Mark Wilson, BEng(Hons) MPhil PhD FHEA MIET MIEEE

I am a member of teaching staff in the Department of Electronic & Electrical Engineering, based within the High Voltage Technologies (HVT) research group.

My research is broadly focused on dielectric breakdown, high-power switching, and corona discharges and their applications. Presently, my main area of investigation is experimental characterisation of solid, liquid and gaseous insulation systems, with emphasis on interfacial surface flashover in geometries and voltage regimes relevant to the pulsed-power industry.

I graduated with a BEng(Hons) in Electronic & Electrical Engineering from the University of Strathclyde in 2004, subsequently completing an MPhil (2007), for studying the processing of materials for recycling using high-power ultrasound, during a 2-year Knowledge Transfer Partnership. I obtained my PhD in 2011, for a study involving the experimental characterisation of liquid-solid insulation systems subjected to fast-rising, impulsive, high voltages, and statistical analysis of the results. Also in 2011, I was granted a Graduate Scholarship Award from the IEEE Nuclear and Plasma Sciences Society, in recognition of contributions to the fields of nuclear and plasma sciences in terms of academic record, publications, presentations, related projects, and work experience. I have over 100 publications, encompassing IEEE Transactions journals and conference proceedings, and presentations at scientific conferences.

• High-voltage engineering
• Pulsed power
• Dielectric breakdown
• Impulse generator design
• Lightning-impulse testing

• Supervision of UG and MSc projects in areas related to high-voltage engineering
• Digital electronics and analogue circuit analysis techniques
• Laboratory practice and techniques, circuit design and analysis, links to theory
• Supporting personal development in the transition from school/college to university
• Use of online tools like myplace to support teaching, learning, assessment and feedback

Within the High Voltage Technologies (HVT) research group, my research interests encompass areas of high-voltage engineering, pulsed power, and plasma science. Dielectric breakdown is a key theme, with emphasis on the experimental and statistical characterisation of composite insulation systems subject to the type of fast-rising voltage wave-forms found in industrial pulsed-power machines, facilitating the design and development of components and sub-systems of such machines.

I am interested in the design and development of high-voltage impulse generators, including Marx generators and transmission-line-based pulse-forming networks. Within these systems, I am interested in the development and characterisation of high-power switching elements, and particularly in corona-stabilised switching.

Specific areas of emphasis include the development of portable pulsed-power equipment for industrial applications such as lightning-impulse testing of power transformers, processing of waste materials for recycling, and plasma-channel drilling. Collaborating with colleagues in The Robertson Trust Laboratory for Electronic Sterilisation Technologies (ROLEST), I also have interests in biological applications of pulsed power, including decontamination using pulsed electric fields (PEF) and pulsed ultraviolet light (PUV).