Research · High Voltage Technologies · TU Delft
Transients, insulation, and the grid after SF₆
I am a PhD researcher investigating transient overvoltages in high-voltage gas-insulated substations and the application of SF₆-free switchgear in transmission grids — combining ATP-EMTP simulation, transformer modelling validated against factory measurements, and insulation coordination studies aligned with IEC standards.
Research interests
Current and continuing lines of work
High-voltage switchgear & transients
Derating of high-voltage switchgear, modelling and simulation of power system transient overvoltages, and insulation coordination studies.
EV integration
Impact of large-scale integration of electric vehicles into the grid.
Natural ester insulation liquids
Ester-based dielectric fluids as alternative transformer insulation liquids.
Wireless power transmission
Powering systems without interconnecting wires — useful where wiring is inconvenient, hazardous, or impossible: wet environments, rotating joints, and remote telecommunication equipment.
Sound & noise cancellation
How sound is transmitted — and whether the process can be reverse-engineered into a system that truncates or cancels noise entirely.
Publications
Conference & journal papers
- B. M. Makaa, Wireless Power Transmission using Solid State Tesla Coils, Sustainable Research and Innovation (SRI) Conference Proceedings, 6–7 May 2015, pp. 23–29.
- B. M. Makaa, Heuristic View on Intelligent Building Designs as a Means to Save Energy, NACOSTI National Science Week, 11 May 2015.
- Makaa, B. M.; Irungu, G. K.; Murage, D. K., Electrical and Physicochemical Properties of Persea Americana Oil as an Alternative Transformer Insulation Oil, IEEE SAUPEC/RobMech/PRASA 2019, Bloemfontein, South Africa, pp. 247–253.
- Makaa, B.; Irungu, G.; Murage, D., Comparison of Statistical Breakdown Voltages in Persea Americana Oil and Mineral Insulation Oil and their Mixtures, European International Journal of Science and Technology, Vol. 6 No. 2, March 2019, pp. 27–36.
- Makaa, B. M.; Irungu, G. K.; Murage, D. K., Investigation of Persea Americana Oil as an Alternative Transformer Insulation Oil, IEEE 37th Electrical Insulation Conference (EIC), Calgary, Canada, June 2019, pp. 197–200.
- Makaa, B. M.; Irungu, G. K.; Murage, D. K., Study on the Ageing Characteristics of Persea Americana Oil as an Alternative Transformer Insulation Oil, IEEE 37th Electrical Insulation Conference (EIC), Calgary, Canada, June 2019, pp. 287–290.
- Makaa, B. M., Skin in the Game and Engineering Training, Sixth Annual Educational Research and Evaluation International Conference (SEREK), Egerton University, Kenya, August 2019.
Working on a related problem?
I’m open to research collaboration, co-authorship, and simulation-heavy consulting questions.