Previous Meetings and Presentations

2014 Meetings

January 2014 Technical Meeting

Topic: “Actual Case Study of a Smart Grid Installation”

Speaker Bios:

Brandt Smith has 36 years experience with power systems. His power systems experience includes operations, maintenance, design, sales, and management. He currently is the industry channel manager for Siemens Smart Grid and is an expert on power automation.

Abstract
Smart Grid design and performance testing of a complete power, automation, and control system for a 230/115 kV generation substation using IEC 61850 Ethernet communication for protection and control.  Including multiple step-up transformers, busses, circuit breakers (45), synchronous condensers and auto transformers in a breaker and a half arrangement. System has more than 200 protection and control IEDs from different manufacturers, with 4,000 GOOSE messages  as part of the integrated system.

Design techniques and best practices to avoid communication delays due to network routing and congestion are presented. Test results of the network reliability and performance with detailed results evaluated for suitability of the design for this highly important application are also provided. As an example for high traffic conditions (data storm), test data from a live bus differential scheme is given.

Lessons learned from the project are detailed and future plans and opportunities to expand this technology are discussed.

February 2014 Technical Meeting

Topic: Arc Flash Mitigation Techniques

Speaker Bios:

Antony Parsons is a Technical Consultant in Schneider Electric’s Power Systems Engineering group. He is responsible for providing power system analysis, troubleshooting, and design consulting services for Schneider Electric’s customers, as well as engineering support for Schneider Electric’s field services operations. He is proficient in computer modeling of electric power systems, system protection, power quality and harmonics, and electrical safety. Antony received the BSEE degree from the University of Houston in 1995, then received the MSE and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Texas at Austin in 1996 and 1999, respectively, all in electrical engineering. He is a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the IEEE Industry Applications Society. He is a licensed engineer in the states of Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana.

Antony has authored several technical papers, both in IEEE Transactions publications and IEEE conference proceedings, and has made technical presentations at conferences in the US and abroad. He has also helped to develop extensive training material for both Schneider Electric employees and clients, and has served as an instructor for Schneider Electric’s “Power Quality and Disturbance Monitoring” and “Understanding Arc Flash” short courses. He is a member of the IEEE P1584 working group on Arc Flash Calculations, and represents Schneider Electric as a member of the Technical Advisory Committee to the IEEE/NFPA Arc Flash Collaborative Research Project.

Abstract
Arc flash hazards, where arcing faults in electrical distribution equipment violently release heat, pressure, and other hazards into the environment, have received a great deal of interest within the electrical safety community in recent years. Increased recognition of the hazards associated with arc flash events and more stringent requirements in safety standards have led facility owners to perform hazard analysis on their power distribution systems and ensure that workers are supplied with appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE).

While these are important steps in helping ensure worker safety, using system design techniques and product solutions to help reduce the severity of and/or likelihood of arc flash events occurring can enhance worker safety even further. This presentation will provide an overview of commonly available arc flash mitigation techniques, including advances in protective relays, equipment design and construction, and remote operation/monitoring of power distribution equipment. Solutions applicable for both existing and new facilities will be presented.


March 2014 Technical Meeting


Speaker: Doug Harris, Specification Engineer, GE Energy Management

Topic: Arc Flash Mitigation Solutions
Click File 1 and File 2 to download the presentation

Speaker Bios:

Doug Harris has 38 years of experience in the electrical industry. He trained and worked as an electrician prior to graduating from Oklahoma State University in 1985 with a B.S. in Electrical Power Technology.  In 1985, he started with GE as a field engineer in the industrial services organization troubleshooting, commissioning, and testing, electrical distribution equipment across various industries. He accepted a GE equipment sales role in 1999 and then a project management role in 2004.  In 2008 he became an application engineer for the Industrial Services organization and in 2013 to present a Specification Engineer for GE Industrial Solutions.

Abstract
This presentation will look at various arc flash mitigation solutions with a focus on low voltage applications.  The presentation will include:

·         A brief overview of arc flash characteristics

·         Traditional power system coordination v arc flash protection

·         Arc flash containment methods

·         Modern circuit breaker trip unit technology

·         Advanced trip unit sensing characteristics

April 2014 Technical Meeting

Speaker: Joe Smith – Senior Business Development Manager, Siemens PTI

Topic: “Centralized Model Management via Common Information Model (CIM)
Click here to download the presentation

Speaker Bios:

Joe Smith‘s 28-year career includes 14 years working for utilities, 8 years with MISO, and 6 years with Siemens PTI. He has a myriad of experience in transmission system operations and modeling.

Abstract
Utilities are facing many challenges with modeling processes and data integrity. Network models are needed for a multitude of timeframes, and ensuring coordination and accuracy of these models is essential to minimizing risk and reducing operating costs in today’s transmission environment. This presentation will provide an approach to centralized network model management utilizing CIM standards – focusing on its importance, benefits, and the tools to get there.

June 2014 Technical meeting

Speaker: Salvador Acha-Daza – President NIAT, S.C.

Topic: Reactive Power and Voltage control

Click here to download a copy of the presentation

Speaker Bios:

Studies
M.Sc. in Electrical Power Systems, ESIME-IPN, Mexico City 1977.
Ph.D. in Electrical Power Systems, University of Texas at Arlington, 1988.
Post Doctoral Fellow, Energy Systems Research Center, University of Texas at Arlington, 1989.

Work experience in Industry, University and Research

  • Dispatch Engineer, National Control Center (CENACE), Comisión Federal de Electricidad (CFE). México. September 1977 August 1979.
  • Has worked as consultant for CFE in highly specialized training courses: Modelling, Reactive power planning and voltage control, transmission design and PMU’s applications, optimal coordination and control of hydro and thermal energy sources in the Mexican system.
  • Coordinator for special training of 310 Distribution Planning CFE’s engineers, May 2002 – August 2004.
  • Founded in 2002 the National Institute for Advanced Technology, S. C. (NIAT, S. C.), Morelia. Mexico.
  • Professor and Director of the Electrical Ph. D. program in Electrical Engineering, Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon (UANL), Monterrey-Mexico. February 1990 – December 2003.

Specialized training and Research Projects
Has participated as Director and supervised applied projects for the Comision Federal de Electricidad (CFE) in the areas of monitoring and control for the national electric power system, as well as in network planning tools.
Has been organizing for various years and participating as instructor in more than 300 specialized short courses, one week duration; for utility power engineers in Mexico, Central and South America. Topics range from advanced network analysis, power system protection, optimal operation and control of large interconnected power systems, load forecasting and distribution planning.

Publications
Has published more than 40 papers in transactions, specialized magazines and participated in technical meetings.
Has worked with more than 30 students; thesis and research; master and Ph. D.

Program

1 Modeling
Assumptions and V, I, P, Q
Transformer
Transmission Line
Generator
SVR (static VAR compensator)

2 Basics about voltage control
Q-V relation
Reactive power flow and incremental model
Decupled Load-Flow
Tap’s control and generalized control

3 Sensitivity Q-V and coordinated control
Sensitivity coefficients
Application and coordinated control
Q-V Congestion
Radial networks

4 Voltage collapse
Angle stability
Voltage collapse
Cases

July 2014 Technical meeting

Speaker: Jung-Chih Chiao – University of Texas at Arlington

Topic: “Bring in the sunshine into a room?

Speaker Bios:

J.C. Chiao is Greene endowed professor and Garrett endowed professor of Electrical Engineering at the University of Texas at Arlington; and an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Internal Medicine Department at UT-Southwestern, Medical Center.
Dr. Chiao received the 2011 O’Donnell Award in Engineering presented by The Academy of Medicine, Engineering and Science of Texas (TAMEST). He also received the 2011 Tech Titan Technology Innovator Award; 2011 Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Excellence in Engineering Teaching Award; 2012 Research in Medicine milestone award by Heroes of Healthcare; and 2012 IEEE Region 5 Outstanding Engineering Educator award. His webpage is at http://www.uta.edu/faculty/jcchiao/

Abstract

The presentation focuses on the development of wireless power transfer techniques. Inductive coupling at resonance propagates RF power efficiently in space and through walls for electrical applications. A solar energy based wirelessly-powered lighting system has been demonstrated. The same technique can be utilized for powering medical implants for diagnosis and treatment of chronic diseases. Gastric implants that can be implemented by endoscopy will be discussed.

August 2014 Technical meeting

Speaker: Gustavo Rodriguez– Burns & McDonell

Topic: “High Voltage Substation Design Approach – For Utility Systems”

Click here to download a copy of the presentation

Speaker Bios: Gustavo Rodriguez is a Project Manager in Burns & McDonnell’s Substation group within the Transmission & Distribution Department. He has over 11 years of engineering experience in the T&D consulting industry. He has been involved in the design of electrical power transmission and distribution projects from 480-V to 345-kV for both utility and industrial clients. His experience includes both greenfield substations and upgrade/additions to existing substations. His current responsibilities include project management, conceptual design, equipment specification, equipment layout, construction estimates, and RFP packages.

Gus has a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Texas A&M University, College Station. He is an IEEE member and registered Professional Engineer in Arkansas, Illinois, Oklahoma, and Texas.

Abstract

The presentation will provide engineers high level concepts of what high voltage substations are as well as detailed information on the design approach. We will discuss substation equipment, substation configurations, and protection philosophies. In addition, we will review the life cycle of a substation project.

September 2014 Technical meeting

Speaker: David Howell – Texas Board of Professional Engineers

Topic: “Professional Practice Update / Ethics”

Speaker Bios: David Howell has been the Deputy Executive Director for the Texas Board of Professional Engineers since November 2013 and served as Director of Licensing prior to that. He has over 25 years of engineering experience working for the State of Texas, eight of them with the Board. As the Deputy Executive Director, he helps oversee all agency functions including Enforcement and Licensing activities. He is responsible for legislative reporting and implementation, rule development, budget and policy issues, and represents the Board at statewide and national functions. David has been selected to represent the Texas Board on several national taskforces and committees related to engineering licensure, public outreach and exams. He prepares and gives Licensing and Ethics live and webinar presentations to engineering organizations, universities and other groups.

David has a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Texas at El Paso. Prior to coming to the Board, his work was primarily in the field of environmental engineering.


January 2015 Technical meeting

Speakers: Patrick Gravois and Sidharth Rajagopalan – ERCOT

Topic: “PMU network within ERCOT and its use in real-time monitoring.”

Speaker Bios:

Patrick Gravois received his Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin in 2013. Upon completion of his degree, he spent a year in the Engineer Development Program at the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), and is now an operations engineer in the Grid Applications Support group at ERCOT. His primary roles are to support real-time applications used in the control room, as well as monitor and analyze Phasor Measurement Unit (PMU) data streamed into ERCOT from across the state.
Sidharth Rajagopalan joined ERCOT as a Planning Engineer in 2009, after receiving his MSEE degree from The University of Texas at Austin. He worked with the Planning Department for four years, focusing on power system dynamics including system model building, voltage and dynamic stability assessment and small-signal stability determination. Since 2013, he has been with the Operations Department in ERCOT working on the ERCOT PMU Project and real-time stability assessment tools. He has been instrumental in developing use cases for synchrophasor data in ERCOT such as oscillation detection, post event analysis and model validation & tuning.

Sidharth Rajagopalan joined ERCOT as a Planning Engineer in 2009, after receiving his MSEE degree from The University of Texas at Austin. He worked with the Planning Department for four years, focusing on power system dynamics including system model building, voltage and dynamic stability assessment and small-signal stability determination. Since 2013, he has been with the Operations Department in ERCOT working on the ERCOT PMU Project and real-time stability assessment tools. He has been instrumental in developing use cases for synchrophasor data in ERCOT such as oscillation detection, post event analysis and model validation & tuning.

Abstract In the recent years, synchronized Phasor Measurement Units (PMUs) have become very popular due to their versatility. Various applications of phasor measurements have been studied ranging from power system monitoring, protection and control to state estimation and post-event diagnostics. Recognizing the potential benefits of synchronized phasor measurements, or synchrophasors, ERCOT started a collaborative effort in 2008 to implement this technology in its Operations and Planning processes. This effort, coordinated by the Center for the Commercialization of Electric Technology (CCET) under a grant from the Department of Energy, has engaged various entities, including ERCOT Transmission Service Providers (TSPs) and Electric Power Group, who developed the RTDMS visualization platform. In this presentation, we would like to cover the basics of synchrophasor technology and all the various ways in which it has been applied in ERCOT.


February 2015 Technical meeting

Speakers: Rahul Rajvanshi and Tom Hawkins – Siemens

Topic: Value of Insulated Bus Bars in Reducing Arcing fault duration in Low Voltage Systems

Speakers Bios: Rahul Rajvanshi is a Senior Product Engineer with Siemens Industry. He designs Arc Resistant Low Voltage Switchgear for Siemens and holds multiple patents in this subject matter. He is a member of IEEE 1584, Guide for Arc Flash Hazard Calculations. He has an MS in Aerospace Engineering and a BS in Mechanical engineering.

Tom Hawkins is a Consulting Product Engineer with Siemens Industry. He has worked in Product Development for over 20 years. He is active in the IEEE Switchgear Committee to develop industry standards and currently contributes to Working Groups for Arc Resistant Switchgear (C37.20.7), Metal Enclosed Low Voltage Switchgear (C37.20.1), AC Power Circuit Breakers (C37.13), and Metal Enclosed Bus (C37.23). He holds multiple patents in numerous areas of expertise. He has an MS in Engineering Management and a BS in Mechanical Engineering.

Abstract Power distribution equipment is the backbone of any Industrial process infrastructure. Safety and reliability are the two most important criteria in the proper functioning of the power distribution system.Low voltage switchgear is an important part of power distribution. Minimizing arcing faults in the switchgear is of utmost importance to enable a safe environment. Arcing faults increase the temperatures inside the equipment beyond 20,000 K, rapidly heating air and vaporizing metal parts. This expanding plasma creates severe mechanical and thermal stress in the equipment which can blow open doors and fragment/burn through the enclosure.Arc Resistant Low Voltage Switchgear (LVS) is designed to provide an additional degree of protection for operating personnel performing normal operating duties in close proximity to the equipment.A series of arc flash simulations were performed on LVS in both Bare Bus (Non-Insulated) and Insulated/Isolated Bus configurations. The significant differences in performance observed between these configurations will be the main discussion points of this presentation.


March 2015 Technical meeting

Speaker: Roy Boyer, P.E. 

Topic: “How We Got to Where We Are:  A Historical Overview of Power System Stability Analysis”

Please download the presentation and additional material here.

IEEE-Ft-Worth-2015-v2.pdf IEEE-Ft-Worth-2015-v2.pptx

PES_TR1.pdf

Speaker Bios: After serving in the United States Marine Corps, Roy Boyer received his BSEE degree from the University of Oklahoma in 1975.  For approximately 11 years he held various engineering positions while employed by Brown and Root, Inc. in Houston, TX.  In 1986 he joined TUGCO and held positions in such areas as plant design, configuration management, and project management. In 1996 he joined the Special Studies Group of Transmission Planning, part of Oncor Electric Delivery Company.  His primary responsibilities included transient stability, voltage stability, small signal stability, and EMF studies.   After retiring from Oncor he worked for Xcel Energy in the Regional Transmission Planning department concentrating on regional issues affecting Xcel Energy’s Southwest Public Service Company. He is a member of several IEEE working groups, and has authored or contributed to several IEEE and CIGRE reports and publications. Retired a second time he currently offers electric power system consulting services.

He is a licensed Professional Engineer in Texas, Oklahoma, and Alabama.

Abstract: Traditionally, the primary purpose of power system stability analysis was to identify conditions that might result in loss of synchronism of synchronous generators. Simplifying assumptions, such as ignoring network transients, were made in part because machine mechanical swings tend to be much slower than network transients, and such simplifying assumptions improve computational efficiency. Fast transient analysis has tended to be performed by different software than is used for stability analysis. However, many power systems today have many power electronic components, and a question has arisen as to whether stability analysis software, and the simplifying assumptions included are appropriate for today’s power systems and the needs of today’s users.  A primary objective of the IEEE PSDP Task Force on Modeling of Large Interconnected Systems for Stability Analysis is to answer that question. As part of the effort, the TF is reviewing the historical development of models, assumptions, and methods used in power system stability analysis. The “How We Got to Where We Are” presentation will give a historical overview of these developments.


April 2015 Technical Meeting

Speaker: Ronnie Minhaz, P.E. 

Topic: “Transformer Design and Design Parameters”

Please download the presentation tutorial here.

IEEE Louisville PES transformer design tutorial 2-18-2015

Speaker: Ronnie Minhaz, Peng

Speaker Bio: Ronnie holds B.Sc. degree in Electrical Engineering from University of Manitoba, Canada. Before founding his own company “Transformer Consulting Services Inc(www.tc-servicesinc.com)”, Ronnie worked as Transformer Designer at Pauwels Canada(Manufacturer), as Equipment Engineer at SNC Lava Lin(EPCM) and Enmax Power(Utility), as Substation Lead Engineer at McGregor Construction(Substation Construction). Ronnie is a registered professional engineer in the province of Alberta, Canada and an IEEE member. Ronnie held various leadership positions at IEEE Section level and a regular member of IEEE PES society.

Abstract: The presentation will be on the Basic of Transformer Design. The presentation will explain how a transformer designer interprets parameters such as MVA, lightning Impulse, Switching impulse, Percentage Impedance supplied by a customer. It will touch on Power rating[MVA], Core, Rated voltages, Insulation Coordination, Short-circuit Impedance, Short-circuit Forces, Loss evaluation, Temperature limits, Cooling, Sound Level .. etc. It will also explain overload and life expectancy of a transformer as well when Delta winding is needed in Wye-Wye connection. The presentation will answer why in North America we like to regulate from low voltage side whereas in Europe regulates from high voltage side.


May 2015 Technical meeting

Speaker: Luke Collette – Mitsubishi Electric Power Products

Topic: “Potential Concerns and Mitigation for Shunt Capacitor and Reactor Switching.”

Please download the presentation tutorial here.

IEEE_ShuntCapacitorReactor_Presentation_May2015

Speaker Bios: Luke Collette received his B.S.E.E. from the University of Cincinnati in 2005.  He joined the Mitsubishi Electric Power Products Inc, (MEPPI) Power Systems Engineering Services Department in 2005 and is currently a senior system studies engineer.  While at MEPPI, he has performed and led studies in the areas of shunt and series capacitor/reactor bank switching, transient recovery voltage (TRV) and circuit breaker application, insulation coordination and grounding system analysis for gas-insulated substations (GIS) and air-insulated substations (AIS), transmission line/cable switching, very fast transient overvoltages (VFTO), and ferroresonance.

Abstract: This presentation will discuss the impacts of switching shunt capacitor and reactor banks on the transmission system.  Key areas of concern along with potential mitigation techniques will be discussed for practical shunt capacitor and reactor bank installations.


June 2015 Technical meeting

Speaker: Olu Fagbemiro, P.E., P.Eng.

Topic: Compliance and Implementation of NERC CIP-014 Standard (R1 & R2)

Speaker Bios: Ms. Olu Fagbemiro is a Department Manager in the Business & Technology Services division at Burns & McDonnell.   Ms. Fagbemiro earned her B.Sc. in Electrical Engineer and Computer Science from the University of Saskatchewan and an MBA from the Goizueta Business School at Emory University.  Ms. Fagbemiro Olu manages transmission project development studies, NERC Compliance assessments, load and generation interconnection studies, transmission and distribution planning studies other aspects power system analysis.  Ms. Fagbemiro is also a Professional Engineer registered with the Texas Board of Professional Engineers (TBPE) and the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA).

Abstract: On April 16, 2013, an attack on a substation in San Jose California marked the “the most significant incident of domestic terrorism involving the grid that has ever occurred” at the time, according to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).  Since then, FERC has directed the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) to develop a standard to address physical security of critical facilities (Order No. 802).  The NERC CIP-014-2 Standard, which is currently in approval process, addresses the concern in four major steps – Identify Critical Facilities, Perform Risk Assessment of Critical Facilities, Evaluate Potential Threats and Vulnerabilities and Develop a Security Plan.  This presentation will be focused on the lessons being learned from the risk assessment process and the independent verification approach.


July 2015 Technical meeting

Speaker: Michael Moore

Topic: Stepping out of the Box-Electrical Assessment and Modernization of Aged Electrical Systems with Limited Resources

Speaker Bios:Mike Moore is currently the Regional Manager of North Texas for Electric Power Systems (EPS) a Full NETA Member Electrical Testing Organization that focuses on electrical equipment serviceability, reliability, safety and risk management.. Additionally Mike is the Chief Executive officer at SMBM Holdings LLC. where he is the expert in the technology, tools and management techniques to create and operate the multiple d.b.a.’s that focus on risk management, worker safety, management worker compliance & safety policy, environmental enlightenment, the advancement of human compassion and the healing of the wounded combat warrior. Mike specializes in helping the consumer, customer and the individual solve their everyday business and life challenges.

Abstract:We hear it all the time —America’s electrical infrastructure is aging. Coupled with that reality, controversy always ensues concerning the financial costs of assessing the serviceability and reliability of the electrical equipment and systems that are todays backbone of our manufacturing, healthcare, communications and data management superhighways. As with everything we do, costs differ based off of the selection of electrical equipment assessment standards, testing and data analysis methodologies, test equipment manufacturers, frequency of testing, and qualifications of the testing organizations. Even though recent technological advances have made the assessment of electric utility and commercial electrical power systems much less labored and complicated, you still have to have a plan of what to do with a defective, failing or marginal component once analyzed.

Installation of new equipment is a somewhat reasonably easy task, but updating and modernizing electrical infrastructure in an operating facility is not so easy. So how does the engineer modernize or replace our ageing infrastructure without breaking the bank, shutting down the facility while dealing with an gaining and retiring skilled workforce? Once analyzed and deemed serviceable; just because its 70 years old, does that mean it’s bad and in need of replacement?


August 2015 Technical meeting

Speaker: Ariana Hargrave, P.E. of Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.

Topic: Understanding Transformer Differential Compensation for Practicing Engineers

Speaker Bios: Ariana Hargrave earned her BSEE, magna cum laude, from St. Mary’s University in 2007. She graduated with a Master’s of Engineering in Electrical Engineering from Texas A&M University in 2009, specializing in power systems. Ariana joined Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc. in 2009 and works as a protection application engineer in Fair Oaks Ranch, Texas. She is a registered professional engineer in the state of Texas and has been an IEEE member for 10 years.

Abstract: A microprocessor-based transformer differential relay offers fast and dependable protection for in-zone faults while remaining secure for through faults. Transformer differential compensation settings are often misunderstood and lead to undesired operations. Understanding transformer winding construction, phase-to-bushing terminal connections, and the selection of correct compensation matrices is crucial to dependable and secure operation.

Transformer compensation matrices are used by the relay to compensate for delta or wye winding configurations by shifting the current phasors used by the relay for differential protection by increments of 30 degrees without changing the magnitude. This presentation discusses how each compensation matrix affects the current phasors applied to the differential element, explains how to select the correct matrices, and shows how incorrect matrix selection can result in increased operate current levels during some fault conditions. The presentation also introduces preferred compensation settings and discusses how one matrix selection can be more secure than another for certain fault types.


September 2015 Technical Meeting

Speaker: David Howell, P.E. – Deputy Executive Director Texas Board of Professional Engineers

Topic: Ethics presentation

Speaker Bios:David Howell has been the Deputy Executive Director for the Texas Board of Professional Engineers since November 2013 and served as Director of Licensing prior to that.  He has over 25 years of engineering experience working for the State of Texas, eight of them with the Board. As the Deputy Executive Director, he helps oversee all agency functions including Enforcement and Licensing activities.  He is responsible for legislative reporting and implementation, rule development, budget and policy issues, and represents the Board at statewide and national functions. David has been selected to represent the Texas Board on several national taskforces and committees related to engineering licensure, public outreach and exams.  He prepares and gives Licensing and Ethics live and webinar presentations to engineering organizations, universities and other groups.

David has a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Texas at El Paso.  Prior to coming to the Board, his work was primarily in the field of environmental engineering.

2016 Meetings


January 2016 Technical Meeting

Speaker: Mark Daniels of Aerco International

Topic: Waste Heat Recovery: A renewable Power Source

Speaker Bios:

Mr Daniels has served as an expert in product development and engineering programs for several companies, and has an extensive background in leadership in the advancement of HVAC systems, pumps, compression technologies, acoustics, controls systems and various other technologies.

Mr. Daniels, currently serves as the Director of Engineering at Aerco International.  Mr. Daniels received his Masters of Business Administration (MBA) from Syracuse University, a Masters of Science from Penn State in Acoustics, and a Bachelor’s Aerospace from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities.

Email: mdaniels@aerco.com

Address:100 Oritani Drive, , Blauvelt, New York, United States, 10913

Abstract:

With an overabundance of waste heat throughout multiple industries, there inlies an opportunity to turn this wasted energy into productive energy.  Specifically collecting it into electricity provides an excellent means to make it useful.  This is especially true when the solution comprises of conventional components used in a new fashion to generate clean, renewable, robust, and decentralized power.

 

This presentation will cover how Organic Rankine Cycle Technology may be configured to achieve this goal along with applications which it can, and has been, applied.  Additionall, this presentation will cover the value and application of using existing technologies of direct expansion to generate even more electricity.


February 2016 Technical Meeting

Speaker: Dr. W. Mack Grady

Topic: Texas Synchrophasor Network

Speaker Bios:

Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Baylor University

Professor Emeritus of Electrical & Computer Engineering and

Josey Centennial Professor Emeritus in Energy Resources, U.T. Austin

PhD, Purdue University, 1983

MSEE, Purdue University, 1973

BSEE, U. T. Arlington, 1971

Registered Professional Engineer in Texas

IEEE Fellow “for contributions to the analysis and control of power system harmonics and electric power quality,” 2000.

Link to Presentation: CLICK HERE 

Link to his faculty page at Baylor:

http://web.ecs.baylor.edu/faculty/grady/

Abstract:

The Texas Synchrophasor Network was established in 2009 to study power grid events and develop applications for the newly-deployed synchrophasor technology.  Since then, the network has grown to include synchrophasor PMUs in all three U.S. grids, most of which are in the Southwest Power Pool.  This is a “big data” problem that logs 30 measurement sets each second for each of approximately 20 PMUs at the concentrator location at Baylor.  Each day has one GByte of data that must be sorted through to find the minutes of interest.  Currently this is being done hourly, and the computer codes developed process the data about ten times faster than real time.  The project is funded by Southwest Power Pool and EPRI.  Equipment is donated by Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories.  The standard field unit is an SEL421, connected via public internet through SEL encryption and secured hardware. The presentation will describe the network, explain the “nuggets” for finding the 5% of minutes each day worthy of visual examination, and show recent events.


March 2016 Technical Meeting

Speaker: James F. Bandy, MSEE Purdue, Member IEEE

 

Topic: Vulnerability of Renewable Energy Systems from High Power Electromagnetic (HPE) Energy

Speaker Bios:

James F. Bandy education started as a pre-teen seriously studying and applying electronics in amateur radio, radio & TV repair and internships at NASA-GSFC. It continued obtaining a BSEE at University of Maryland and a MSEE at Purdue University. He has worked in the utility, renewable energy, NASA, civilian & military aerospace and naval industries.  His skills include includes Electromagnetic compatibility, RF communication, digital communications, renewable energy, power electronics, utility power, real time computers, embedded processing and IP messaging.

Abstract:

Emissions from Renewable Energy (RE) Systems have been studied. Lightning is a well defined, everyday threat to RE. Little has been written about protection of PV systems from High Altitude Electromagnetic Pulse (HEMP) & Intentional Electromagnetic Interference (IEMI). The applications of the IEC 61000 series of documents for protection of renewable energy systems are discussed. Basic vulnerabilities are identified; comparisons to other renewable energy standards, test procedures and general recommendations are presented. Preliminary testing is discussed. Recommendations are made for further work.


April 2016 Technical Meeting

Topic: Stabilized Co-Generation

Speaker Bios:

Originally trained in Electronics Engineering (BEET World College), Bud enjoyed a successful career in the Electronics, Computer and Telecommunications Industries serving in such capacities as Systems Engineer, Software Engineer, Applications Engineer, and in various executive sales positions.

In 2003, Bud made a career transition to the mechanical field as Sales and Service Manager for a large mechanical contractor, then moved to the position of Territory Manager for Carrier North Texas.

From April of 2008 until May of 2013, as a Sales Engineer for Yazaki Energy Systems Inc., Bud was heavily involved in the application of thermally driven chillers to the renewable energy market and has developed expertise in the nuances of applying non-traditional energy sources to those chillers. This includes developing expertise in the application of Combined Cooling, Heat and Power.

Since May of 2013, Bud has been combining what he learned from the CCHP applications with his previous knowledge of electronics and electrical power systems to expanding the practical scope of Co-Generation plants into more heavily industrial applications with large step loads.

Bud may be contacted at the following:

K.A. “Bud” Leavell

Regional Manager South

Piller USA Inc.

P.O. Box 120789

Arlington, Tx 76012

keith.leavell@piller.com

214-490-2935

Abstract:

Recent technological advances in natural gas production have reduced the price of natural gas dramatically, and along with coming EPA regulations, and growing grid instability, is likely to spur an increase in demand for natural gas fired co-generation systems.

These systems have been around for some time now, but have been limited to applications where they can remain connected to the grid, even in times of instability on the grid, and only provide a constant level of power known as the “Base Load”. Among the reasons for focusing on the Base Load is the fact that the transient response of these generators to step and block loads is poor, and in order to get the greatest efficiency out of the plant, it needs to be running at or near its top capacity.

It is becoming more and more important to expand the application of these systems beyond the Base Load and start servicing the total load. In order to do that, there first must be a practical means of compensating for the poor transient response of these systems. The effective application of Newton’s First Law of Motion to highly reliable Rotary Uninterruptible Power Systems promises to provide the stability and power quality required to overcome this challenge. By utilizing bidirectional kinetic energy storage systems in concert with highly reliable synchronous machines, a high degree of stability can be achieved in both frequency, and voltage, harmonic mitigation and power factor correction, even in the presence of significant reactive step loads.

This program will explore how these systems function, and how to deploy them into either a grid connected or island environment.

Learning Objectives:

  •         Understand the fundamentals of “Rotary UPS
  •         Determine the most appropriate size of UPS and kinetic energy store for a particular applicatio
  •         Determine the appropriate size and placement of diesel back-up generator(s)
  •         Evaluate the efficacy of the “Stabilizer” for a particular application.

click Stabilized Cogeneration to download the presentation.


May 2016 Technical Meeting

Topic: Smart Grid and Solar PV

Click here to download the presentation

Speaker Bios:

Dr. Miroslav M. Begovic serves as head of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Texas A&M University. Begovic previously served as Professor and Chair of the Electrical Energy Technical Interest Group at Georgia Institute of Technology and is an affiliated faculty member of the Brooks Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems and the University of Excellence on Photovoltaic Research.

Begovic received his Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and joined the faculty at Georgia Tech in 1989.

 Abstract:

Begovic’s research interests lie in wide area monitoring, protection and emergency control using smart grid apparatus; sustainable and resilient energy infrastructures; and managing large assets in energy infrastructure. He has participated in several collaborative research projects for the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy, resulting in more than $10 million of funding in collaborative research over the last five years.

Begovic is a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers’ (IEEE) Power and Energy (PES), Computer, and Circuits and Systems Societies. In 2011 he was elected president of PES. He is also a Fellow of IEEE, an IEEE PES Distinguished Lecturer and a member of Sigma Xi, Eta Kappa Nu, Phi Kappa Phi and Tau Beta Pi.

Begovic has published approximately 200 journal and conference papers and has presented nearly 100 keynote speeches, invited talks and presentations.


June 2016 Technical Meeting

Topic: Wireless… Yet Secure, Safe, and Reliable

Click here for Paul Mercier LinkenIn work experience background

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Speaker Bios:

Pioneered the development and installation of over 15000 spread spectrum radios in industrial automation applications (SCADA, Telemetry, Process Control, Water, Electric Utilities, Traffic Control, etc.)

Trained and presented for over 20 years on wireless data communications and how to implement mesh networks, point to multipoint and basic point to point comm. links.

Current role involves promoting and specifying wireless devices, power solutions, surge protection, connectivity and communications into the process industries for Phoenix Contact, Inc.

Area of responsibility includes Dallas/Fort Worth; Denver and Phoenix, AZ.

Specialties: Channel management Strategic account development Technology partners

 Abstract:

The purpose of this presentation is to present the availability of wireless technologies for applications within and outside the utility substation environment. The discussion will address both proprietary and standards-based IEEE technologies and the selection criteria for choosing the correct technology that meets the needs of functionality and cyber security, with a focus on practical usage in rigorous and varied environmental conditions.


July 2016 Technical Meeting

Topic: Software Defined Networks

Speaker: Chris Bontje

Integration Application Specialist at Scheitzer Enginnering Laboratories

Previous: Kilowatts Design Company Inc., IMV Projects, IS Results Inc

Education: Southern Alberta Institute of Technology

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Speaker Bios:

Chris Bontje has been involved in the integration, supervisory control and data acquisition
(SCADA), and automation disciplines since 2000. He graduated from the Southern Alberta
Institute of Technology in 2000 and has worked for a variety of firms in the United States and
Canada performing remote terminal unit, programmable logic controller, and SCADA
programming and system design. He has been with Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
(SEL) since 2011 and works as an application specialist in automation for the south-central
region, which includes Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, and Missouri. He has written
numerous technical documents at SEL concerning protocol decoding and real-time automation
controllers.

Abstract:

The purpose of this presentation is to learn about how traditional Ethernet technology has inherent performance and architecture limitations and how Software-Defined-Networking equipment can mitigate many of these concerns.


August 2016 Technical Meeting

Topic: Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) Based DC Arc Model

Speaker Bios:

Shiuan-Hau Rau received the B.S. and M.S. degrees from Tatung University, Taipei, Taiwan, in 2006 and 2008, respectively, all in electrical engineering. He is currently working toward the Ph.D. degree in energy systems at The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, USA. He is also currently a member of the Energy Systems Research Center, The University of Texas at Arlington. His areas of interest are arc flash analysis, electrical safety analysis, computational fluid dynamics, and magnetohydrodynamics for arc flash simulation. Also, he has been involved in renewable energy, power systems analysis, and power market researches. He has associated IEEE/NFPA Arc Flash Research Project since 2011.

Abstract:

DC arc flash hazard assessment is a mounting concern with the growth of applications for large-scale photovoltaic arrays and DC buses. The IEEE Std. 1584-2002 pertains to arc flashes originating in only AC systems. Little research has been conducted to investigate the DC arcs. Currently, there are few methods available to model DC arcs and are largely based on theoretical or semi-empirical methods. The theoretical method, based on the maximum power transfer theorem, overall produces the estimations on the conservative side; the semi-empirical methods are limited by the experiment scale, which cannot provide comprehensive DC arc prediction to the industry. In order to provide a suitable method to predict DC arc flash properties in power systems, new DC arc model development is necessary. This research presents a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) model of DC arcs. The MHD equations are solved by using computational fluid dynamic (CFD) software Code Saturne®, which is based on collocated finite volume. The simulation results are compatible with the lab testing. The proposed MHD modeling provides an innovative approach to study DC arc phenomena. This research proposes a new DC arc model based on 3D DC arc simulation that is capable of providing comparable results to available lab testing.

For more information on Shiuan-Hau Rau click here


September 2016 Technical Meeting

Topic: Professional Practice Update / Ethics

Speaker Bios:

David Howell has been the Deputy Executive Director for the Texas Board of Professional Engineers since November 2013 and served as Director of Licensing prior to that. He has over 25 years of engineering experience working for the State of Texas, eight of them with the Board. As the Deputy Executive Director, he helps oversee all agency functions including Enforcement and Licensing activities. He is responsible for legislative reporting and implementation, rule development, budget and policy issues, and represents the Board at statewide and national functions. David has been selected to represent the Texas Board on several national taskforces and committees related to engineering licensure, public outreach and exams. He prepares and gives Licensing and Ethics live and webinar presentations to engineering organizations, universities and other groups.

David has a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Texas at El Paso. Prior to coming to the Board, his work was primarily in the field of environmental engineering.

Address:United States

For more information on David Howell  click here


November 2016 Technical Meeting

Topic: Novel Analytics Solutions to Several Significant Inconsistencies in Smart Grid

Speaker Bios:

Dr. Yu Meng is a Data Scientist at Oncor Electric Delivery, responsible for developing advanced analytics methodology, applications, and systems for the smart grid IoT system. Prior to Oncor, he worked at Nortel Networks, Yahoo, and AT&T at the position of software design engineer, solution architect, and design consultant. Meng is a senior member of IEEE. He is a frequent speaker at various technical conferences on big data, machine learning, data mining and cloud computing. Meng holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Southern Methodist University. He serves at the Board of Chinese Institute of Engineers DFW Chapter, and Board of Association of American Chinese Professionals.

Address:United States

For more information on Dr. Yu Meng click here

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2017 Meetings


January 2017 Technical Meeting

Topic: ADMS

Speaker Bios: Wayne Carr, Milsoft

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February 2017 Technical Meeting

Topic: Submetering

Speaker Bios: Eaton

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March 2017 Technical Meeting

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April 2017 Technical Meeting

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May 2017 Technical Meeting

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June 2017 Technical Meeting

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July 2017 Technical Meeting

Topic: Distributed monitoring of HVAC

Speaker Bios: Fahimi, UTD.  

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August 2017 Technical Meeting

Topic: Distributed Energy Resources

Speaker Bios: Tasha McCarter, SunPower

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September 2017 Technical Meeting

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November 2017 Technical Meeting

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2018 Meetings


January 2018 Technical Meeting

Topic: This Meeting was Canceled


February 2018 Technical Meeting

Topic: Pecan Street Residential Microgrid

Speaker: 

Speaker Bios: 

Scott leads activities and electrical research at the Pike Powers Lab. He worked at a thin film CIGS solar module manufacturer where he led module packaging, performance, certification and reliability efforts. Prior efforts include work in the military, medical, consumer and oil industries developing power supplies, precision measurement equipment and inductive heating technologies. Scott received his B.S.E.E. from The University of Texas at Austin with undergraduate specializations in both communications systems and power distribution. Scott was awarded the 2015 Outstanding Engineering Award for “transforming the world’s understanding of consumer and community electricity usage” by the the IEEE Power Engineering Society Central Texas Chapter.

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March 2018 Technical Meeting

Topic: Monitoring and Controlling DER with Apolloware

Speaker : Tyler Pansing of Bandera Electric Co-op

Speaker Bios:

Tyler Pansing serves as Bandera Electric Cooperative’s Principal Engineer.  Providing expertise on Transmission and Distribution Projects and Planning, Apolloware Development, and liaison with ERCOT, PUCT, and other Utilities across Texas and the globe.

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April 2018 Technical Meeting

Speaker: Emma M. Stewart, Ph.D

Topic: Distribution Synchrophasors and Grid Analytics for Resilience and Reliability

A vision of the future distribution grid and its interface to DER is one of cohesion – an interactive, resilient environment where there are consumer benefits and motivations to leverage customer owned behind-the-meter assets to provide services to the grid, energy markets, other entities within the distribution feeder, and ultimately to the larger society as a whole. This future distribution grid may be a reliable, safe, and resilient energy transport platform that supports high penetration of DER or other strategies that lead to a decarbonized resilient, reliable utility.

The growth of communicative DER and connected behind-the-meter power electronic devices may introduce fluctuations and uncertainty not previously seen on the distribution grid if the resources operate independently, or are driven by independent communications and controls. However, these new data generating and communicative features may also offers a vast opportunity to increase the operational efficiency and resiliency of both the grid and the buildings connected to it – only if the data collected at all the various nodes could be easily transformed into intelligible, actionable information.

This presentation will discuss the current state of work with distribution synchrophasor analytics and some key successes and use cases within that area, with the application of machine learning and advanced analytics.

Speaker Bios:

Emma Stewart is a Deputy Associate Program Leader for Infrastructure Systems at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, in the area of Cyber and Infrastructure Resilience.   She received her PhD in Electrical Engineering in 2009 from University of Strathclyde in Scotland.  Prior to joining LLNL she led the Grid Integration group and the Distribution Analysis team at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, and also worked as a consultant prior to this for DNV GL.

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May 2018 Technical Meeting

Speaker: Dan Lepinksi

Topic: Utility-grid Intertied Photovoltaic Systems

Speaker Bios:

Dan Lepinski is an Internationally Recognized Professional Solar Consultant and Design Engineer with more than 40 years of experience in solar and renewable energy, he has a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Arizona State University and is an advisor for the Texas Solar Energy Society. He has funded an technology company which he later sold for profit, he then worked for Exeltech Solar Products as a Senior Engineer. He is one of the two engineers selected by United States Department of Energy National BCAP Project to train architects, engineers, Code officials, and others, covering the design and implementation of solar energy systems into new buildings. His expertise includes electrical power; grid-tied and stand-alone systems; advanced photovoltaics (residential to multi-megawatt utility scale); battery systems; data acquisition; embedded software; and energy efficiency. He is a Voting Member, Underwriters Laboratories UL 1741 Standards Technical Panel and a member of the IEEE 1547 Standards Development Committee.

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June 2018 Technical Meeting

SpeakerChristopher Sanderson, CLSSBB, CSSBB, CQIA of Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)

Topic:  IEEE Standards Education Committee- What Are Standards?

Speaker Bios:  Christopher has more than 25 years of professional experience to his credit, with 20 years of particle industry experience in the Electrical Industry. He has worked for some of the most recognized electrical solutions manufacturers like ABB, Siemens, General Electric, Schneider Electric, and Mobil Chemical to name a few. He has held a variety of positions including Standards Coordinator, Sales & Marketing, Operations Effectiveness, and Quality. His areas of expertise include Power Distribution and Controls, Sales& Marketing, and Organizational Excellence. In addition to his public and private industry experience, he is a former US Army Officer with two tours of Honorable Service.

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July 2018 Technical Meeting

Topic:

Industrial Batteries 101 by Saft

This course is a basic introduction to batteries and the various types available for industrial standby use. Topics include battery basics and terminology, an overview of the various lead acid and Ni-Cad battery technologies, an overview of new technologies in the industrial market, such as lithium ion, and choosing the right technology for your application.
Speaker:
David Hood of Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)

Speaker Bio:

David began his electrical background in the U.S. Navy’s advanced electronics program. He has been in the standby battery and power industry for 30 years including 8 years’ experience with UPS and charger OEM’s in both technical, engineering, sales, and management capacities. He has worked as a battery sales rep for 18 years representing the Saft battery line and has been a Saft America regional sales engineer for a total of 3 years.

David earned a BS in Computer Information Systems from University of Houston Clear Lake in Texas.

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August 2018 Technical Meeting

Speaker: Lance Kinney, Ph.D., P.E.

Topic: Texas Board of Professional Engineers Professional Practice Update / Ethics

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2019 Meetings


February 2019 Meeting

Topic: Distribution Operation Centers – Integrating Technology & Data Analytics

Speaker Bios:

Mathew Tovar, P.E.

  • BSEE from Texas Tech University (minor in math)
  • MBA from Texas A&M University – Commerce
  • Licensed PE in the State of Texas
  • Been with Oncor for 7 years:
    • 5 in system protection as a relay setter
    • 2 at the West DOC as technical support manager

Travis Kennedy

  • BSEE from Texas A&M University (minor in business)
  • Licensed PE in the State of Texas
  • Been with Oncor for 8 years:
    • 3 in AMS Metering Technology
    • 3 in System Protection as Conceptual Design engineer
    • 1 in Emerging Technology in MDMS
    • 1 at the East DOC as technical support manager

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April 2019 Meeting

Topic: Substation Grounding Design

Speaker Bios:

Earl Kirkpatrick of ELK Engineering

Abstract:

Proper design of a grounding grid design is quite complex.  There are a number of proprietary computer programs on the market that takes the drudgery out of the computations. But, the designer must be smarter than the computer.  This paper presents a case study where a very unsafe customer owned substation grid was “designed” by plugging assumed values into such a program.  In this case study we modeled a safe composite grid using realistic data based upon actual field measurements plus many tools and techniques developed during six decades of industry experience.

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May 2019 Meeting

Topic: What is IEEE 1584 Standard?

Speaker Bios:

Christopher Sanderson, IEEE-SM, ASQ-SM, CLSSBB, CSSBB, VoLT 17′, HKN, EPT

Abstract:

In this seminar, we will discuss the importance of IEEE 1584, the historical changes, and some highlights of IEEE 1584-2018.

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2020 Meetings


January 2020 Meeting

Topic: Fault Location for Distribution Outage Response

Speaker Bios:

Daniel Sanchez of Oncor – Distribution Operations Center

Abstract:

Cyme is a powerful tool that we have used to simulate a short circuit analysis in order to provide potential 0 ohm fault locations by using Cyme models of the as built feeder models. Although we have Cyme models of all ~3400 of our feeders, we are only capable of applying this process to ~1286 feeders (~30%) that are capable of returning fault magnitudes. With the implementation of the Fault Location (FLOC) Tool, the ability to provide fault locations will be within the Distribution Management System so the results provided will be as operated instead of as built. The calculations within this tool provide fault locations for additional faults (5 ohm, 10 ohm) instead of just 0 ohm faults with more accuracy and on demand.

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