Yang Zhang

Profile

Biography

I am a Research Fellow in the School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering at the University of Leeds. My research focuses on modeling, stability analysis, and control of power electronics-based power systems and transportation electrification with the energy storage system.

My academic journey has taken me from China to Denmark, Sweden, and now the UK. Along the way, I have collaborated with international research groups and industry partners on projects that aim to improve the stability, efficiency, and sustainability of future power and energy systems.

Academic Background

• Ph.D. in Power Electronics and Power Drives
  Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, China (2015 – 2021)

• Visiting Ph.D. Student
  Aalborg University, Denmark (2019)

• M.Eng. in Electrical Engineering
  Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, China (2012 – 2015)

• B.Eng. in Electrical Engineering and Automation
  Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, China (2008 – 2012)

Research and Professional Experience

I have held academic and research positions in China, Sweden, and the UK:

• Research Fellow (2025 – Present)
  University of Leeds, UK

• Postdoctoral Researcher (2023 – 2025)
  KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden

• Associate Professor (2021 – 2023)
  Fuzhou University, China

Research interests

My research explores how power electronics can enable reliable, efficient, and sustainable energy systems. I work at the interface of converter control, system stability, and renewable integration, with applications across energy grids, electric vehicles, and transport systems.

• Impedance-based modelling and stability analysis
  I study how converters interact with large renewable systems, such as wind farms and distributed generation, to ensure grid stability.

• Converter control and hardware design
  I develop advanced control strategies for modular multilevel converters, dual-active bridge converters, and grid-forming inverters.

• Energy storage and transport electrification
  My work includes designing converter-based energy storage for railway systems and developing vehicle-to-grid (V2G) solutions for intelligent energy management.

• AI and data-driven approaches
  I apply reinforcement learning and machine learning to power converter control and power system stability evaluation.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Power Electronics and Power Drives, NUAA, China, 2021
• M.Eng. in Electrical Engineering, NUAA, China, 2015
• B.Eng. in Electrical Engineering and Automation, NUAA, China, 2012

Research groups and institutes

• Institute of Communication and Power Networks