By applying smart control concepts and ‘tweaking’ voltages, we can increase the transmission capacity of existing power networks by 50 percent. This is part of the everyday life of Stefan Johansson, who is working on and researching the stability of power networks. A hot topic today.
What Stefan Johansson is doing just now is actually something that he started to study in the mid-1990s. In 1998 he submitted his doctoral thesis “Long-term voltage stability in power systems”. In his research today at Corporate Research he can apply the same calculation methods and principles as those he had developed at that time.
“There are not many people who can work with almost exactly the same technology as the subject of their doctoral theses,” says Stefan Johansson.
He agrees that the blackouts that affected Europe and the United States last fall have had a positive impact on his work and that of his colleagues. There is a steadily growing demand for HVDC Light technology on which he is working. The aim of the research is to find increased value added for ABB’s HVDC Light technology.
Recently they launched the homepage “HVDC Light System Interaction Tutorial”, a matrix-based homepage, where customers can find everything from easily understandable information about HVDC technology to detailed calculation models of the technology’s impact and benefits. “The homepage serves as a good complement to other marketing activities, information and customer contacts.”
As regards Stefan Johansson, his move to ABB went via the Electrical Engineering School of Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg. However, electrical power engineering was not given from the start. He also managed to take courses on acoustics and laser technology. Stefan did his degree project work at a power utility.
After the major blackout in Sweden in 1983, the research foundation of the utility Sydkraft decided to fund postgraduate studentships at Chalmers among other universities. Stefan was asked whether he would accept one of the studentships. “Sydkraft wanted us to take a closer look at the behavior of electric radiators in conjunction with voltage variations. One of the issues was how to control the generator and how this is related to the load,” says Stefan Johansson.
In the same year that Stefan Johansson received his doctorate, ABB launched its Powerformer high-voltage generator. Three different ABB units contacted Stefan and asked him to submit a job application. He started working on the planning and performance of measurements on the first Powerformer generator at Porjus Hydropower Plant in northern Sweden.
“Because ABB divested its entire power generation business to Alstom, I accepted an offer to work on HVDC technology, where I’m applying the same principles as those I was working on at Chalmers.”
In his opinion being a researcher in a major technology group like ABB has mainly advantages. Decision-making processes may take a long time, but you have a great measure of freedom.
“Here at Corporate Research we can largely speaking continue working without being controlled by projects or deadlines. A major benefit of doing research in a company is the closeness to customers. This gives you a more secure platform on which to stand, as you can focus on problems based on reality, which hopefully will produce research results.
Last fall’s blackouts give a feeling that the time is now ripe to reap the harvest, considers Stefan Johansson. He is convinced that he made the right choice about his career when he decided to study electrical power engineering. How much are we prepared to pay in order not to be without electricity, he asks.
“Choose between an automobile and electricity? Electricity is always a basic need so I’ll always have a job.”