Dr Ning Zhao FHEA, CEng, PhD

Department of Electronic, Electrical and Systems Engineering
Assistant Professor in Railway Systems Engineering

Contact details

Telephone: +44 (0) 121 414 3093
Fax: +44 (0) 121 414 4291
Email: n.zhao@bham.ac.uk

Address: University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

Dr Ning Zhao is an Assistant Professor in Railway Systems Engineering at the Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education (BCRRE), School of Engineering.

Ning has extensive experience in research and teaching of railway system engineering, including autonomous train systems, traction systems, hydrogen systems, and railway control and signalling systems. He has applied, and has been awarded, several grants funded by EPSRC, Innovate UK, and industry partners. Ning has published more than 40 papers in high-impact journals and conferences including IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems, Transportation Research Part C: Emerging Technologies, etc. He has a wide teaching portfolio, which includes leading the Railway Control and Digital System module, and Applications of Railway Control Systems module.

Qualifications

Chartered Engineer (CEng), 2020
Fellow of Higher Education Academy (FHEA), 2019
PhD in Electronic, Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Birmingham, 2013
MSc in Communication Engineering, University of Birmingham, 2009

Biography

Dr Ning Zhao is an Assistant Professor in Railway Systems Engineering at the University of Birmingham’s Centre for Railway Research and Education. He is doing multi-discipline research in the area of autonomous train systems, traction systems, hydrogen systems, and railway control and signalling systems with various industrial partners across the world, such as Edinburgh Tram, SMRT (Singapore), Network Rail, Nottingham Tram, Siemens, Guangzhou Metro, etc. Ning has been awarded several grants funded by EPSRC, Innovate UK, and industry partners. He has worked with Ricardo Rail to develop the DriveSmart product, which received a Highly Recommended Commendation at the Global Light Rail Awards. Ning was registered as a Chartered Engineer (CEng) in 2020. He has published more than 40 papers in high-impact journals and conferences including IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems, Transportation Research Part C: Emerging Technologies, etc.

Dr Ning Zhao is delivering a number of teachings for the university, both in Birmingham and oversea countries (e.g., Singapore). He is the module lead for a few railway MSc modules, including Railway Control and Digital Systems, Principles of Railway Control Systems, and Applications of Railway Control Systems. He has awarded the Fellowship of Higher Education Academy (FHEA) in 2019. Ning has also provided supervision and support to more than 80 MSc, PhD, MEng, and MEng students. He is also managing the relationship between the University of Birmingham and some overseas universities regarding undergraduate and postgraduate exchange programmes and research cooperation.

Teaching

Module lead of MSc Railway Control Systems Engineering
Module lead of MSc Principles of Railway Control Systems
Module lead of MSc Applications of Railway Control Systems
Module lead of MSc Railway Strategy, Safety and Control Systems
Lecturer of MSc (Singapore) Railway Technology I: Command, Control, and Communications
Lecturer of MSc (Singapore) Railway Technology II: Command, Control, and Communications
Lecturer of MSc (Singapore) Railway Technology II: Infrastructure and Permanent Way
Lecturer of MSc (Singapore) Railway Technology II: Traction and Power Systems

Postgraduate supervision

As an academic member, Ning supervises PhD, MSc, Meng, and BEng projects that fall within his research area and expertise.

Please contact me if you would be interested in studying for a PhD in the areas of railway system engineering, especially in autonomous train systems, traction systems, hydrogen systems, and railway control and signalling systems.

Research

Please contact me if you would be interested in studying for a PhD in the area of railway system engineering, especially in the areas shown below:

Autonomous train systems, including driverless and smart driving.
Train traction systems, including regenerative braking and energy-saving.
Railway hydrogen systems, including fuel cell and battery control.
Operation and timetable optimisation, including dynamic train operation and optimal driving.
Railway control and signalling systems, including the study on ETCS and CBTC.
Energy-saving technologies, including algorithm development and implementation.
System modelling, including railway network modelling and system development.

Publications

Selected journal publications

[1]. Si, W., Gao, S., Yan, F., Zhao, N., Zhang, H., and Dong, H., Linkage-constraint criteria for robust exponential stability of nonlinear BAM system with derivative contraction coefficients and piecewise constant arguments. Information Sciences, 2022. 612, pp. 926-941.

[2]. Xu, Z., Zhao, N., Hillmansen, S., Roberts, C., and Yan, Y., Techno-Economic Analysis of Hydrogen Storage Technologies for Railway Engineering: A Review. Energies, 2022. 15(17), pp. 6467.

[3]. Zhao, N., Tian, Z., Hillmansen, S., Chen, L., Roberts, C., and Gao, S., Timetable Optimization and Trial Test for Regenerative Braking Energy Utilization in Rapid Transit Systems. Energies, 2022. 15(13), pp. 4879.

[4]. Dai, X., Chen, M., Lai, J., Chen, Y., Chen, T., and Zhao, N., Negative Sequence Compensation Method for High-Speed Railway with Integrated Photovoltaic Generation System. CPSS Transactions on Power Electronics and Applications, 2022. 7(2), pp. 130-138.

[5]. Lai, J., Chen, M., Dai, X., and Zhao, N., Energy Management Strategy Adopting Power Transfer Device Considering Power Quality Improvement and Regenerative Braking Energy Utilization for Double-Modes Traction Systems. CPSS Transactions on Power Electronics and Applications, 2022. 7(1).

[6]. Gao, S., Li, M., Zheng, Y., Zhao, N., and Dong, H., Fuzzy Adaptive Protective Control for High-Speed Trains: An Outstretched Error Feedback Approach. IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems, 2022, pp. 1-10.

[7]. Chen, M., Liu, S., Zhao, N., Fu, H., and Lv, Y., Fault diagnosis and location of electrified railway grounding grids based on intelligent algorithm. International Transactions on Electrical Energy Systems, 2021. 31(2), pp. e12719.

[8]. Chen, L., Chen, M., Chen, Y., Chen, Y., Cheng, Y., and Zhao, N., Modelling and control of a novel AT-fed co-phase traction power supply system for electrified railway. International Journal of Electrical Power & Energy Systems, 2021. 125, pp. 106405.

[9]. Zhao, N., Z. Tian, L. Chen, C. Roberts, and S. Hillmansen, Driving Strategy Optimization and Field Test on an Urban Rail Transit System. IEEE Intelligent Transportation Systems Magazine, 2021. 13(3): p. 34-44.

[10]. Tian, Z., Zhao, N., Hillmansen, S., Su, S., and Wen, C., Traction Power Substation Load Analysis with Various Train Operating Styles and Substation Fault Modes. Energies, 2020. 13(11).

[11]. Tian, Z., Zhao, N., Hillmansen, S., Roberts, C., Dowens, T., Kerr, C.: 'SmartDrive: Traction Energy Optimization and Applications in Rail Systems', IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems, 2019, pp. 1-10.

[12]. Li, Z., Chen, L., Roberts, C., Zhao, N.: 'Dynamic Trajectory Optimization Design for Railway Driver Advisory System', IEEE Intelligent Transportation Systems Magazine, 2018. 10, (1), pp. 121-132.

[13]. Wang, H., Zhao, N., Ning, B., Tang, T., Chai, M.: 'Safety monitor for train-centric CBTC system', IET Intelligent Transport Systems, 2018. 12, (8), pp. 931-938.

[14]. Dunbar, R., Roberts, C., Zhao, N.: 'A tool for the rapid selection of a railway signalling strategy to implement train control optimisation for energy saving', Journal of Rail Transport Planning & Management, 2017. 7, (4), pp. 224-244.

[15]. Zhao, N., Chen, L., Tian, Z., Roberts, C., Hillmansen, S., Lv, J.: 'Field test of train trajectory optimisation on a metro line', IET Intelligent Transport Systems, 2017. 11, (5), pp. 273-281.

[16]. Zhao, N., Roberts, C., Hillmansen, S., Tian, Z., Weston, P., Chen, L.: 'An integrated metro operation optimization to minimize energy consumption', Transportation Research Part C: Emerging Technologies, 2017. 75, pp. 168-182.

[17]. Tian, Z., Weston, P., Zhao, N., Hillmansen, S., Roberts, C., Chen, L.: 'System energy optimisation strategies for metros with regeneration', Transportation Research Part C: Emerging Technologies, 2017. 75, pp. 120-135.

[18]. Chen, M., Roberts, C., Weston, P., Hillmansen, S., Zhao, N., Han, X.: 'Harmonic modelling and prediction of high-speed electric train based on non-parametric confidence interval estimation method', International Journal of Electrical Power & Energy Systems, 2017. 87, pp. 176-186.

[19]. Chen, M., Li, Q., Roberts, C., Hillmansen, S., Tricoli, P., Zhao, N., Krastev, I.: 'Modelling and performance analysis of advanced combined co-phase traction power supply system in electrified railway', IET Generation, Transmission & Distribution, 2016. 10, (4), pp. 906-916.

[20]. Tian, Z., Hillmansen, S., Roberts, C., Weston, P., Zhao, N., Chen, L., Chen, M.: 'Energy evaluation of the power network of a DC railway system with regenerating trains', IET Electrical Systems in Transportation, 2016. 6, (2), pp. 41-49.

[21]. Umiliacchi, S., Nicholson, G., Zhao, N., Schmid, F., Roberts, C.: 'Delay management and energy consumption minimisation on a single-track railway', IET Intelligent Transport Systems, 2016. 10, (1), pp. 50-57.

[22]. Zhao, N., Roberts, C., Hillmansen, S., Nicholson, G.: 'A Multiple Train Trajectory Optimization to Minimize Energy Consumption and Delay', Intelligent Transportation Systems, IEEE Transactions on, 2015. 16, (5), pp. 2363 - 2372.

[23]. Wang, H., Zhao, N., Chen, L.: 'An integrated capacity evaluation method for CBTC- system-equipped urban rail lines', Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part F: Journal of Rail and Rapid Transit 2015. 229, (3), pp. 291-302.

[24]. Zhao, N., Roberts, C., Hillmansen, S.: 'The application of an enhanced Brute Force Algorithm to minimise energy costs and train delays for differing railway train control systems', Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part F: Journal of Rail and Rapid Transit, 2014. 228, (2), pp. 158-168.

Selected conference publications

[1]. Jibrin, R., Hillmansen, S., Roberts, C., Zhao, N., and Tian, Z. Convex Optimization of Speed and Energy Management System for Fuel Cell Hybrid Trains. in 2021 IEEE Vehicle Power and Propulsion Conference (VPPC). 2021.

[2]. Tian, Z., Zhang, G., Zhao, N., Hillmansen, S., Tricoli, P., Roberts, C.: 'Energy Evaluation for DC Railway Systems with Inverting Substations'. in 2018 IEEE International Conference on Electrical Systems for Aircraft, Railway, Ship Propulsion and Road Vehicles & International Transportation Electrification Conference (ESARS-ITEC). 2018.

[3]. Zhao, N., Saade, L., Chen, Z., Stewart, E., Roberts, C., Yuan, M., Zhang, T., Cai, J.: 'Fault Analysis of the Switch and Point Machine to Improve Railway Reliability', in The Stephenson Conference: Research for Railway. 2017, London.

[4]. Tian, Z., Weston, P., Hillmansen, S., Roberts, C., Zhao, N.: 'System energy optimisation of metro-transit system using Monte Carlo Algorithm'. in 2016 IEEE International Conference on Intelligent Rail Transportation (ICIRT). 2016.

[5]. Hamid, H.A., Nicholson, G.L., Douglas, H., Zhao, N., Roberts, C.: 'Investigation into train positioning systems for saving energy with optimised train trajectories'. in 2016 IEEE International Conference on Intelligent Rail Transportation (ICIRT). 2016.

[6]. Zhao, N., Tian, Z., Hillmansen, S., Roberts, C., Yuan, M., Li, J., Shi, H., Li, K.: 'Metro Traction and Power System Energy Optimisation', in The Stephenson Conference. 2015, London. pp. 191-198.

[7]. Tian, Z., Hillmansen, S., Roberts, C., Western, P., Chen, L., Zhao, N., Su, S., Xin, T.: 'Modeling and Simulation of DC Rail Traction Systems for Energy Saving', in The 17th International IEEE Conference on Intelligent Transportation Systems. 2014, IEEE, Qingdao. pp. 2354-2359.

[8]. Zhao, N., Roberts, C., Hillmansen, S., Western, P., Chen, L., Tian, Z., Xin, T., Su, S.: 'Train Trajectory Optimisation of ATO Systems for Metro Lines', in The 17th International IEEE Conference on Intelligent Transportation Systems. 2014, IEEE, Qingdao. pp. 1796-1801.

[9]. Xin, T., Roberts, C., Hillmansen, S., Western, P., Zhao, N., Chen, L., Tian, Z., Su, S.: 'Railway Vertical Alignment Optimisation at Stations to Minimize Energy', in The 17th International IEEE Conference on Intelligent Transportation Systems. 2014, IEEE, Qingdao. pp. 2119-2124.

[10]. Lu, S., Western, P., Zhao, N.: 'Maximise the Regenerative Braking Energy using Linear Programming'. in 17th International IEEE Conference on Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITSC). 2014.

[11]. Zhao, N., Roberts, C., Hillmansen, S.: 'An approach for optimising railway traffic flow on high speed lines with differing signalling systems', in Comprail 2012, C.A. Brebbia, N. Tomii, J.M. Mera, B. Ning, and P. Tzieropoulos, Editors. 2012, WIT Press, New Forest. pp. 11.