Project: DC collection systems for offshore wind farms at Cardiff University (4 April 2018 – 2 February 2020 and 1 July 2020 – 31 August 2021). 
Watch his work package 2 short video and read the work package reports.
Journal publications:
Reliability and Economic Evaluation of Offshore Wind Power DC Collection Systems, Energies 2021.
Analytical Model for Availability Assessment of Large-Scale Offshore Wind Farms including their Collector System, IEEE Transactions on Sustainable Energy 2021.
Reliability and Cost-oriented Analysis, Comparison and Selection of Multi-level MVdc Converters, IEEE Transactions on Power Delivery 2021.
Analysis and Control of MVDC Demonstration Project in the UK: ANGLE-DC, Distribution & Utilization 2020.
Recent Development and Prospect of Offshore Wind Power in Europe, Global Energy Interconnection 2019.
Conference presentations and posters:
Wind Energy Science Conference, Hanover, May 2021.
IEEE PELS SYPS, March 2021.
CIREGS, Sri Lanka blackout discussion, Oct 2020.
IEEE ICIIS, Sri Lanka, Dec 2019.
Wind Energy Science Conference, Cork, June 2019.
IEEE PES ISGT Asia, Chengdu, May 2019.
HVDC Colloquium, UPC, Barcelona, Sept 2018.
PowerPoint video presentations:
DC Collection Systems for Offshore Wind Power Plants: A Holistic Reliability Approach (7 mins) March 2021.
A Multi-State Systems Markov Model for Reliability Evaluation of Large Offshore Wind Farms (9 mins) Oct 2020.
Reliability Assessment of Radial AC & DC Offshore Wind Collection Systems (25 mins) Aug 2020.
Policy related work:
European Energy Innovation InnoDC feature contributor, autumn 2020.
Public work:
Virtual lecture to MSc students, Oct 2020.
European Researchers’ Night, international, Sept 2019.
Blade School, Cardiff, July 2019.
Museum After Dark, Cardiff, Feb 2019.
European Researchers’ Night, Bristol, Sept 2018.
Secondary School, Figueres, May 2018.
Representative:
Secretary of IEEE Power Electronics Society UK & Ireland Chapter for 2020/21.
Teaching:
Since autumn 2018 Gayan has been conducting the laboratory experiment, led by Dr Janaka Ekanayake, for Master’s course module, Power System Protection ENT777 / EN4807.
Awards:
1st prize IEEE PES UKRI presentation competition, Cardiff, 2018.
Secondments:
KU Leuven, winter 2021.
DTU Wind Energy, spring 2019.
Collaboration:
With National Grid UK, 2020.
Training:
Numerous webinars (2020-21); ACDC international conference, Coventry (2019); BIN@Porto (2018). Network meetings: KU Leuven (2021), Cinergia & UPC (2020), Cardiff University (2020), Elia (2019), DTU (2019), Uporto & Efacec (2018) and UPC (2018). Imperial College London: IEEE Workshop on Representations of Power Electronics for Grid Dynamic Studies (2019). Cardiff University: Writing Science Literature Reviews; English for Research Writing; PowerPoint Enhancing your Presentation; PhD Management; Inkscape for Easy Illustration; Rapid Reading; Science Busking workshop.
Background:
Before joining the InnoDC project, I worked for more than 5 ½ years as a Transmission Planning Engineer at Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), the largest Electrical Utility in Sri Lanka.
I obtained First Class honors in my BSc.Eng degree, then completed an MSc.Eng in Power, Energy Systems and High Voltage, both at University of Peradeniya (UOP), Sri Lanka. I specialized in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, and was in the cohort’s top 5-10% during my undergraduate studies. I was awarded the Prof. E.O.E Pereira Gold Medal for the most Outstanding Engineering Graduate at the General Convocation 2012.
In addition, I am a certified Chartered Electrical Engineer (CEng) of the Institution of Engineers, Sri Lanka (IESL) and a member of IEEE (Institute of Electrical & Electronic Engineering).
I was motivated to carry out research during my undergraduate project on developing an MPPT (maximum power point tracking) controller to harness rooftop Solar PV. My interest was reinforced through employment-related research projects carried out as a Transmission Planning Engineer and a Teaching Assistant at the Power Electronics Laboratory, UOP.
I aim to develop tools to analyze techno-economic viability of different offshore DC collector platforms in order to evaluate optimum configuration to aid development of Offshore Wind Power Plants on a larger scale. I strongly believe that the InnoDC project will deliver beneficial outcomes to the scientific community in the future.
After completing this project, I wish to continue my research into HVDC systems, particularly related to offshore wind power integration. My ambition is to become an expert in the field of HVDC technology – specifically related to renewable integration – and to investigate innovative solutions to improve renewable energy absorption capabilities in different power systems, leading to a greener, cleaner and sustainable power system.
Apart from my academic life, I have been actively involved in IEEE activities and have held distinguish positions in IEEE Sri Lanka Section & Power and Energy Society Chapter, including Assistant Secretary and Professional Development Chair (2015/2016).
Further, I have been playing table tennis since childhood, and led my company table tennis team as Captain, and UOP team as Vice-Captain for several years. In my spare time, I like listening to music and spending time with my friends and family.