Bringing intelligence to battery management systems through a cloud platform

The Opportunity

The CSIRO Industry PhD Program (iPhD) is a four-year research training program, focusing on applied research that benefits industry by solving real-world challenges. It aims to produce the next generation of innovation leaders with the skills to work at the interface of research and industry in Australia.

The Program includes:

  1. Admission to a Federation University PhD program.
  2. Supervision by Federation University, CSIRO, and Techplus Control System Pty Ltd.
  3. A four year scholarship package of $46,000 per annum (2024 rate), tax free and indexed annually.
  4. A four-year Project Expense and Development package of $13,000 per annum.
  5. A three-month industry engagement component with the industry partner.
  6. A structured professional development and training program to develop your applied research skills.

Further information on the program can be found in the CSIRO student brochure.

Successful students are subject to the policies, procedures and guidelines of the participating university in addition to the CSIRO Industry PhD Program terms and conditions. Students will receive a standard PhD on completion.

The Project

Supervisory team details

  1. Federation University

    Name of Federation University supervisor

    Joarder Kamruzzaman

    Email address

    joarder.kamruzzaman@federation.edu.au

    Faculty

    Institute of Innovation, Science and Sustainability

  2. CSIRO

    Name of CSIRO supervisor

    David Abbott

    Email address

    david.a.abbott@csiro.au

    CSIRO Business Unit

    Manufacturing

  3. Industry

Name of business/organisation

Techplus Control System Pty Ltd

Website

https://techplussolutions.com.au/

Project details

Project title

Bringing intelligence to battery management systems through a cloud platform

Project description

As the world transitions towards zero-emission using renewable energy sources, batteries are becoming increasingly crucial for energy storage. Currently, battery management systems (BMSs) lack intelligence and have primitive condition monitoring, cell balancing and fault diagnosis capabilities due to limited on-board memory and computing resources. This project aims to bring intelligence and resilience to current BMSs by developing innovative deep learning models and data analytic techniques, hosted on the cloud, which will work on real-time and historical data from batteries for accurate and early fault detection and prediction. The detection and prediction outcome will generate ‘actionable decisions’ which will be transmitted back to the batteries to set their configuration for optimal and safe operation, and thereby increase battery life.

The project’s significance lies in utilising cloud’s data storage and computing capabilities to build a platform that allows parallel and fast processing of data and execution of powerful analytics, making optimised decisions in real time. It will contribute to the renewable energy sector's growth by enhancing the reliability and resiliency of BMSs. The project will benefit end-users financially and businesses by providing better services.

Primary location of student

Federation University Australia, Gippsland Campus, Northways Road, Churchill VIC 3842 (occasional travel to other campuses may be required)

Other potential locations

Renewable Energy Systems Group; CSIRO Lindfield, Bradfield Road, West Lindfield NSW 2070

Industry engagement component location

Techplus Control System Pty. Ltd, 3/6 Garden Road, Clayton VIC 3168

Ideal student skillset

Essential:

  • A research degree (Honours or Masters) from an accredited university in computer science or electrical engineering, specialising in machine learning.
  • Skill in computer programming.
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills
  • Good problem-solving skills and ability and interest to work on applied research problems.
  • Ability to develop relationships with key academic and industry stakeholders.

Desirable

  • Experience in power systems or battery technologies.
  • Industry work experience closely related to the field of research.
  • Experience of publishing in high-impact peer-reviewed journals.

Application Close Date

Open until position filled

Eligibility Requirements

The student must:

  1. Be an Australian citizen or Permanent Resident, or a New Zealand citizen.
  2. Be eligible to undertake a PhD. Verify you can meet eligibility requirements outlined on the Graduate Research School website. If you are applying for ‘Honours equivalence,’ please ensure that you provide detailed information to support your case.
  3. Meet Federation University English language requirements.
  4. Not have previously completed a PhD.
  5. Be able to commence the Program in the year of the offer.
  6. Enrol as a full-time PhD student.

Application Process

  1. Applicants are required to submit a full application via the HDR candidate application form with all necessary documents, along with a 250-word summary that describes why you would be suitable for this project.
  2. The application is assessed by the supervisory team and shortlisted applicants are interviewed.
  3. The supervisory team nominates a preferred applicant.
  4. The application is then assessed by the Graduate Research School against PhD admission criteria.
  5. Federation University will issue a letter of offer for the program if all conditions have been satisfied.

Further information

General Program Information:

Subscribe to our newsletter for up-to-date program information and announcements.

Project Specific Information:

  • Contact the nominated supervisors for the project listed above.