Manika Khadka
PhD
HVDC Cable Analytics: Using monitored data from contingency analysis to determine cable and accessory lifetime.
Host organisation
KU Leuven
Company
NKT
Project Description
Power cables account for one of the major costs of offshore grids. However, during contingencies in power system, transients such as voltage surges or spikes can pose a threat to power cables (of any kind) and associated equipment. It can subject power cables to high voltage stresses contributing to degradation of cable insulation and potentially leading to cable insulation breakdown. This creates a huge loss not only in respect to energy but also economically.
The project is thus aimed at analyzing degradation mechanisms with voltage waveforms during contingencies in HVDC grids and improve cable and accessories lifetime estimation, aiming at an increased reliability.
Supervisors
Dirk Van Hertem (University Supervisor)
Mudar Abedrabbo (University Co-Supervisor)
Markus Saltzer (Company Supervisor)
Background
I was born in Birgunj, a small city in Nepal known as the gateway to the country. I completed my bachelor’s in electrical and electronics engineering at Kathmandu University and then worked for nearly 3 years as an Electrical Engineer in Kathmandu, handling various Hydropower Projects.
To advance my career, I pursued my Master's in Power Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology Ropar (IIT Ropar), Punjab, India. During my time at IIT Ropar, I conducted research on the electromagnetic behavior of HVAC cables for my thesis and received the ANSYS Fellowship for this work.
Motivation
Working three years as an Electrical Engineer in renewable energy projects before pursuing the master’s degree, my interest in High Voltage technology grew. I became particularly fascinated by emerging power cable technologies for their potential to overcome overhead transmission challenges. My M. Tech project at IIT Ropar also focused on power cables.
In my pursuit of deeper insights into emerging cable technologies and the global significance of HVDC technology, I discovered the ADOreD project. The opportunity to develop a research background at KU Leuven in my area of interest, while collaborating closely with NKT—an industry leader in cable manufacturing, motivated my enrollment in the Industrial PhD program under the Marie Curie Scholarship.