Professor Peter Tavner, MA PhD DSc Eur Ing CEng FIET SMIEEE

(email at peter.tavner@durham.ac.uk)

biography

Peter Tavner is an Emeritus Professor of the School of Engineering and Computing Sciences at Durham University. He received an MA in Mechanical Sciences (1969) from Cambridge University, a PhD (1978) from Southampton University, studying electromagnetism under Professor Percy Hammond, and a DSc from Durham University (2012). He had served as a Weapons Electrical Officer in the Royal Navy on the Guided Missile Destroyers, BRISTOL & LONDON and subsequently taught at the University of Benin, Nigeria. Following his PhD he worked for the UK Electricity Supply Industry. He then held senior research, development and technical positions in manufacturing industry, most recently as Group Technical Director of FKI Energy Technology, an international business manufacturing electrical machines, drives and wind turbines  in the UK, Holland, Italy, Germany and the Czech Republic.
He joined the University in 2003.
He has been Principal Investigator of Supergen Wind Consortium, http://www.supergen-wind.org.uk/, Principal Investigator of the Sino-British Future Renewable Energy Network Systems (FRENS) Consortium, www.reliable-renewables.com/, member of the Supergen Marine Consortium, http://www.supergen-marine.org.uk/news.php, and of the EU FP7 ReliaWind Consortium, http://www.reliawind.eu/.

He is a Fellow of the Institution of Engineering Technology. His international and esteem activities are shown below.

He is a winner of the Institution Premium of the IET.

Research Groups

Department of Engineering

• Future Energy Systems

Research Interests

• Reliability and availability of new and renewable energy devices and their cost-effective connection to the electricity system
• Large wind power, reliability, availability and cost of energy onshore and offshore
• Reliability of tidal marine renewable devices
• Electrical machine design, performance and condition monitoring
• Electromagnetic theory and the principles of operation of electrical equipment

Indicators of Esteem

• 2013: :

  Scientific Track Chair, European Wind Energy Association Conference, Vienna, 2013 http://www.ewea.org/annual2013/conference/track-chair-biographies/

• 2012: :

  Elected member of the Executive Committee of the European Technology Platform Wind (TPWind) http://www.windplatform.eu/structure/executive-committee/

• 2012: :

  Scientific Track Chair, European Wind Energy Association Conference, Copenhagen, 2012 http://www.ewea.org/annual2012/conference/track-chair-biographies/

• 2011: : Visiting Professor, 111 Project, Chongqing University, College of Electrical Engineering
• 2011: :

  Member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Wind Energy, John Wiley: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1099-1824/homepage/EditorialBoard.html

• 2010: :

  President of the European Academy of Wind Energy 2010-2012, http://www.eawe.eu/

Selected Publications

Authored book

• Tavner, P J (2012). Offshore Wind Turbines- Reliability, Availability & Maintenance. Institution of Engineering and Technology.
• Tavner, P J, , Ran, L, , Penman, J, & Sedding, H, (2008). Condition Monitoring Of Rotating Electrical Machines. Stevenage, UK, Institution of Engineering & Technology.

Conference Paper

• Crabtree, C. J., Feng, Y & Tavner, P. J. (2010), Detecting incipient wind turbine gearbox failure: a signal analysis method for on-line condition monitoring, European Wind Energy Conference, Scientific Track. Warsaw, Poland, European Wind Energy Association.
• Wilkinson, M. R. Hendriks, B., Spinato, F., Gomez, E.,, Bulacio, H., Roca, J., Tavner, P., Feng, Y. & Long, H. (2010), Methodology and Results of the Reliawind Reliability Field Study, European Wind Energy Conference, Scientific Track. Warsaw, Poland, EWEA.
• Smolders, K., Long, H., Feng, Y. & Tavner, P. J. (2010), Reliability Analysis and Prediction of Wind Turbine Gearboxes, European Wind Energy Conference, Scientific Track. Warsaw, Poland, EWEA.
• Tavner, P. J., Gindele, R., Faulstich, S, Hahn, B, Whittle, M. W. G. & Greenwood, D. M. (2010), Study of effects of weather & location on wind turbine failure rates, European Wind Energy Conference, Scientific Track. Warsaw, Poland, European Wind Energy Association.
• Tavner, P. J., Higgins, A., Arabian, H., Long, H. & Feng, Y. (2010), Using an FMEA Method to Compare Prospective Wind Turbine Design Reliabilities, European Wind Energy Conference, Technical Track. Warsaw, Poland, EWEA.
• Yang, W, Tavner, P. J. & Crabtree, C. J. (2009), An Intelligent Approach to the Condition Monitoring of Large Scale Wind Turbines, European Wind Energy Conference, Scientific Track. Marseille, France, European Wind Energy Association, Marseille.
• Watson, S. J., Xiang, J., Yang,W., Tavner, P. J. & Crabtree, C. J. (2009), Condition monitoring of a wind turbine doubly-fed induction generator, European Wind Energy Conference, Technical Track. Marseille, France, European Wind Energy Association, Marseille.
• Wilkinson, M. R., Harman, K., Tavner, P. J. & Hendriks, B. (2009), Derivation of Wind Turbine Reliability Profiles from Operational Data, European Wind Energy Conference, Technical Track. Marseille, France, European Wind Energy Association, Marseille.
• Faulstich, S., Hahn, B., Lyding, P. & Tavner, P. J. (2009), Reliability of offshore turbines – identifying risks by onshore experience, European Offshore Wind Conference. Stockholm.

Journal Article

• Yang, W;, Tavner, P J;, Crabtree, C J;, Feng, Y; & Qiu, Y (2014). Wind turbine condition monitoring technical and commercial challenges. Wind Energy 17(5): 673–693.
• Tohidi, S., Oraee, H., Zolghadri, M., Shao, S. & Tavner, P. (2013). Analysis and Enhancement of Low Voltage Ride-through Capability of Brushless Doubly Fed Induction Generator. IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics 60(3): 1146-1155.
• Xiang D., Ran L., Tavner P., Yang S., Bryant A. & Mawby P. (2012). Condition Monitoring Power Module Solder Fatigue Using Inverter Harmonic Identification. IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics 27(1): 235-247.
• Feng, Y., Qiu, Y., Crabtree, C. J., Long, H. & Tavner, P. J. (2012). Monitoring wind turbine gearboxes. Wind Energy 16(5): 728-740.
• Tohidi, S. Zolghadri, M.R. Oraee, H., Tavner, P. , Abdi, E. & Logan, T. (2012). Performance of the brushless doubly-fed machine under normal and fault conditions. IET Electric Power Applications 6(9): 621-627.
• Liu, T.Y., Tavner, P.J., Feng, Y.H. & Qiu, Y.N. (2012). Review of recent offshore wind power developments in China. Wind energy 16(5): 786-803.
• Tavner, P.J., Greenwood, D.M. , Whittle, M.W.G., Gindele, R., Faulstich, S. & Hahn, B. (2012). Study of weather and location effects on wind turbine failure rates. Wind energy 16(2): 175-187.
• Delorm, T.M., Zappalá, D. & Tavner, P.J. (2012). Tidal stream device reliability comparison models. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part O: Journal of Risk and Reliability 226(1): 6-17.
• Qiu, Y N,, Feng, Y H,, Tavner, P J,, Richardson, P,, Erdos, G, & Chen, Bindi (2012). Wind turbine SCADA alarm analysis for improving reliability. Wind Energy 15(8): 951-966.
• Yang S, Bryant A, Mawby PA, Xiang D, Ran L & Tavner PJ (2011). An industry-based survey of reliability in power electronic converters. IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications 47(3): 1441-1451.
• Bryant, A, Yang, S Mawby, P Xiang, D , Ran, L, Tavner, P J & Palmer, P R (2011). Investigation Into IGBT dV/dt During Turn-Off and Its Temperature Dependence. IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics 26(10): 3019-3031.
• Tavner, P J, Faulstich, S, Hahn,B. & van Bussel, G J W (2011). Reliability & Availability of Wind Turbine Electrical & Electronic Components (Invited Paper). EPE Journal 20(4).
• Faulstich, S., Hahn, B. & Tavner, P. J. (2011). Wind turbine downtime and its importance for offshore deployment. Wind Energy 14(3): 327-337.
• Yang,S Xiang, D, Bryant, A, Mawby, P, Ran, L & Tavner, P (2010). Condition Monitoring for Device Reliability in Power Electronic Converters: A Review. IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics 25(11): 2734-2752.
• Watson, S. J. Xiang, J. P., Yang, W. Tavner, P. J. & Crabtree, C. J. (2010). Condition monitoring of the power output of wind turbine generators using wavelets. IEEE Transactions on Energy Conversion 25(3): 715-721.
• Yang, W., Tavner, P. J., Crabtree, C. J. & Wilkinson, M. (2010). Cost-effective condition monitoring for wind turbines. IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics 57(1): 263-271.
• Feng, Y, Tavner, P J & Long, H (2010). Early experiences with UK Round 1 offshore wind farms (Invited Paper). Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers, Energy 163(4): 167-181.
• Arabian-Hoseynabadi, H. , Oraee, H. & Tavner, P.J. (2010). Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) for wind turbines. International Journal of Electrical Power & Energy Systems 32(7): 817-824
• Arabian-Hoseynabadi, H., Tavner, P. J. & Oraee, H. (2010). Reliability comparison of direct-drive and geared-drive wind turbine concepts. Wind Energy 13(1): 62-73.
• Arabian-Hoseynabadi, H., Oraee, H. & Tavner, P.J. (2010). Wind turbine productivity considering electrical subassembly reliability. Renewable Energy 35(1): 190-197.
• Yang, W., Tavner, P.J. & Wilkinson, M.R. (2009). Condition monitoring and fault diagnosis of a wind turbine synchronous generator drive train. IET Renewable Power Generation 3(1): 1-11.
• Spinato, F., Tavner, P.J., van Bussel, G.J.W. & Koutoulakos, E. (2009). Reliability of wind turbine subassemblies. IET Renewable Power Generation 3(4): 387-401.
• Tavner, P.J. (2008). Review of condition monitoring of rotating electrical machines (Invited Paper). IET Electric Power Applications 2(4): 215-247.
• Baker N.J. Mueller M.A. Ran L. , Tavner P.J. & MacDonald S. (2007). Development of a linear test rig for electrical power take-off from waves. Proceedings Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology 10(A): 3-15.
• Polinder, H., van der Pijl, F. F. A. de Vilder, G-J. & Tavner, P. J. (2006). Comparison of Direct-Drive and Geared Generator Concepts for Wind Turbines. IEEE Transactions on Energy Conversion 21(3): 725-733.
• Xiang, D, Ran, L, Tavner, P J & Yang, S (2006). Control of a Doubly Fed Induction Generator in a Wind Turbine During Grid Fault Ride-Through. IEEE Transactions on Energy Conversion 21(3): 652-662.
• McMahon, R. A., Roberts, P. C., Wang, X. & Tavner P. J. (2006). Performance of BDFM as generator and motor. IEE Proceedings Electric Power Applications 153(2): 289-299.
• Tavner, P.J. , Xiang,J.P. & Spinato, F. (2006). Reliability Analysis for Wind Turbines. Wind Energy 10(1): 1-18.

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Selected Grants