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Jairo Rúa

Control and optimization engineer

Jairo Rúa

Norway

I am an engineer working on control theory, mathematical optimization, and numerical simulation. My work focuses on the analysis and control of dynamical systems, from the formulation of models and algorithms to their implementation in industrial applications.

My background combines control engineering, numerical optimization, dynamic modelling, and scientific programming. I am particularly interested in model predictive control, optimal control, constrained optimization, and methods for simulating and controlling complex dynamical systems.

In my professional work at ABB, I apply these methods to industrial automation and control problems. My academic work includes model predictive control, dynamic optimization, scheduling under uncertainty, and numerical studies of energy systems.

  • Control theory
  • Model predictive control
  • Optimal control
  • Numerical optimization
  • Numerical simulation
  • Dynamical systems
  • Scientific programming
  • Guidance and navigation systems
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Work experience

Aug 2025 – Present

Senior Technical Consultant

ABB

  • Technical sales of digital solutions for process operations, process control, production optimization, and digital services.
  • Business development and customer relationships in new energy sectors.
  • Technical support to the sales organization during sales clarification and project definition.
  • Technical lead for projects involving the modelling, simulation, and optimization of new energy systems.

Nov 2022 – Aug 2025

Section Manager

ABB

  • Engineering manager for a multidisciplinary team of 8–12 engineers.
  • Project manager for deliveries related to operations, control, and optimization.
  • Sales of solutions and services, from initial customer communication through preparation and delivery of final offers.
  • Technical lead for projects involving the modelling, simulation, and optimization of new energy systems.
  • Optimal design of energy systems for renewable power generation and hydrogen and ammonia production.

Nov 2020 – Oct 2022

Project Engineer

ABB

  • Software development of optimization routines for virtual flow metering applications.
  • Development of energy-management optimization solutions and simulation models.
  • Industrial data analysis, modelling, and simulation.
  • Design, commissioning, and tuning of control structures and solutions.

Education

2017 – 2020

Ph.D. in Control and Optimization of Energy Systems

Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) · Imperial College London (ICL)

  • Optimal control and automation of thermal power plants.
  • Stochastic optimization of energy systems under uncertainty.
  • Data-based modelling using system identification, statistics, and machine learning.

2015 – 2017

M.Sc. in Dynamic Energy Systems

Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)

  • Studies in process control and optimization, numerical methods, dynamic-system modelling, and process engineering.

2011 – 2015

B.Sc. in Energy Engineering

University of Vigo (UVigo)

Publications

Complete list on Google Scholar ↗

03

The role of natural gas in Europe towards 2050

A. Neumann et al.

Research report

2021

07

Stress monitoring during optimal dynamic operation of a natural gas combined cycle: Linear vs nonlinear formulation

J. Rúa, L. O. Nord

2019

08

Exergy analysis for combined heat and power (CHP) plants

J. Rúa, L. O. Nord

2018

09

Dynamic modeling and simulation of an offshore combined heat and power (CHP) plant

J. Rúa, L. O. Nord, R. M. Montañés, L. Riboldi

Proceedings of the 58th Conference on Simulation and Modelling

2017

10

Simulation of starting and stopping vortices of an airfoil

R. Agromayor, J. Rúa, R. Kristoffersen

2017