Personal profile
Research Interests
Dr. Liu is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Electronics, Electrical Engineering, and Computer Science at Queen’s University Belfast (QUB). She earned her Ph.D. in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from QUB in 2009 through joint training with Zhejiang University. With a strong foundation in mathematics, her work bridges core power systems and intelligent data analytics.
Dr. Liu teaches key modules in power systems and supervises postgraduate research at the intersection of electrical engineering and data science. Her research specializes in applying artificial intelligence and data-driven methods to address challenges in power system stability, smart meter analytics, and energy market intelligence. She has authored over 80 publications in leading international journals and conferences and actively collaborates with industry partners to solve real-world energy problems.
She served as the QUB Principal Investigator on the €6.7 million INTERREG SPIRE2 project (Sep 2020–Dec 2022), leading QUB's £1 million research contribution on integrating energy storage into renewable energy systems. Her team's diagnostic tools for grid oscillations have been adopted by major transmission operators, including EirGrid and SONI. This work is detailed in the publication “Very low‑frequency oscillation source localization on Ireland’s power system” (IEEE Open Journal of Industry Applications, 2022), which advanced understanding of these challenges and marked the first successful localization of very low-frequency oscillations in the Irish power system. Notably, one of the SPIRE2 outcomes, the paper "The Impact of Different Control Strategies on Residential Battery Degradation," co-authored with Ahmed A. Raouf Mohamed, Robert J. Best, and D. John Morrow, was awarded 1st Prize in the Graduate Student Poster Contest at the 2021 IEEE Power & Energy Society General Meeting.
Dr. Liu currently leads several industry-driven projects, including:
- Oscillation diagnostics using PMU data (with transmission system operators)
- Behind-the-meter analytics for enhancing low-voltage network visibility and consumer flexibility (in partnership with both distribution and transmission system operators)
- Energy market intelligence, leveraging smart meter data analytics, behavioural profiling, and demand-side response strategies
Dr. Liu is a Senior Member of IEEE, a Member of IEEE Women in Power, a Member of CIGRE, and an Associate Editor for IET Energy Conversion & Economics. Previously, she served as Programme Director for the MSc in Electronics at QUB (Sep 2018 - Dec 2020).
Dr. Liu has successfully supervised 13 PhD students and 2 postdoctoral researchers, most of whom are now employed as innovation engineers at local distribution and transmission system operators (DSOs and TSOs), directly contributing to the energy industry’s talent pipeline. She welcomes inquiries from prospective PhD applicants and visiting students interested in this field.
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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R7541ECS: Investigation into the need and benefits of integrating Grid Forming Battery Energy Storage System (GFM-BESS) into the All-Island Power System
Liu, X. A. (PI), Best, R. (CoI) & Elkhateb, A. (CoI)
05/12/2025 → …
Project: Research
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R5361ECS: Behind-the-Meter Generation Forecasting for Grid Visibility
Liu, X. A. (PI)
21/08/2025 → …
Project: Research
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R5362ECS: Behind-the-Meter Generation Forecasting for Grid Visibility
Liu, X. A. (PI)
21/08/2025 → …
Project: Research
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R1899ECS: Unlocking the demand flexibility of heat pumps for providing electricity grid services
Liu, X. A. (PI)
19/05/2025 → …
Project: Research
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R7518ECS: Identifying the Source of Very Low Frequency Oscillations for the All-Island Power System
Liu, X. A. (PI) & Best, R. (CoI)
04/10/2023 → …
Project: Research
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Oscillatory stability challenges in the European power system: lessons for next-generation grids
Maclean, R., Liu, X., Best, R. J., Duggan, C., McLorn, G. & McGowan, D., 21 Apr 2026, (Accepted) Asia Conference on Power and Electrical Engineering (ACPEE): Proceedings. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc., ( Asia Conference on Power and Electrical Engineering (ACPEE): Proceedings).Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution
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Power system planning under deep uncertainty: integrating tidal energy for net-zero Northern Ireland
Sabzpoosh Saravi, V., Liu, X. A. & Frost, C., 01 Feb 2026, In: Applied Energy. 404, 19 p., 127140.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile4 Link opens in a new tab Citations (Scopus)14 Downloads (Pure) -
Scalable sample-based clustering for smart meter load profiles
Greer, C. W., Liu, X. & Best, R. J., 01 Apr 2026, (Accepted) Proceedings of the CIRED 2026 Brussels Workshop. (Proceedings of the CIRED Workshop).Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution
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Seasonal similarity for behind-the-meter PV disaggregation in LV networks
Hull, T., Liu, X. A., Best, R. & Cameron, C., 01 Mar 2026, (Accepted) Asia Conference on Power and Electrical Engineering (ACPEE): Proceedings. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc., ( Asia Conference on Power and Electrical Engineering (ACPEE): Proceedings).Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution
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Clustering smart meter data for residential load profile analysis
Greer, C., Liu, X. A. & Best, R., 15 Dec 2025, 2025 60th International Universities Power Engineering Conference (UPEC): Proceedings. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc., 5 p.Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution
Open AccessFile6 Downloads (Pure)
Datasets
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Dataset for "Sequential Feature Selection for Power System Event Classification Utilizing Wide-Area PMU Data"
Rafferty, M. (Creator) & Liu, X. A. (Contributor), Queen's University Belfast, Jul 2022
Dataset
File
Prizes
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Best Graduate Student Poster Award
Mohamed, A. (Recipient), Best, R. (Recipient), Liu, X. A. (Recipient) & Morrow, D. J. (Recipient), 28 Jul 2021
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
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Best PhD Thesis Competition Award
Mohamed, A. (Recipient), Best, R. (Recipient), Liu, X. A. (Recipient) & Morrow, D. J. (Recipient), Sept 2022
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
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Best Presenter of 2026 11th Asia Conference on Power and Electrical Engineering (ACPEE)
Maclean, R. (Recipient), Liu, X. A. (Recipient), Best, R. (Recipient), Duggan, C. (Recipient), McLorn, G. (Recipient) & McGowan, D. (Recipient), 16 Apr 2026
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
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COVID-19 Pandemic Research Enabling Fund
Liu, X. A. (Recipient), 2021
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
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EPSRC Impact Acceleration Award
Liu, X. A. (Recipient), Jun 2022
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
Activities
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Advisor for UKRI Sandpit-Market Access Acceleration in Consumer Led Flexibility
Liu, X. A. (Advisor)
27 Apr 2026Activity: Consultancy types › Work on advisory panel to industry or government or non-government organisation
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Identifying the Source of Very Low Frequency Oscillations for the All-Island Power System
Maclean, R. (Invited speaker), Liu, X. A. (Invited speaker) & Best, R. (Advisor)
28 Jan 2026Activity: Talk or presentation types › Invited talk
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Tiange Li
Liu, X. A. (Host)
Oct 2025 → Jun 2026Activity: Hosting a visitor types › Hosting an academic visitor
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Peiyue Li
Liu, X. A. (Host)
Oct 2025 → Jun 2026Activity: Hosting a visitor types › Hosting an academic visitor
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Clustering Smart Meter Data for Residential Load Profile Analysis
Greer, C. (Presenter), Liu, X. A. (Advisor) & Best, R. (Advisor)
Sept 2025Activity: Talk or presentation types › Oral presentation