Zahidul Islam

Zahidul Islam

Assistant Professor at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

Posts by Collection

openings

portfolio

projects

Sensing & Communication Infrastructure for Grid Monitoring

The reliable operation of modern power systems depends on real-time situational awareness, requiring the deployment of a wide range of sensors, including Phasor Measurement Units (PMUs), Smart Meters, and Distributed Fiber-Optic Sensors (DFOS). However, these technologies involve high costs and demand optimized placement and efficient data transmission for effective grid monitoring. Addressing these challenges requires determining the optimal placement of PMUs and PDCs in large-scale transmission grids, as well as identifying strategies for deploying next-generation smart meters in distribution networks. Additionally, integrating fiber-optic sensing with traditional monitoring techniques and designing real-time, low-latency communication strategies are crucial for seamless data transmission across the grid.

Data Analytics for Grid Situational Awareness

With millions of sensors deployed across the power grid, system operators receive a massive amount of raw data. However, translating this data into actionable insights is essential for real-time decision-making. Techniques such as observability analysis, state estimation, anomaly detection, and forecasting play a crucial role in establishing grid situational awareness, particularly in low-observable distribution networks where real-time sensor data may be limited, delayed, or unreliable. Additionally, synchronizing data from heterogeneous sensors and ensuring accurate state estimation remain key challenges.

Situation-Aware Resilience of Cyber-Physical Power Systems

Cyber-physical power systems are vulnerable to physical failures (e.g., equipment failures) and cyber threats (e.g., data manipulation, false data injection attacks). To ensure reliability, the grid must be self-healing, adaptive, and resilient in minimizing disruptions. Achieving resilience requires strategies that address both cyber and physical failures, along with optimal operation of controlled equipment, such as DERs and switches, to maximize electricity supply during disruptions. Additionally, cyber-physical coordinated anomaly detection methods are essential for real-time cyberattack detection and mitigation.

publications

M. Z. Islam, M. S. Reza, M. M. Hossain and M. Ciobotaru, “Three-Phase PLL Based on Adaptive Clarke Transform Under Unbalanced Condition,” in IEEE Journal of Emerging and Selected Topics in Industrial Electronics, vol. 3, no. 2, pp. 382-387, April 2022.

Published in , 1900

Citation:
M. Z. Islam, M. S. Reza, M. M. Hossain and M. Ciobotaru, “Three-Phase PLL Based on Adaptive Clarke Transform Under Unbalanced Condition,” in IEEE Journal of Emerging and Selected Topics in Industrial Electronics, vol. 3, no. 2, pp. 382-387, April 2022.

E. Meriaux, D. Koehler, M. Z. Islam, V. Vokkarane and Y. Lin, “Performance Comparison of Machine Learning Methods in DDoS Attack Detection in Smart Grids,” 2022 IEEE MIT Undergraduate Research Technology Conference (URTC), Cambridge, MA, USA, 2022, pp. 1-5.

Published in , 1900

Citation:
E. Meriaux, D. Koehler, M. Z. Islam, V. Vokkarane and Y. Lin, “Performance Comparison of Machine Learning Methods in DDoS Attack Detection in Smart Grids,” 2022 IEEE MIT Undergraduate Research Technology Conference (URTC), Cambridge, MA, USA, 2022, pp. 1-5.

M. Z. Islam, M. S. Reza, M. M. Hossain and M. Ciobotaru, “Accurate Estimation of Phase Angle for Three-Phase Systems in Presence of Unbalances and Distortions,” in IEEE Transactions on Instrumentation and Measurement, vol. 71, pp. 1-12, 2022, 9001712.

Published in , 1900

Citation:
M. Z. Islam, M. S. Reza, M. M. Hossain and M. Ciobotaru, “Accurate Estimation of Phase Angle for Three-Phase Systems in Presence of Unbalances and Distortions,” in IEEE Transactions on Instrumentation and Measurement, vol. 71, pp. 1-12, 2022, 9001712.

M. Z. Islam, S. N. Edib, V. M. Vokkarane, Y. Lin and X. Fan, “A Scalable PDC Placement Technique for Fast and Resilient Monitoring of Large Power Grids,” in IEEE Transactions on Control of Network Systems, vol. 10, no. 4, pp. 1770-1782, Dec. 2023.

Published in , 1900

Citation:
M. Z. Islam, S. N. Edib, V. M. Vokkarane, Y. Lin and X. Fan, “A Scalable PDC Placement Technique for Fast and Resilient Monitoring of Large Power Grids,” in IEEE Transactions on Control of Network Systems, vol. 10, no. 4, pp. 1770-1782, Dec. 2023.

M. Z. Islam, Y. Lin, V. M. Vokkarane, Y. Yao and F. Ding, “Cyber-Physical Reconfiguration for Disaster Resilience of Power Distribution Systems,” 2023 IEEE International Conference on Communications, Control, and Computing Technologies for Smart Grids (SmartGridComm), Glasgow, United Kingdom, 2023, pp. 1-6.

Published in , 1900

Citation:
M. Z. Islam, Y. Lin, V. M. Vokkarane, Y. Yao and F. Ding, “Cyber-Physical Reconfiguration for Disaster Resilience of Power Distribution Systems,” 2023 IEEE International Conference on Communications, Control, and Computing Technologies for Smart Grids (SmartGridComm), Glasgow, United Kingdom, 2023, pp. 1-6.

M. Z. Islam, W. Zhang and Y. Lin, “Learning-Based Customer Voltage Visibility With Sparse High-Reporting-Rate Smart Meters,” 2024 IEEE Power & Energy Society General Meeting (PESGM), Seattle, WA, USA, 2024, pp. 1-5, doi: 10.1109/PESGM51994.2024.10688681.

Published in , 1900

Citation:
M. Z. Islam, W. Zhang and Y. Lin, “Learning-Based Customer Voltage Visibility With Sparse High-Reporting-Rate Smart Meters,” 2024 IEEE Power & Energy Society General Meeting (PESGM), Seattle, WA, USA, 2024, pp. 1-5, doi: 10.1109/PESGM51994.2024.10688681.

P. Christou, M. Z. Islam*, Y. Lin, and J. Xiong, “LLM4DistReconfig: A fine-tuned large language model for power distribution network reconfiguration,” 2025 Annual Conference of the Nations of the Americas Chapter of the ACL (NAACL), Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA, April 29–May 4, 2025 (accepted).

Published in , 1900

Citation:
P. Christou, M. Z. Islam*, Y. Lin, and J. Xiong, “LLM4DistReconfig: A fine-tuned large language model for power distribution network reconfiguration,” 2025 Annual Conference of the Nations of the Americas Chapter of the ACL (NAACL), Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA, April 29–May 4, 2025 (accepted).

M. Z. Islam*, Y. Ding, Y. Tian, T. Wang, Y. Lin, “Integration of Fiber Optic Sensing and Sparse Grid Sensors for Accurate Fault Localization in Distribution Systems”, 2025 IEEE Power & Energy Society General Meeting (PESGM), Austin, TX, USA, 2025 (accepted).

Published in , 1900

Citation:
M. Z. Islam*, Y. Ding, Y. Tian, T. Wang, Y. Lin, “Integration of Fiber Optic Sensing and Sparse Grid Sensors for Accurate Fault Localization in Distribution Systems”, 2025 IEEE Power & Energy Society General Meeting (PESGM), Austin, TX, USA, 2025 (accepted).

M. Z. Islam, Y. Lin, V. M. Vokkarane, “Disaster-Resilient Cyber-Physical Distribution System Reconfiguration and Dynamic Networked Microgrid Formation under Intermittent Generation”, IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications (under review).

Published in , 1900

Citation:
M. Z. Islam, Y. Lin, V. M. Vokkarane, “Disaster-Resilient Cyber-Physical Distribution System Reconfiguration and Dynamic Networked Microgrid Formation under Intermittent Generation”, IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications (under review).

Y. Ding, M. Z. Islam, J. Shiau, A. D. Amico, Y. Tian, Z. Jiang, S. Ozharar, T. Wang, and Y. Lin, “Resilient DFOS Placement Strategy for Power Grid Monitoring: Integrating Fiber and Power Network Dependencies,” 29th International Conference On Optical Fibre Sensors (OFS), Porto, Portugal, 25-30 May 2025.

Published in , 1900

Citation:
Y. Ding, M. Z. Islam, J. Shiau, A. D. Amico, Y. Tian, Z. Jiang, S. Ozharar, T. Wang, and Y. Lin, “Resilient DFOS Placement Strategy for Power Grid Monitoring: Integrating Fiber and Power Network Dependencies,” 29th International Conference On Optical Fibre Sensors (OFS), Porto, Portugal, 25-30 May 2025.

talks

teaching

ECE 587 - Modern Power Systems Operation

Graduate Course, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, School of Electrical, Computer, and Biomedical Engineering, 2025

Course Overview

ECE 587 provides a comprehensive introduction to modern techniques for secure and efficient operation of power systems. The course covers generation, transmission, and distribution systems, while introducing optimization methods central to real-world practice, including economic dispatch (ED), unit commitment (UC), and optimal power flow (OPF).