Internship – Insulation Coordination for HVDC overhead lines W/M
Villeurbanne, 69100
Stage
08/09/2025- 06/03/2026
Description
Established in 2014, SuperGrid Institute is an independent private company with over 150 employees of 21 different nationalities. The institute is a key player for energy transition in France and throughout Europe, specialising in innovative high and medium voltage direct current (HVDC and MVDC) power systems. SuperGrid Institute also develops new technologies for the integration of renewable energies into the electricity networks of the future.
SuperGrid Institute has been ranked every year since 2018, reaching the podium 3 times in the INPI prize list.
Find out more by visiting our website: www.supergrid-institute.com
Key words: Insulation Coordination / Multi Terminal DC grid / HVDC
General Context
Extended HVDC (High Voltage Direct Current) grids, covering large areas and distances, are considered to be the preferable solution which makes it possible to introduce renewable energy sources and increase security to the power system. In Europe, several radial HVDC grids are foreseen to be installed within the next decade. Part of the HVDC grids will be based on Overhead Lines (OHL)
The insulation coordination (the selection of the withstand of equipment against overvoltages) of HVDC OHL remains a significant challenge that still requires further investigation. While standards and literature are available for point-to-point HVDC systems, there is a noticeable gap when it comes to defining rules and procedures for insulation coordination in multi-terminal DC grids comprising overhead lines. Insulation coordination involves selecting the appropriate insulation levels for positive and negative poles as well as the insulation levels for the dedicated metallic return, to minimize the effects of overvoltages caused by switching operations, faults, and lightning impulses. In this context, the intern will conduct transient simulations using the EMTP tool to identify potential transient overvoltages within a DC system with OHL sections. Based on these results, he will propose rules and recommendations for insulation coordination.
Mission
Missions
Bibliographic studies and state-of-the-art on insulation coordination for HVDC system.
Getting started with EMT software for insulation coordination (EMTP courses).
Modelling of the HVDC system elements (HVDC converter, transmission line and fault modelling).
Perform simulations to calculate transient overvoltages within an HVDC system including OHL for different fault and switching scenarios.
Identify possible rules and recommendations for insulation coordination.
Profil
Candidate Profile
Master or engineering school student in the last year of her/his studies. The student must have good knowledge of the following fields: Electrical engineering, power network, transmission lines. Fluency in English is mandatory.
Soft skills
Teamwork
Good communication skills
Organizational skills
What we can offer you:
You will be joining an institute dedicated to the energy transition, a promising and stimulating field of activity,
Participation in meal expenses (company restaurant),
Activities between colleagues within the company (football, running, choir, etc.),
CSE,
Electrical approvals covered,
Self-service bicycles.
Other information
When you join SuperGrid Institute, you'll be part of a dynamic working environment. At SuperGrid Institute, we respect and value the diversity of our employees, their backgrounds and experiences, with the aim of providing equal opportunities for all.
Diversity is at the heart of our operations, and we are committed to banning all discrimination from our human resources management. SuperGrid Institute makes all its positions accessible to people with disabilities and is committed, as part of its action plan for professional equality, to paying particular attention to applications from women in order to achieve a balanced overall distribution of the workforce.