Zixiao Ma is currently a distinguished postdoctoral fellow at the University hosted by Prof. Baosen Zhang. Before that, he earned his Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering from Iowa State University in 2023. His research focuses on safe learning controls for cyber-physical renewable energy systems. He received the Clean Energy Institute (CEI) Distinguished Postdoc Fellowship, the Iowa State University Research Excellence Award, the Chinese Government Award for Outstanding Self-Financed Students Abroad, and the Outstanding Reviewer Award from IEEE Transactions on Power Systems. He has also served as a sector co-lead on IEEE’s Measurement & Verification Task Force (MVTF) for conservation voltage reduction, developing the IEEE P3102 standard for utilities.
As we strive for decarbonization, the power system is evolving to integrate more renewable energy resources, making it cleaner and more sustainable. However, these resources often have low system inertia and limited capacity, rendering the renewable energy system more susceptible to disturbances. To address these vulnerabilities, my research focuses on designing reliable control methods to stabilize voltage and frequency, while ensuring the safety of the cyber-physical renewable energy system. To manage the complexity of high-order renewable energy systems, I developed a nonlinear order reduction method that significantly accelerates simulation times while maintaining accurate stability assessments. To handle model uncertainties and inaccuracies, I proposed a multiple-models adaptive control approach, which greatly improves operational robustness. Additionally, I designed a safe learning control technique to facilitate real-time control adherence to safety constraints. My work lays both a theoretical and practical foundation for enhancing the reliability and safety of cyber-physical systems.