Page content

Ahmed A.Raouf Mohamed is from Egypt and began his PhD studies in January 2019 and passed his viva on 11th March 2022.

Ahmed has a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical & Control Engineering and a Master of Science in Electrical & Control Engineering.  Prior to his PhD studies Ahmed was an Assistant Lecturer at Arab Academy for Science & Technology and Maritime Transport, Cairo, Egypt.

Ahmed’s PhD is entitled ‘The Integration of Battery Energy Storage Systems in Modern Distribution Networks’

His research explores the potential applications of battery energy storage systems (BESS) in active distribution networks with high uptake of renewable generation and LCTs. Different BESS sizes are investigated including grid-scale for medium voltage (MV) networks, community-scale for low voltage (LV) networks, and behind the meter residential units.

What attracted you to complete your PhD in this area?

I am motivated by the energy evolution; sustainable development goals and net-zero carbon targets towards a low carbon future. I wanted to investigate the innovative and feasible solutions that can be applied to enhance the operation, performance, and stability of electrical power networks in order to facilitate the safe integration of renewable energy and low carbon technologies.

What attracted you to study at Queen’s University?

Queen’s University Belfast attracted me due to its high ranking in education and research. In addition to being able to work as a part of the Energy, Power, Intelligent Systems and Control research cluster in SPIRE2 project with active researchers and supervisors.

What were your expectations for study and were these met?

My expectations were

  1. Gain knowledge and experience about the ongoing energy transition.
  2. Improve my research skills.
  3. Collaborate with industrial firms.
  4. Conduct high impact research.
  5. Publish research papers in prestigious journals and present at scientific conferences.

All my expectations were met.

What were the highlights/lowlights of the programme?

Highlights:

  • Support the engagement between industry and academia.
  • Providing good support in terms of facilities, training, webinars, workshops, and materials.
  • Rapid processing and approvals of fees related to attending workshops, conferences and article processing charges.

Lowlights:

  • Nothing related to the programme, lowlights mainly related to COVID pandemic and lockdowns.

How has the PhD influenced your career aspirations?

During my PhD, I’ve gained many transferable skills besides improving my research skills and abilities which made me ready for both research and industrial careers.

What’s next for you?

My PhD work directly led to me getting my current job with the distribution network operator of Northern Ireland (Northern Ireland Electricity Networks) as a Network Planning Engineer.

Links