Master Thesis Worker Home Energy Management System (HEMS) Optimization

Thesis Worker at Volvo Cars

Welcome to explore the world of Volvo Cars by writing your thesis with us! As a thesis worker in our organization you are supported by a supervisor who follows you during your project. All thesis projects are arranged in business critical areas and therefore you will be able to contribute to our company purpose – providing freedom to move in a safe, sustainable and personal way – from day one! 

Description: HEMS Optimization 

Background
The transition towards a more sustainable society is driving a trend of increased electrification and an increasing share of renewable energy production. Many residential homeowners have, or are expected to, invest in battery electric vehicles (BEV), heat-pumps, solar panels and residential energy storage systems (RESS). To control such a residential home in a cost optimal manner a so-called Home Energy Management System (HEMS) is needed, in order to schedule and execute the charge/discharge of  BEVs and RESS. 

 
Scope
The purpose of the thesis work is to develop a HEMS optimization framework for a residential home, defined by a house with solar panels, a heat-pump, a RESS and a bi-directional BEV. The framework should be hierarchical and contain two control layers, i) a supervisory layer, and ii) a real-time control layer. The supervisory layer is responsible for the high-level scheduling of energy flows within the residential home, based on expected BEV usage pattern, household energy consumption, solar panel energy production and cost of electricity. A key objective of the thesis is to devise a supervisory layer, based on a receding horizon stochastic optimal control problem formulation. A further objective is to devise a corresponding real-time control layer, responsible for tracking of the energy references provided by the supervisory layer, as well as disturbance rejection (e.g. demand peak shaving).

Work packages:
1.    System modelling.
o    Plant model for the HEMS system.
o    Stochastic model of usage pattern.
2.    Formulation & implementation of supervisory layer.
3.    Formulation & implementation of real-time control layer.
4.    Simulation case studies. 
5.    Write the thesis report.

Qualifications:
•    MSc. in Engineering, within Control, Physics, Mathematics or similar. 
•    Relevant courses in control, optimization, statistics and programming. 
•    Residence permit in EU/Schengen, i.e. a valid visa for Sweden. 
•    Willingness to work in a pair with another student. 

Duration:
•    20 weeks / 30 ECTS
•    Starting date: December-February, exact date is flexible
•    Estimated end date: Summer 2025
•    Number of students: 1 or 2 students

Form of employment Master thesis 
Location : Gothenburg (Torslanda), Sweden

How to learn more
Attach your resume, courses and grades, and cover letter stating your interests within the given area and your thoughts and credentials. If you want more information about the project or simply learn a bit more about the team, please reach out to:

Manager: Carina Larsson,  carina.larsson@volvocars.com
Technical Expert & Supervisor: PhD. Viktor Larsson, viktor.larsson@volvocars.com

The Department
At Energy Management we design, research, deliver and verify functions and software systems to improve energy efficiency, minimize range anxiety and ensure a market-leading charging experience while balancing attributes using available data and given hardware.

Our team
We are 7 engineers with diverse backgrounds located in Gothenburg and have the overall responsibility to inform, educate and coach users in their electrification experience while driving. Some of our inputs are customer feedback, conclusions from benchmarks and lessons learned. The design team works closest with the development/programming teams that will implement the systems, but we collaborate with many different areas within Volvo Cars such as the teams responsible for charging, battery and thermal management, but also UX design and Product validation team.

Volvo Cars - Driving change together​

Volvo Cars’ success is the outcome of a collaborative, diverse, and inclusive working environment. Today, we are one of the most well-known and respected car brands, with around 43,000 employees across the globe. At Volvo Cars, your career is designed around your skills and aspirations, allowing you to reach your fullest potential.​

By 2025, we aim to sell 1.2 million cars annually, with 50 per cent being electric cars and sold directly to customers mainly through digital channels. Make sure you’re in the front seat on this exciting journey as we pioneer the driving and electrification technologies of the future.