Prof. Zhihua Zhang, China University of Petroleum (East China), China

Zhang Zhihua, Professor and Doctoral Supervisor, serves as Vice Dean of the School of New Energy, China University of Petroleum (East China). He was a Visiting Scholar at the University of Manchester, UK. His research and teaching mainly focus on protection and control of AC/DC hybrid distribution systems, optimal regulation of multi-energy complementary integrated energy systems, as well as monitoring, analysis and optimal governance of power quality. He has presided over more than 40 research projects including National Natural Science Foundation of China, National High-tech R&D Program (863 Program), National Major Science and Technology Projects, and National Key R&D Program of China. He has published over 70 academic papers, more than 40 of which are indexed by SCI/EI. He has filed more than 20 international and domestic invention patents, 17 of which have been granted. He participated in the revision of the Distribution and Electricity Consumption Volume of China Electric Power Encyclopedia, and took part in formulating 7 group standards for China Power Supply Society. He has received numerous provincial, ministerial, municipal and bureau-level scientific and technological awards.

Keynote Speech: Voltage Dimension-Upgraded Mapping Model for Distribution Network Faults and Its Localization Method

Abstract: With the continuous advancement of digital and intelligent distribution networks, low-voltage monitoring technologies have been increasingly perfected, yet the depth of data utilization remains limited. Against this backdrop, a mapping model between the low-voltage side voltage magnitudes and medium-voltage side voltage phasors under various distribution network faults is established, alongside its lightweight solving algorithm to realize dimension-upgraded mapping of fault voltages. Combined with network topology and relevant parameters, the distribution characteristics of fault currents are analyzed, thereby achieving fault section localization and precise fault distance measurement. Relying on existing hardware of integrated terminals in low-voltage transformer districts and master station platforms, the proposed method features low implementation cost and high localization accuracy. It provides effective support for improving the operational reliability of new-type distribution networks and advancing high-quality power grid development.

Prof. Qianggang Wang, Chongqing University, China

Qianggang Wang (Senior Member, IEEE) received the B.S. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from Chongqing University, Chongqing, China, in 2009 and 2015, respectively. From 2015 to 2017, he was a Research Fellow at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. He is currently a Professor and Vice Dean of the School of Electrical Engineering, Chongqing University. His research interests include power system operation, microgrids, and renewable energy. Prof. Wang serves as an Assistant Editor for IEEE Transactions on Power Delivery.

Keynote Speech: Fault Ride-Through Technology Based on Coordinated Control and Protection for Flexible DC Transmission in Large-Scale Renewable Energy Power Export

Abstract: This report focuses on the safe and stable operation of flexible DC transmission systems for large-scale renewable energy power export. It addresses key challenges in rapid DC fault clearance and fault ride-through, and presents coordinated control and protection technologies for flexible DC transmission. Although flexible DC transmission offers high controllability, flexible power regulation, and strong suitability for renewable energy integration and long-distance power delivery, DC faults may cause rapidly rising fault currents, lack of natural current zero-crossing, and wide fault propagation. These characteristics pose significant challenges to converter safety, DC line protection, fault isolation, and system recovery. The report analyzes the topology, control modes, and transient fault characteristics of multi-terminal flexible DC systems, explains the mechanisms of fault current formation and propagation, and discusses active current limiting through converter control, passive current limiting using reactors and fault current limiters, and their coordination with DC circuit breakers and protection devices. It also explores voltage support, power redistribution, fast protection criteria, and coordinated control-protection strategies to enhance fault ride-through capability, fault handling efficiency, and the reliability of renewable energy power export.

Prof. Hao Tian, Shandong University, China

Hao Tian is a full professor with the School of Control Science and Engineering, Shandong University. He has long been engaged in research on the optimal design and control of power converters under grid and microgrid conditions, covering topics such as derivation of novel topologies, universal carrier modulation methods, enhancement of converter control performance, and fault ride-through. In recent years, his research has expanded to include sodium-ion battery energy storage management and integration technology, as well as high-efficiency DC conversion. He has led one key project under the Joint Fund of the National Natural Science Foundation of China, and has participated in multiple national key projects, including the National Key R&D Program, the Canada First Research Excellence Fund, and the National 863 Program. He has published over 30 SCI Q1 papers and one English academic monograph. He has been consecutively listed in Elsevier's World's Top 2% Scientists for several years.

Keynote Speech: A Preliminary Study on Converter Design and Optimal Control of Sodium-Ion Energy Storage Converters

Abstract: Sodium-ion batteries, owing to their abundant resources, low cost, and excellent low-temperature performance, are considered a promising direction for next-generation large-scale energy storage. However, their application is constrained by key challenges including a wide voltage range, ambiguous safety boundaries under high-rate operation, and poor cell consistency. From a battery-converter collaborative perspective, this report presents a preliminary exploration of topology design and optimal control. The research encompasses: adopting a partial power conversion architecture to reduce conversion losses across a wide voltage range; designing a novel multi-DC-port multilevel topology to enable flexible access and independent regulation of multiple battery strings; introducing data-driven methods for battery state estimation to improve the accuracy of state-of-charge and state-of-health prediction under poor consistency conditions; and identifying safety boundaries through thermal runaway experimental data, while exploring the coordination mechanism between safety boundaries and converter control strategies.

Prof. Yifei Guo, Shandong University, China

Yifei Guo received the B.E. and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering from Shandong University, Jinan, China, in 2014 and 2019, respectively. He is currently a Professor with the Key Laboratory of Power System Intelligent Dispatch and Control, Ministry of Education, Shandong University, Jinan, China. From 2022 to 2024, he was a Lecturer with the School of Engineering, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, U.K. Earlier, he worked as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at Imperial College London, U.K., and Iowa State University, USA, from 2019 to 2022. His research interests include power system modeling, control, and optimization. Dr. Guo serves as an Assistant Editor for International Journal of Electrical Power & Energy Systems and an Associate Editor for Modern Power Systems and Clean Energy.

Keynote Speech: Towards Optimal Dynamic Voltage Support from Inverter-Based Resources

Abstract: With the increasing penetration of Inverter-Based Resources (IBRs), the legacy practice of disconnecting units during large voltage disturbances poses a severe risk to grid resilience. While IBRs are now required to provide dynamic voltage support (DVS), defining and achieving "optimal" support remains a challenge. This talk addresses three critical questions through the lens of optimization: 1) the optimality analysis and model-free implementation for a single IBR to achieve maximum DVS and 2) the underlying interactions between multiple IBRs.