Associate ProfessorSamson S. Yu

Associate Professor

Faculty of Science Engineering and Built Environment/School of Engineering

  • Associate Professor
    Faculty of Science Engineering and Built Environment/School of Engineering
  • Melbourne Burwood Campus, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, Victoria 3125

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Samson S. Yu obtained his Master's and PhD degrees from the University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia. As an Associate Professor in Electrical Engineering, he works at the intersection of nonlinear dynamic systems, estimation and control, and future power systems. His research develops modelling, estimation, and decision-making frameworks for complex networked cyber-physical systems, particularly power grids transitioning toward distributed, consumer-participatory operation. Since 2015, Dr. Yu has published over 300 research articles (over 210 JCR Q1 journal papers), including more than 100 IEEE papers, and has secured over $3M in research funding across industry, national, and international collaborations, with a total project value of over $18M.

 

Dr. Yu's research has been recognised through multiple institutional and international awards, including the Deakin Vice-Chancellor’s Early Career Researcher Award (2021), Faculty's Mid Career Researcher Award (2024) and several best paper, report, and editorial awards in IEEE and other renowned international academic societies. Dr. Yu leads an interdisciplinary research team focused on advancing estimation, control, and optimisation methods for complex engineering systems. The team integrates expertise from electrical engineering, control theory, computer science, and applied mathematics, supporting collaborative research projects, joint funding initiatives, special journal issues, and international conference organisation. 

 

As a dedicated educator, Dr. Yu has developed and delivered five major electrical engineering units. In recognition of teaching excellence, he was part of the Burwood campus teaching team awarded the Faculty Teaching Excellence Award in 2025.

 

Major research areas:

 

Estimation, control and coordination of renewable-rich power systems.

Consumer-centric power grids, operational energy market coordination, and grid democratisation

Nonlinear systems, circuits and systems, and system optimisation.

 

GRANTS

  • INTERNAL GRANT
    Research theme funding allocation 2026 for Energy, FATE, Education
    Deakin University7 May 2026 - 31 Oct 2026
    People funded by this grant:
    • Yu S,
    • Trinh H,
    • Chen Y
  • CONTRACT RESEARCH
    Artificial intelligence for battery maintenance in Australian heavy industries
    28 Feb 2025 - 31 Aug 2028
    People funded by this grant:
    Xcel Tech - $34,500.00
  • GRANT
    AI-enabled battery health management systems
    REACH PhD24 Feb 2025 - 31 Jul 2029
    People funded by this grant:
    $45,550 p.a.
  • GRANT
    Electric modification of heavy vehicles for low-emission mining
    Recycling and Clean Energy Commercialisation Hub Deakin6 Jan 2025 - 30 Jun 2027
    People funded by this grant:
    $4.76M total project value, $820k research component
  • CONTRACT RESEARCH
    Schedule 1 - Xcel Tech - REACH Program: Electric modification of heavy vehicles for low-emission mining
    1 Dec 2024 - 30 Jun 2027
    People funded by this grant:
    Xcel Tech - $822,619.00
  • INTERNAL GRANT
    Minor euqipment
    SEBE Resarch20 Aug 2024 - 2 Dec 2024
    People funded by this grant:
    • Yu SS
  • GRANT
    Clean Energy Transition - Challenges and Opportunities for Australia and Vietnam
    1 Apr 2024 - 31 Mar 2025
    People funded by this grant:
    DFAT Australia-ASEAN Council - AAC2023-092 - $28,600.00
  • COLLABORATIVE GRANT
    Smart Battery Systems - Spent Li-ion Recycling
    Deakin University and Coventry University (UK)1 Jun 2023 - 30 Apr 2027
    People funded by this grant:
    • Yu S
    Deakin - Coventry Cotutelle PhD Program ~$195K (Two mirrored PhD scholarships)
  • COLLABORATIVE GRANT
    Germany DAAD Visiting Fellowship
    Universities Australia, Deakin University International Partnership28 Feb 2023 - 28 Feb 2025
    People funded by this grant:
    • Yu S
    Australia-Germany collaboration program $24.6K
  • GRANT
    ARC Training Centre in Energy Technologies for Future Grids
    18 Oct 2022 - 18 Oct 2027
    People funded by this grant:
    • Muttaqi K,
    • Yu S,
    • Mahmud A
    ARC Industrial Transformation Training Centres - IC210100021 - $408,933.00
  • GRANT
    ARC Training Centre in Energy Technologies for Future Grids
    18 Oct 2022 - 18 Oct 2027
    People funded by this grant:
    • Muttaqi K,
    • Yu S,
    • Mahmud A
    CSIRO Grant - Research - Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation - $24,500.00
  • CONTRACT RESEARCH
    Performance Analysis of Compensaed Distribution Networks in Bushfire Prone Areas - Stage 2
    28 Jun 2021 - 1 Dec 2023
    People funded by this grant:
    • Mahmud A,
    • Yu S
    AusNet Electricity Services Pty Ltd - $190,335.45
  • GRANT
    Performance Analysis of Compensated Distribution Networks in Bushfire Prone Areas
    28 Jun 2021 - 17 Jun 2022
    People funded by this grant:
    • Yu S,
    • Oo AMT,
    • Mahmud A
    DELWP Powerline Bushfire Safety Program - R&D Grant - $150,000.00
  • INTERNAL GRANT
    Machine-learning-based reliable and cyber-secure energy systems
    Faculty of SEBE $115K1 Mar 2021 - 30 Jun 2024
    People funded by this grant:
    • Yu S
    MAAP mini Discovery $115K
  • INTERNAL GRANT
    Three power converter prototypes for verifying the generalized reverse design approach
    Faculty of SEBE1 Feb 2021 - 29 Oct 2021
    People funded by this grant:
    • Yu S
    Faculty of SEBE $4.7K
  • COMPETITIVE GRANT
    Cooperative Research Centre (CRC)1 Oct 2019 - 30 Sep 2024
    People funded by this grant:
    • Fernando T,
    • Yu S
    Cooperative Research Centre ~$600K (CRC FBI total ~44M)