HVDC in Fast-Forward
The focus of the first part of my presentation “HVDC in fast-forward” is on high voltage DC as an enabling technology for harvesting renewable energy. Ample attention will be given to the challenges and risks related to the fast roll-out of HVDC cable systems in Europe and in China. The need for developing on-line monitoring systems and non-intrusive sensors is discussed and research opportunities are highlighted. In the second part of my presentation I will provide a short overview of the expertise of the Institute of Electrical Insulation and Materials of Xi’an Jiaotong University, one of the top institutes in China in this field. One of the areas of growing interest for this group is the development of sensors for monitoring high voltage equipment.
Speaker Biography
Dr. Peter Morshuis (Solid Dielectric Solutions, Visiting Professor Xi’an Jiaotong University, China)
Dr. Morshuis received his MSc and PhD in Electrical Engineering from Delft University of Technology, where he later served as Assistant Professor (1987–1999) and Associate Professor in High Voltage Engineering (1999–2015). His expertise lies in the design and analysis of dielectric materials for both AC and DC electrical insulation, with a strong focus on partial discharge mechanisms and diagnostics, space charge measurement in full-size cable systems, nanodielectrics, electro-active polymer generators, and functional materials. From 1985 to 1987, he worked as a researcher at NKF Kabel (now Prysmian Cables & Systems). In 2012, he founded Solid Dielectric Solutions, a consultancy offering in-company training and support for the design, construction, and testing of high voltage components and new dielectric applications, from concept to type testing. Between 2020 and 2025, he served as Global Research Manager at SBM Offshore, leading an international wave energy conversion project with research partners in the UK, China, and Germany. During this period, he also held positions as Visiting Professor at the University of Southampton (UK) and Xi’an Jiaotong University (China), where he was also a 1000 Talents Plan Professor from 2019 to 2021. Earlier visiting professorships include Universitá di Bologna (1999), University of Wuhan (2014), and Xi’an Jiaotong University (2015), as well as a Visiting Fellowship at the University of Southampton in 2017. Since 2015, he has been the organizer of the IEEE DEIS Summer School on Dielectrics, with events held in China, Japan, and Europe. These schools have focused on cutting-edge topics such as nanodielectric interfaces, HVDC cable insulation, and space charge measurement. His main research competencies include aging mechanisms and measurement of solid dielectrics under AC and DC electric stress, partial discharge detection and analysis, space charge mechanisms and diagnostics in DC insulation, design and characterization of nanocomposites and dielectric interfaces, on-site monitoring of dielectric properties in high-voltage systems, feasibility and design of ultra-high-voltage DC cable systems, and electro-active polymers and their dielectric behavior. Dr. Morshuis has co-authored over 300 papers in international peer-reviewed journals and conferences, with an h-index of 47.