EE582 – Power Systems Engineering 1 – Dr.

Jennifer Zirnheld

Power Systems Engineering 1 is a course that deals with the generation, transmission
and distribution of electric power. It includes the calculation, analysis and design of electrical
equipment for the smooth transfer of power. It is a mandatory course for all electrical
engineers with a focus on power. EE582 is an introductory course and it proved to be the
prerequisite for all further courses which are related to power and heavy electrical
engineering. The structure of the course was pretty straightforward; however, it did include
certain quirks which no other course had. Along with the regular tests, assessments and
homework assignments, the students were invited to either prepare a presentation on a topic
of their choice or organize a tour that will pique the interests of the other students in the class.
All the students were evaluated on the basis of their participation on the tours and the
presentation. I appreciate the instructor, Dr Jennifer Zirnheld, for the unorthodox approach to
a very fundamental course, which made the learning of the subject more engaging. Her
evaluation methods for the tests and homework assignments were also particularly
interesting, and it took into account the average performance of the class, which I found to be
very helpful as every student has a different level of ability to grasp the subject and affinity
for the same. With her immense experience, she was able to explain complicated topics of the
course in very simple language.

I took up the task of presenting a novel idea of “FREEDM – Future Renewable

Electric Energy Delivery and Management” – which is a research-in-progress project at the
North Carolina State University. With the current ongoing global energy crisis and the influx
of distributed renewable energy sources (DRES), the traditional grid infrastructure is under a
lot of stress, because it was designed for one way movement of power – from centralized
generating stations to load centers. The future of our electric network is based on
bidirectional flow of power – where customers can produce their own energy for
consumption, store and sell the excess back into the grid. This requires a complete
transformation of the current grid architecture – it needs to be smarter, safer and more reliable
than ever before. The main idea of FREEDM is for the electricity network to mimic the
Internet architecture - achieve a ”plug-and-play” system for DRES and DESD (Distributed
Energy Storage Devices), where the interface can recognize the type of device connected and
adapt (see Figure 1). I found this topic particularly interesting as it pertains to my dream of
working in the clean energy industry.
 Figure 1. Proposed FREEDM System and future electric grid [1][2][3]

As part of the tour visits, the one that was particularly interesting to me was the trip to
Niagara Power Vista at the Robert Moses Power Plant. The purpose of the tour was to expose
the students to the workings of a real industry. However, this tour did not cover the most
technical aspects of the Niagara Falls Power Plant, it was an enjoyable experience regardless.
We were briefed on the history of the power plant which is managed by the New York Power
Authority, located in Lewiston, NY (see Figure 2). The whole experience really put into
perspective the scale and size of a hydroelectric power plant. I had never seen a dam before. I
had to stop and appreciate the engineering marvel, as it is a massive concrete structure which
is able to regulate the flow of water downstream and generate power out of it. We had studied
about the different types of power plants in various classes before, but to see one in action
was an exhilarating sight to see, as pictures and text don’t do justice to the actual one at all.

Figure 2. Interactive touch board with each dial representing a component of the electricity network [4]

As part of the final project, we had a design task to connect a new wind farm to an
existing power grid network. The entire project was completed on a software called
PowerWorld. This was my first time using the software so the learning curve was quite big.
However, since it was a group project, it made the task considerably more relaxed. My
teammates and I split the work and led to us bonding as well.

I thoroughly enjoyed the course, with the unique evaluations metrics and the course
content as a whole. As a mandatory course for most electrical engineers, I believe no one will
be disappointed with the course nor the instructor after the end of the course.

References:
[1] A. Krishna, “The Internet of Energy – FREEDM Systems”, EE582 Power System
Engineering 1 Draft Presentation, December 2021. |
[2] A. Q. Huang, M. L. Crow, G. T. Heydt, J. P. Zheng and S. J. Dale, "The Future
Renewable Electric Energy Delivery and Management (FREEDM) System: The
Energy Internet," in Proceedings of the IEEE, vol. 99, no. 1, pp. 133-148, Jan. 2011, doi:
10.1109/JPROC.2010.2081330.
[3] A. Huang, "FREEDM system - a vision for the future grid," IEEE PES General Meeting,
2010, pp. 1-4, doi: 10.1109/PES.2010.5590201.
[4] A. Krishna, “Tour 1- Niagara Falls Power Vista (New York Power Authority)”, EE582
Power System Engineering Tour Reflection, December 2021, Author’s personal collection.