reusable code, and software documentation.
  • Other programming languages such as C++ will be positively valuated. 

Soft Skills:

  • Be able to work in a multidisciplinary team.
  • Be able to work in an autonomous way and communicate/document the results in a comprehensible and professional way.
  • Demonstrate excellent communication skills as well as adaptability and creativity. 
  • A certain degree of mobility is expected due to PhD requirements (Conferences and Institutional visits).
  • Availability to perform an internship in a project partner institution

Languages:

  • High oral and written communication skills in English  
  • Knowledge of Catalan or Spanish is desirable. 
Job closed

  • Job: Investigador/a en Formación
  • Department: Applied Artificial Intelligence
  • Location: Cerdanyola del Vallès (Spain)
  • Contract: Temporary
  • Working day: Full time
  • Sector: Energy
  • Vacancies: 1
  • Discipline: R&D
  • Work modality: On site