Dr Gianmario Rinaldi

I am a Lecturer in Control and Energy Engineering (Education & Research) at the Department of Engineering in the Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy. 

My interests are in Control and Energy Engineering, with a focus on designing smarter, more efficient, and more resilient engineering systems. My work combines advanced control techniques, such as optimisation, system modelling, fault detection, and intelligent monitoring, to improve how complex technologies operate.

I apply these methods across a range of real-world sectors, including zero-emission vehicles, clean energy systems, robotics, smart power grids, and autonomous transport. Whether it's making electric powertrains more efficient, improving the reliability of energy networks, or enhancing the safety of automated systems, my goal is to bring practical solutions to emerging challenges in energy and technology.

At Exeter, I work in close contact with the Cooperative Robotics and Autonomous Networks (CRANE) laboratory, led by Prof Prathyush P Menon; the Control Systems Group; and the Centre for Future and Clean Mobility. My research is also aligned with the Research Theme Computational Modelling and Data Science.

I received a BEng in Energy Engineering (2014), a MSc in Electrical Engineering (2016), and a PhD in Control Systems Engineering (2020) from the University of Pavia, Italy.  I have been a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the former College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences (CEMPS) at the University of Exeter (2019-2021). 

My research interests include:

• optimisation and optimal control;
• model identification;
• large-scale systems;
• fault estimation, reconstruction and mitigation;
• variable structure/sliding mode systems;
• state observers and state estimation;
• cybersecurity.

I apply my research interests in the following sectors:

• clean energy systems;

• zero-emission vehicles and powertrains;
• energy networks;
• power systems;
• microgrids;
• power converters;
• autonomous vehicles;
• robotics;
• epidemiological models.

Research Grants:

• GW4 Generator Fund Maritime Advancements through Research and Innovation in Powertrains and Power Systems (MARINPOWER), Principal Investigator) 2025.
• Innovate UK Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition Round 2 (CMDC2), ZERO - Zero Emission Research and Offshore Service Vessel, (Co-Investigator). 2023
• Innovate UK Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition Round 2 (CMDC2) 2023, Demonstrator for scalable 1MW+ Zero Emission battery-hydrogen hybrid propulsion system, (Co-Investigator). 2023.
• EMPS Global Partnerships Development Funding Scheme with University of Pavia (Italy), (Principal Investigator). 2022.
• Innovate UK Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition Round 1 (CMDC1), Twin motor, zero emission powertrain for commercial workboats, (Co-Investigator). 2021.
• Innovate UK Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI), Phase 2: with Ecomar-Electric Outboards, (Co-Investigator), 2021.
• UKRI-Natural Environment Research Council (NERC): Combining Autonomous Observations and Models for Predicting and Understanding Shelf Seas, (Postdoctoral Research Fellow). 2019-2021.

Useful Links

If you are interested in my research activity, feel free to have al look at these webpages:

• My Google Scholar webpage (academic publications): https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=-sWPtrsAAAAJ&hl
• My ResearchGate profile: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Gianmario-Rinaldi
• My Linkedin profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gianmario-rinaldi-5aaaa0b6/

PhD Opportunities

Current PhD Opportunity:

Weather-Driven Resilience: AI and Control Frameworks for National–Local Power Systems. NERC GW4+ DTP PhD studentship for September 2026 Entry

Please contact me if you are interested in a PhD studentship aligned with my research interests.