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Power System Group

Dr. Miles A Redfern Research

Research Interests
Selected Recent Research Grants and Contracts
People in my research
Patents

Research Interests

Dr Redfern has been active researcher in electrical power systems for a long while and has developed his interests in:

the control and protection of distribution systems
the connection of embedded generation
high speed transient based protection schemes
communications for power system control and protection
non-invasive location of buried utilities.

He has written approximately 200 learned publications, most of which have been presented to international audiences.

Society’s dependence on electrical energy has placed many demands on the power distribution networks. These provide consumers with supplies from the bulk producers and have to meet the standards required for the ‘quality of supply’. Voltage is a principle supply parameter and hence recent work has concentrated on techniques, strategies and equipment used for voltage control.

Electricity is inherently dangerous and these systems need proper protection to protect the public, operators, the electrical equipment and the system. New challenges are continually arising which require new and novel solutions.

One of the greatest challenges in today’s power networks is the connection of embedded generation. Making the most of such sources while minimising potential dangers to human life has created a Pandora’s box of problems. These include the need for new protection and control systems to enable these generators to operate securely while connected to the bulk supply and while isolated from it. Part of this research is being undertaken as part of the EPSRC’s ‘SuperGen’ project.

Using the transients generated by short circuits on power networks provides an attracted mechanism for achieving high speed fault detection. Originally proposed in the 1930s, such schemes have only recently become feasible with the advent of cost effective, powerful signal processing microprocessors and techniques. Interest in this area is truly international and Dr Redfern is collaborating with researchers in the UK, China and South America.

Power supply networks are the largest users of real-time communications. Protection schemes place significant demands on any communications scheme that they use and significant research and industrial effort is being invested in this area. Appreciating the challenges of this application and designing new techniques to meet these has been a very interesting area of research.

All of this research depends not only on a thorough understanding of power systems but also signal processing and measurement systems. One of the greatest expenses for the power industry is concerned with the management of buried assets. Non-invasive techniques to map these assets have led to a long lasting interest in ground penetrating radar. This work has led to a series of international patents and current research is being funded by the EPSRC’s ‘Mapping the Underworld’ project.

Selected Recent Research Grants and Contracts

• EPSRC grant EP/C547365/1 ‘Mapping the Underworld: Buried Asset Location, Identification and Condition Assessment using a Multi-Sensor Approach.’ Principal Investigator Professor C D F Rogers, University of Birmingham. Bath team: Dr S R Pennock and Dr M A Redfern. Grant £ 500,188. Bath component:- £ 90,099 MAR component £ 45,049. 2005- 2008.

• KOSEF Research Collaboration Grant, Korea, 1,160,000 won ( £ 580.00), June 2004.

• EPSRC grant GR/S28082/01 ‘SuperGen1 - Future Network Technologies.’, Principle Investigator Professor J R McDonald, University of Strathclyde, Bath team Dr R W Dunn, Dr F Li, Dr H F Wang and Dr M A Redfern. Grant £ 3,419,650. Bath component:- £ 424k. MAR component £ 111,418, 2003-2007.

• Tsinghua Visiting Specialist Support Grant. 12 March 2003, 5000 yuan.

• Yorkshire Electricity plc. Research Contract EE096X, £24,000. May 2001-June 2002. With Professor R K Aggarwal , "Potential Benefits and Effects of reducing Fault Clearance Times on Quality of Supply for Electricity Distribution Systems."

• EPSRC CASE Award with ALSTOM T&D Protection and Control, Stafford £26,500. Plus funding from EPSRC, 2000-2003. "Control Techniques for Automatic On-Load Transformer Tap-Changers."

• EPSRC CASE Award with ALSTOM T&D Protection and Control, Stafford £24,500. Plus funding from EPSRC, 1999-2002. "Protection and Control for Small and Medium Sized Embedded Generators."

Selected Other Research Grants and Contracts

• Systems Engineering and Assessment Ltd. £18,000., 1998, “REMIDS UWBSAR project.” together with Dr S R Pennock. 1998.

• Midlands Electricity plc., £6,200., 1997-1999. “Substation Remote Monitoring System.”

• London Electricity plc., £3,000. Supplement to LEB contract below. 1996-1997. "Underground Cable Depth Measurement System." with Dr S R Pennock.

• E A Technology Ltd., £16,500. 1996-1998. "Development of the 'Underground Cable Depth Measurement System.' for London Electricity plc". Consultancy contract with Dr S R Pennock.

• Electricite de France, 131,638. Francs ( £15,860. ), December 1995, "Effects of the Connection of Independent Producer on the Protection Plan of MV Network.". with Professor A T Johns and Dr M M ElKateb.

• London Electricity plc., Direct funding £179,500. plus seconded research officer from E A Technology at cost of £90,000. 1991-1996. "Underground Cable Depth Measurement System.". with Dr S R Pennock.

• EPSRC ROPA Award GR/K 61869, £40,270., 1996-1997. "Synchronising Current Flicker Effects on Diesel Generators Operating in Parallel with a Utility Supply."

• SERC co-operative research grant GR/E 48572, Total funding £86,237. (SERC £33,297.), 1989-1991. "Integrated Protection Scheme for Distributed Generation Units: Co Generation."

• SERC CASE Award with GEC ALSTHOM: Protection and Control, £13,500., 1993-1996. "Pole Slipping Protection for Small and Medium Sized Embedded Generators."

• SERC CASE Award with GEC ALSTHOM: Protection and Control, £6,613., 1992-1994. "Loss of Grid Protection for Small and Medium Sized Embedded Generators."

• Electricite de France. “The Privatisation of the British Supply Industry.” A series of courses starting December 1992 organised by D Sullivan Esq, INTERFACE, Paris and Dr B Bolton, University of Bath.

• National Grid Company plc. “Digital Power System Protection.” with Professor A T Johns, Dr P J Moore, Dr R K Aggarwal, and Dr R F Ormondroyd. A series of courses starting in January 1992.

• Southern Electricity plc. “Switching Studies for Embedded Generation.” Nov. 1992.

• South Western Electricity plc. “Power System Engineering Course.” with Dr B Bolton. April 1991

• London Electricity plc. “Foundation Course in Power Engineering.” with Dr B Bolton. A series of courses starting in September 1990.

• SERC co-operative research grant GR/F 04087, Total funding: £73,360. (SERC £26,009. ), 1989-1991. "Data Communications for Unit Protection of High Voltage Feeders using Distribution Cable Carrier Techniques - Pilot Study."

• GEC Alsthom Measurements Stafford, £2,500., 1991. "Data Communications for Unit Protection of High Voltage Feeders using Distribution Cable Carrier Techniques - Continuation."

People In My Group

See the Research People Here

Patents

Redfern M A and Pennock S R, 'System for and Method of Determining the Location of an Object in a Medium.' For London Electricity plc,

UK Patent 2304483 29 March 2000,

USA Patent 6002357 14 December 1999.

EU Patent Pending.

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