Projects per year
Personal profile
Personal Statement
Dr Pawel Niewczas is a Reader in the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering at the University of Strathclyde. He is leading the Advanced Sensors Team within the Institute for Energy and Environment in the same department. His main research interests centre on the advancement of photonic sensing methods and systems integration in applications that lie predominantly in power and energy sectors. He has carried out a unique portfolio of research programmes, generally focusing on fibre based spectrally encoded sensors, and addressing such issues as sensor design, fabrication, packaging, deployment, and interrogation in challenging environments. The current key strategic applications of his research include such areas as power system metering and protection; wind turbine structural health monitoring; downhole pressure, temperature, voltage and current measurement; and sensing in nuclear fission and fusion environments. He has published over 100 technical papers in this area and holds 2 granted patents. Externally, he is a co-founder and R&D Director of the spin-out company Synaptec.
Dr Niewczas is Deputy Director of the Graduate School in the EEE Department. He is also Director of the Electrical Power and Energy Systems (EPES) MSc Course.
Currently available PhD research projects under supervision of Dr Pawel Niewczas are listed here:
https://www.strath.ac.uk/courses/research/electronicelectricalengineering/
Research Interests
Development and application of photonic sensors within power and energy industries, including such areas as power system metering and protection; wind turbine structural health monitoring; gas turbine monitoring; downhole and subsea pressure, temperature voltage and current measurement; sensing in nuclear fission and fusion environments; and other sensing applications.
Research interest in intrinsic and hybrid fibre-optic sensors; sensor design, fabrication, encapsulation and deployment; sensor networks and interrogation techniques; signal processing and communication.
Expertise & Capabilities
Sensor development
- Development of spectrally encoded sensor devices exploiting intrinsic and hybrid sensing mechanisms
- Development of fibre-to-metal bonds, seals and fabrication techniques
- Fundamental research in the area of materials science
Sensor instrumentation and metrology
- High frequency measurements
- Static measurements
- Nano-ε resolution measurements
- Extended step-out and multiplexed systems
- Integrated photonics, low-cost/high-performance FBG interrogation techniques
Measurement capabilities
- temperature, strain (static & dynamic), pressure
- magnetic/ electric fields, voltage, current, bend
Delivery of industrially focussed projects
- Good understanding of industry needs
- Experience of projects with tight timescales and tangible outcomes
Currently available defined PhD research projects under supervision of Dr Pawel Niewczas are listed here:
https://www.strath.ac.uk/courses/research/electronicelectricalengineering/
Industrial Relevance
Present and former industrial collaborators:
Scottish Power Renewables (SPR), Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE), EDF Energy, Toshiba, The Industry Technology Facilitator (ITF), ConocoPhillips, GE OIL & GAS, Culham Centre for Fusion Energy (CCFE), and Rolls-Royce.
Teaching Interests
Teaching Responsibilities:
- EE108/19260 Electrical Circuits
- EE269 Electronic & Electrical Principles II
- EE986 Professional Studies
- Final Year Project/MSc/MPhil/PhD/EngD Student Supervisor
Teaching Administration Responsibilities:
- Graduate School Deputy Director
- Director of the Electrical Power Engineering with Business (EPEwB) MSc Course
- Academic Selector for the MSc Course in EEE
- Member of the Courses & Teaching Working Group
- Member of the 1st and 2nd Year Teaching and Learning Groups
- Member of the Faculty Board of Study
- UCAS Interviewer
Education/Academic qualification
Doctor of Philosophy, UNIVERSITY OF STRATHCLYDE
Award Date: 1 Jan 2000
Master of Science, Lublin University of Technology
Award Date: 1 Jan 1995
Keywords
- sensors
- fibre optics
- photonics
- metrology
Fingerprint
- 16 Similar Profiles
Network
Projects
-
-
Metrology for the next-generation digital substation instrumentation EURAMET (FutureGrid II)
Blair, S., Fusiek, G., Niewczas, P. & Roscoe, A.
European Commission - Horizon 2020
1/06/18 → 31/05/21
Project: Research
Research Output
-
132 kV optical voltage sensor for wide area monitoring, protection and control applications
Fusiek, G., Niewczas, P., Gordon, N., Orr, P. & Clarkson, P., 25 May 2020. 5 p.Research output: Contribution to conference › Paper › peer-review
Open AccessFile1 Citation (Scopus)14 Downloads (Pure) -
Photonic voltage transducer with lightning impulse protection for distributed monitoring of MV networks
Fusiek, G. & Niewczas, P., 26 Aug 2020, In: Sensors. 20, 17, 23 p., 4830.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile
Datasets
-
HVDC Protection and Fault Location using Optical Sensors
TZELEPIS, D. (Creator), Fusiek, G. (Creator), Niewczas, P. (Owner), Dysko, A. (Contributor), Booth, C. (Contributor), Nelson, J. (Contributor), Orr, P. (Contributor) & Gordon, N. (Contributor), University of Strathclyde, 16 Mar 2018
DOI: 10.15129/4a4dc275-f49f-49a2-a8ad-e621481b19cd
Dataset
Prizes
-
"Highly Commended" title awarded to Synaptec Ltd and University of Strathclyde at the IET Innovation Awards 2014
Niewczas, Pawel (Recipient), 19 Nov 2014
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
-
Winner in the "Best University Technology" category at the Fourth Annual UK Energy Innovation Awards 2014
Niewczas, Pawel (Recipient), 24 Apr 2014
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
Activities
-
Sensors (Journal)
Pawel Niewczas (Guest editor)
10 Jul 2020Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work types › Journal or guest editorship
-
Technical Co-Chair of the IEEE I2MTC 2021 Conference
Pawel Niewczas (Organiser)
1 May 2020 → 30 May 2022Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Organiser of major conference