The distinguished lecture – Power System Protection: Philosophy and Practice was delivered by Prof. Ray Zhang, at 15:00 on 1^st Dec 2023. The topic for the seminar is Power System Protection, including protection classifications, protection performance and fundamental protection philosophy. The event was attended by 43 in-person and online attendees and chaired by Prof. Xiao-Ping Zhang. Prof. Ray Zhang has worked in power industry with over 30 years’ experience. Prior to Arup Ray was the Technical Leader within the National Grid Electricity Transmission, responsible for technical policies for the “Light Current” business (incl. Protection & Automation, Telecoms, HVDC & FACTS, Cybersecurity).

Prof. Ray Zhang summarized his presentation with the following aspects:

• Primary purpose of power system protection is to preserve network stability.
• Protection requirements are related to network design and operation.
• Different protection methodology, technology and equipment can be applied for different protection functions.
• All the protection functions need to be coordinated within and between systems/schemes.

The participants engaged enthusiastically in the questions and discussions, contributing novel ideas and innovative perspectives to the lecture. Professor Zhang patiently addressed students’ inquiries regarding protection coordination and philosophy, offering guidance for the younger generation’s academic interests and future research directions.

Finally, Prof. Xiao-Ping Zhang and Prof. Ray Zhang concluded the lecture with insights into the cutting-edge technologies and opportunities for the future of power systems stability control and protection.

By Yixin Li

Secretary, UoB IEEE Student Branch