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As a newly named Early-Career Research Fellow by the National Academies (of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine), Zhao joins the Academies\u2019 Gulf Research Program\u2019s Offshore Energy Safety Track. He and four other Safety Track fellows will collaborate on improving safety measures related to offshore energy production\u2014particularly generating renewable sources\u2014and minimizing environmental impacts and risks to communities and ecosystems in coastal areas.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have always been focused on how technological advancement can help solve challenging problems and benefit society,\u201d Zhao says. \u201cThis is particularly important for my field of study\u2014power and energy\u2014where a new paradigm shift has been happening with the ambitious goal of renewable energy adoption and decarbonization goals.\u201d<\/p>\n
The\u00a0Early-Career Research Fellowships<\/a>\u00a0program supports emerging scientific leaders as they take on untested research ideas, pursue unique collaborations, and build a network of colleagues who share their interest in advancing the safety of offshore energy systems and improving the well-being of coastal communities and ecosystems.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are delighted to have such a talented cohort of fellows pursuing innovative, collaborative research,\u201d said Karena Mary Mothershed, director of Gulf Research Program\u2019s board on Gulf Education and Engagement. \u201cWe look forward to supporting these early-career researchers as they implement research that will have a lasting impact on the Gulf of Mexico region.\u201d<\/p>\n During his fellowship, Zhao plans to work with leaders at Eversource Energy, Avangrid, and hydrogen manufacturers in Connecticut to develop proof-of-concept designs that illustrate the feasibility, applicability, and benefit of integrated offshore wind and ocean wave energy exploration platforms.<\/p>\n He\u2019ll use a digital twin platform to emulate various system operating conditions, help avoid human error\/intervention, provide prognostic early warnings, and enhance offshore energy safety measures.<\/p>\n \u201cI will further develop a design-by-safety process that is understandable and adoptable by operators in the offshore wind and ocean wave generation industry,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Zhao already brings in-depth and hands-on research experience in offshore energy exploration and safety to the Gulf Research collaboration. Between 2019-2021, he worked extensively with integrated energy company Entergy and National Renewable Energy Laboratory to understand the energy challenges and potential of the Gulf Coast. As part of this project, he partnered with mechanical engineers at Mississippi State University to design a renewable ocean wave energy converter system and investigated Entergy\u2019s transmission systems for secure integration of potential offshore wind generations.<\/p>\n Additionally, he led two projects funded by U.S. Department of Energy to develop innovative tools of risk assessment and mitigation for offshore wind energy grid integration.<\/p>\n \u201cThese contributions pave the way for harnessing and securing the integration of Gulf Coast energy into the electric grid, contributing to the grid decarbonization goals for the Gulf Coast states,\u201d Zhao explains.<\/p>\n Since joining the University of Connecticut in 2022 as an assistant professor of electrical engineering, Zhao has explored his research interests in power system modeling, estimation, security, dynamics and stability, uncertainty quantification, renewable energy integration and control, and machine learning.<\/p>\n He\u2019s currently focusing on two extensive research projects.<\/p>\n For one, he\u2019s studying electrical safety of offshore wind turbines in terms of their predictive health monitoring and undersea cable fault detection. Zhao collaborated with offshore wind developer Eversource Energy and fiber optical sensing technology provider NEC Labs America to develop fiber optical sensing systems to predict wind turbine health and provide at least 30% of accuracy improvement in undersea cable fault detection compared to existing technologies.<\/p>\n Secondly, as principal investigator and director of the Department of Energy-supported Northeast University Cybersecurity Center for Advanced and Resilient Energy Delivery (CyberCARED<\/a>), Zhao is leading research on offshore energy system cybersecurity in attempt to resude possible failures and safety threats.<\/p>\n \u201cThrough CyberCARED, we\u2019re designing effective cyberattack defense approaches and procedures to enable better human responses to unseen failures caused by attacks,\u201d Zhao says. \u201cBy preventing cyberattacks, we\u2019re significantly enhancing offshore energy system safety and preventing possible human injuries or even loss of life.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBy preventing cyberattacks, we\u2019re significantly enhancing offshore energy system safety and preventing possible human injuries or even loss of life.\u201d \u2014 Junbo Zhao<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Ji-Cheng \u201cJC\u201d Zhao, dean of the College of Engineering, says Professor Zhao’s innovative work embodies the forward-thinking spirit of the UConn College of Engineering. \u201cHis research, particularly on improving safety in offshore energy production, exemplifies the kind of critical R&D that will help shape the future of energy systems,\u201d Dean Zhao says. \u201cWe are proud to see him recognized as an Early-Career Research Fellow and look forward to the impactful contributions his work will bring to the Gulf Coast and beyond.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"offshore](\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/offshorewindmill-1024x541.jpg\")
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<\/a>Achieving 100% clean electricity will require a vast build-out of new renewable energy resources, both on land and offshore, Zhao explains.<\/p>\n