Dr Yiheng Hu, B.Eng., M.Sc. (Hons), Dr., PGCertHE, FHEA, MIET, MIEEE, MWES, Top 50 Women in Engineering (WE50) 2022 in the UK, received her B.Eng. degree in Mechatronics from Central South University, Changsha, China, in 2012; M.Sc. degree in Power Systems from the University of Manchester, Manchester, UK, in 2013. In 2018, she started her PhD study fully funded by the UK Government Scholarship awarded to an international student in Transient Energy Storage Systems at the University of Huddersfield, UK. Following this, Yiheng was appointed as Senior Power System Researcher (postdoctoral role) in Transportable Energy Storage Systems and Associate Researcher (postdoctoral role) in Grid-linked Energy Storage Systems, at University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland, and the University of Manchester, Manchester, UK. In 2023, Yiheng joined the University of Huddersfield to work as a Lecturer in Electrical Engineering. 

Research

Dr Hu’s research focuses on energy storage systems and their role as active, controllable components in modern power systems. Her work integrates electrochemical storage technologies, power electronic converters, and system-level control to support stability and power quality in renewable-dominated and low-inertia grids. Her research to date has centred on electrochemical energy storage systems, particularly lithium-free and sodium-based technologies such as sodium–nickel chloride and sodium–iron batteries. She has developed detailed understanding of their dynamic behaviour and interaction with power electronic interfaces, moving beyond simplified representations to capture electrochemical, thermal, and system-level effects. A key aspect of her work is the modelling and coordination of the full power train, including batteries, converters, transformers, and associated control systems. This includes investigating how transient energy storage systems respond to grid disturbances and how their dynamics can be leveraged to improve system performance. In addition to electrochemical storage, her work considers complementary technologies such as supercapacitors and electromechanical storage, enabling hybrid energy storage solutions across multiple time scales.

More recently, her research has expanded towards intelligent and system-aware control of energy storage, including AI-enhanced battery management and energy management systems. She is particularly interested in how data-driven and predictive control approaches can be integrated with physics-based models to improve decision-making under uncertainty. Her current research direction focuses on how converter-interfaced energy storage systems can be coordinated and controlled to enhance stability and power quality in distributed microgrids and large-scale renewable systems. This includes applications in low-inertia power systems with high penetration of inverter-based resources, where fast dynamics and complex interactions require new modelling and control paradigms.

Dr Hu welcomes highly motivated PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, visiting scholars, and internship students to join her research group. Interested candidates are encouraged to contact her for further information.

Key Research Interests

• Energy storage systems as controllable grid assets
• Power quality and stability in low-inertia power systems
• Converter-interfaced storage and power electronics
• Intelligent and physics-informed control (AI-enhanced EMS/BMS)
• Hybrid energy storage systems across multiple time scales
• Renewable energy integration and microgrid systems
• Electric machines

Leadership in Energy, Equality, and Sustainability

Her work and aspirations go far beyond her immediate responsibilities. She continuously contributes to the energy storage sector in her own unique ways, particularly by mentoring and empowering women in the energy industry. Through her guidance, she helps amplify women's voices in the field of energy storage and fosters diverse perspectives that drive innovation and sustainability. She has been selected three times as a mentor in women-focused energy programs, including the inaugural 2020 and 2025 editions of the Women in Energy Storage Mentoring Programme, as well as the 2023 Women in Renewable Energy in Africa Mentoring Programme. She is also a member of the Women’s Engineering Society (WES) in the UK, a professional network that offers support and inspiration for women’s professional development. In addition, she serves on the committee of the WES Climate Emergency Group (CEG) in the UK, which leads initiatives on sustainability and carbon reduction targets. Alongside WES, she has organised and co-hosted multiple events - efforts that led to her being recognised among the Top 50 Women in Engineering in the UK in 2022. Her commitment lies in empowering women, creating equitable opportunities, and accelerating the transition toward cleaner and smarter energy systems.

• Mentor, 3rd Cohort Women in Energy Storage Programme, hosted by Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP), team up with Global Women’s Network for the Energy Transition (GWNET), 12/2024 – 09/2025
  Mentee: Maria Marcela Fragozo Diaz, Process Engineer, Vicoma (during the program period) 
• Mentor, the Women in Renewable Energy in Africa Mentoring Programme, Hosted by Gender and Economic Inclusion IFC, 05/2023 – 12/2023
  Mentee: Nomathemba Ndlovu, Zimbabwean, University Teaching Assistant, National University of Science and Technology (during the program period) 
• Mentor, the Women in Energy Storage Mentoring Programme, hosted by Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP), team up with Global Women’s Network for the Energy Transition (GWNET), Mentee,09/2020 - 09/2021
  Mentee: Yi Xu, Financial Analyst, World Bank, USA (during the program period)

Current PhD students: 

Main Supervisor, Xingyu Liu, Project title: Integration of Distributed Energy Storage Systems to Enhance Adaptability and Reliability of Electrical Power Grids Towards Net-Zero Solutions (Scholarship Funded)

Main Supervisor, Mengxin Sun, Project title: A Novel Permanent Magnet Machine Design for Enhanced Low-Voltage Traction in Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles, (Scholarship Funded)

Main Supervisor, Mohammed Mahfuz Azim, Project title: AI-Augmented Dynamic Stability Assessment of Low-Inertia Power Systems with High IBR Penetration.

Main Supervisor, David Afemishanaso Adurojaiye, Project title: Powertrain Systems for Grid Integration of Wave Energy Converters

Co-supervisor, Aisha Al Debri, Project title: Intelligent Disaster Management Application: A Unified Framework for AI-Enhanced Alerts, Location Services, and Community Engagement, (Scholarship Funded)

Module Leader

• Electrical Principles 2 (NIE2299)
• Electrical Energy Conservation (NIE2202) 
• Enterprise: Electronic Product Design and Manufacture (NIE2208)

Year Tutor

• Year 0 Tutor (Foundation year) 

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Last updated 4th June 2026