Professor Xin Zhang

Prof Xin Zhang‘s research experience covers power system real-time control, planning and operation, digital power systems, cyber-physical power system modelling and co-simulation, smart grid and renewable energy, and transport electrification (land-air transport) with grid integration. As the Principal Investigator (PI), his research work has been funded by UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship (£1.8 million, MR/W011360/1, 2022-2026), EPSRC New Investigator Award (£481k, EP/W028905/1, 2022-2025), EPSRC Supergen Energy Networks Hub (EP/S00078X/2), UK Department for Transport (two projects from T-TRIG 2019, T-TRIG 2020), and Power & Energy Industry. Previously Prof Xin Zhang worked at Cranfield University as a directly appointed Senior Lecturer (2019-2021, tenured in 2020) and Brunel University London (2021-2023). Prof Xin Zhang is promoted to the Professor and Chair in Control and Power Systems at University of Sheffield (2023-).

Prof Zhang worked at National Grid UK (2011-2019) for 8 years before returning academia, Chartered Engineer since 2017, where he undertook power system planning and real-time operation, mainly in the UK Electricity National Control Centre. He has also initiated and managed several National Grid’s network innovation projects with UK universities. 

Sheffield Engineering Faculty is constantly ranked within Top 5 in UK engineering research, and No.2 for engineering research funding. Department of Automatic Control and Systems Engineering (ACSE) is the largest Control and Systems Engineering Department in Europe. We deliver world-leading, high-impact research in the control of power systems, energy, transport and aerospace, as well as manufacturing. Strategic partnerships with industry such as Rolls-Royce (University Technology Centre), Siemens, Airbus and the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC).

I appreciate all the research support and friendly environments my previous organisations (Brunel, Cranfield) have kindly offered. I highly valued my industrial experience from National Grid as the GB Electricity Systems Operator, where I was professionally trained as a power system engineer by many technical experts in the field.

Educations

• PhD in Electrical and Electronic Engineering (2010), The University of Manchester, UK
• MSc (distinction) in Electrical Power Engineering (2007), The University of Manchester, UK
• B.Eng in Automation, Control Science and Engineering (2006), Shandong University, China