6
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON EDUCATION, VOL. E-21, NO. 3, AUGUST 1978 practicing engineer often leads to an informal discussion of specific problems facing the individual engineer. The Midwest Power Symposium will be held at The Ohio State University in 1979. This activity will involve a number of local power engineers. Regular courses are often scheduled in the late afternoon so that working engineers can enroll. Their presence in a class tends to make the class more interesting because it results in more discussion and interaction between the instructor and students. Regular staff members teach courses in power at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base for engineers who wish to study for the Master's degree. Three of the members of the teaching staff have taught parts of short courses offered by National Electric Coil Co. on the maintenance and repair of electric machinery. Attendees for these courses have come from many foreign countries. Special courses for several power companies in Ohio on a specific topic have been given. Short courses taught for Cin- cinnati Gas and Electric Co. and Ohio Edison Co. were very well attended by company engineers. Regular electric power systems courses were taught for Columbus and Southern Ohio Electric Co. and Dayton Power and Light Co. engineers during the past few years in Columbus and in Dayton, respectively. A short course (Modern Methods of Analysis, Operation and Protection of Electric Power Systems) has been taught annually since 1970. In 1976 and 1977 the large enrollment permitted an expanded topic coverage, requiring two parallel courses. One covered electric utility power systems and the other industrial/commercial power systems. Lecturers were four OSU faculty members and seven invited experts. Fifty-nine engineers attended the two 1977 short courses, 21 of them from 7 foreign countries. In 1978, three parallel courses are offered. CONTINUING GOALS In conclusion, the main objective of the Electric Power Engineering Program at OSU is to provide industry with engineers technically competent in both theory and applica- tion, by emphasizing the following activities: a. to improve course contents within existing frames of courses b. to increase graduate enrollment and attract graduate stu- dents to all fields of electric power engineering c. to upgrade laboratory equipment continuously d. to improve and expand activities in the high voltage engi- neering area e. to increase competence in education and research. The Energy Systems Engineering Program of the University of Texas at Austin JOHN WILLIAM LAMONT, SENIOR MEMBER, IEEE, AND PHILIP S. SCHMIDT Abstract-In an effort to meet the educational needs of the South- western United States, The University of Texas at Austin has evolved a multidisciplinary Energy Systems Engineering Program. While many of the basic elements of the traditional power progran were retained, several new elements were also added to make the program more re- sponsive to the needs of the electric power industry and other energy- related industries. The guidelines for this new program were developed jointly by representatives from both industry and academia. One of the primary goals of the program is to produce an end prod- uct who has a better understanding of both the electrical and mechan- ical concepts of energy engineering. As a direct result, faculty members from the Electrical, Mechanical and Civil Engineering Departments actively participate in the formal classroom portion of the program. The industry is kept actively involved through regularly scheduled seminars and research projects. Manuscript received January 31, 1978; revised April 18, 1978. J. W. Lamont is with the Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712. P. S. Schmidt is with the Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712. Research is the second multidisciplinary component of this program. A wide variety of research projects are currently underway with re- gional representatives of the energy industry. The objectives of these research efforts vary from basic engineering research to applied engi- neering. In addition to the actual research efforts, their results are incorporated into the formal classroom portion of the program where- ever possible. INTRODUCTION THE increased attention which is being paid to the general energy supply in the United States is reflected in both engineering activities and engineering education. For example, the problems facing the electric power industry have increased in magnitude and complexity during the 1970's. A recent study [1] of the major business problems facing the electric power industry was made by the College of Business Adminis- tration of The University of Texas at Austin. Of thirty in- dustry management personnel selected at random, twenty-two 0018-9359/78/0800-0192$00.75 © 1978 IEEE 192

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IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON EDUCATION, VOL. E-21, NO. 3, AUGUST 1978

practicing engineer often leads to an informal discussion ofspecific problems facing the individual engineer.The Midwest Power Symposium will be held at The Ohio

State University in 1979. This activity will involve a numberof local power engineers.Regular courses are often scheduled in the late afternoon so

that working engineers can enroll. Their presence in a classtends to make the class more interesting because it results inmore discussion and interaction between the instructor andstudents. Regular staff members teach courses in power atWright-Patterson Air Force Base for engineers who wish tostudy for the Master's degree.Three of the members of the teaching staff have taught parts

of short courses offered by National Electric Coil Co. on themaintenance and repair of electric machinery. Attendees forthese courses have come from many foreign countries.Special courses for several power companies in Ohio on a

specific topic have been given. Short courses taught for Cin-cinnati Gas and Electric Co. and Ohio Edison Co. were verywell attended by company engineers. Regular electric powersystems courses were taught for Columbus and Southern OhioElectric Co. and Dayton Power and Light Co. engineers duringthe past few years in Columbus and in Dayton, respectively.A short course (Modern Methods of Analysis, Operation and

Protection of Electric Power Systems) has been taught annuallysince 1970. In 1976 and 1977 the large enrollment permittedan expanded topic coverage, requiring two parallel courses.One covered electric utility power systems and the otherindustrial/commercial power systems. Lecturers were fourOSU faculty members and seven invited experts. Fifty-nineengineers attended the two 1977 short courses, 21 of themfrom 7 foreign countries. In 1978, three parallel courses areoffered.

CONTINUING GOALS

In conclusion, the main objective of the Electric PowerEngineering Program at OSU is to provide industry withengineers technically competent in both theory and applica-tion, by emphasizing the following activities:

a. to improve course contents within existing frames ofcourses

b. to increase graduate enrollment and attract graduate stu-dents to all fields of electric power engineering

c. to upgrade laboratory equipment continuouslyd. to improve and expand activities in the high voltage engi-

neering areae. to increase competence in education and research.

The Energy Systems Engineering Program of theUniversity of Texas at Austin

JOHN WILLIAM LAMONT, SENIOR MEMBER, IEEE, AND PHILIP S. SCHMIDT

Abstract-In an effort to meet the educational needs of the South-western United States, The University of Texas at Austin has evolved amultidisciplinary Energy Systems Engineering Program. While manyof the basic elements of the traditional power progran were retained,several new elements were also added to make the program more re-sponsive to the needs of the electric power industry and other energy-related industries. The guidelines for this new program were developedjointly by representatives from both industry and academia.One of the primary goals of the program is to produce an end prod-

uct who has a better understanding of both the electrical and mechan-ical concepts of energy engineering. As a direct result, faculty membersfrom the Electrical, Mechanical and Civil Engineering Departmentsactively participate in the formal classroom portion of the program.The industry is kept actively involved through regularly scheduledseminars and research projects.

Manuscript received January 31, 1978; revised April 18, 1978.J. W. Lamont is with the Department of Electrical Engineering,

University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712.P. S. Schmidt is with the Department of Mechanical Engineering,

University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712.

Research is the second multidisciplinary component of this program.A wide variety of research projects are currently underway with re-gional representatives of the energy industry. The objectives of theseresearch efforts vary from basic engineering research to applied engi-neering. In addition to the actual research efforts, their results areincorporated into the formal classroom portion of the program where-ever possible.

INTRODUCTIONTHE increased attention which is being paid to the general

energy supply in the United States is reflected in bothengineering activities and engineering education. For example,the problems facing the electric power industry have increasedin magnitude and complexity during the 1970's. A recentstudy [1] of the major business problems facing the electricpower industry was made by the College of Business Adminis-tration of The University of Texas at Austin. Of thirty in-dustry management personnel selected at random, twenty-two

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individuals responded citing what they considered to be theten key problems facing the industry over the next ten years.The result was a list of fifteen problems; the following listcontains these fifteen problems by importance according tothe number of times they were mentioned:

1. The cost of construction, expansion, and growth.2. The industry is misunderstood by various segments of the

public.3. An unreasonable regulatory lag in rates, construction,

and obtaining permits.4. Environmental constraints imposed by federal, state and

local agencies.5. Need to determine the role of alternative energy sources

and resources.6. Forecasting electrical requirements and peak load

demands.7. Need to improve system load factor by controls and

incentives.8. Lead times are too long for obtaining or replacing major

equipment.9. Need to design generating units and other major equip-

ment for maximum efficiency and reliability.10. New system techniques are needed, such as total com-

puter control.11. Need for cooperation among the utilities and govem-

ment on power sharing.12. Undergrounding, including development of inexpensive,

long-lasting equipment; and changes in crew work rules.13. Need for utilities and manufacturers to coordinate R&D,

especially in areas where material shortages exist.14. Need for developing optimized distribution systems

to reduce power losses, ensure reliability.15. Need for automation of GT&D to reduce manpower,

increase productivity.Inspection of these problems implies that the electric power

industry of the future is faced with planning, designing andoperating more complex power systems, incorporating addi-tional financial, environmental, regulatory, legal, political andmanagerial constraints. Other segments within the energyindustry would produce a similar set of problems and con-straints.These facts place increased emphasis on the abilities of the

engineers who will solve the problems of today and tomorrow.The result is an increasing importance of good engineeringeducation. The main responsibility of engineering educationis to develop the manpower necessary to successfully fulfillthe role of tomorrow's engineer. However, a single solution isnot possible since a wide variety of companies justly expectthe universities to supply the bulk of their new engineers. Asa result, the vast majority of the universities' educationalefforts are directed toward the production of engineers enter-ing the job market for the first time. The rest of these edu-cational efforts are related to the continuing education ofgraduate engineers already connected with industry.

UNDERGRADUATE CURRICULUM

In Electrical Engineering, The University of Texas under-graduate curriculum offers a student the choice of eight basic

areas or blocks of study:1. Basic Electrical Engineering2. Computer Engineering3. Biomedical Engineering4. Telecommunication Engineering5. Communication and Control Engineering6. Electronic Devices and Systems7. Power Systems and Energy Conversion8. Management and ProductionStudents who plan careers in the energy industry generally

elect to take the Power Systems and Energy Conversion Blockor the Basic Electrical Engineering Block. The followingcourses are a partial listing of the courses that a student inthe power systems option would take:

1. Electromagnetic Theory I2. Electromechanical Systems I3. Introduction to Automatic Control4. Electrical Power Transmission and Distribution5. Power Systems Engineering6. Applied Thermodynamics7. Introduction to Nuclear Power Systems8. Probability Theory and Applications

In addition to these required courses, several related electivecourses are available for the student to take as technicalelectives. For example, a course in Power System Relayingis taught annually by Professor W. K. Sonnemann who ob-tained many relay-related patents while employed by Westing-house. Two other courses, which are intended for bothundergraduate and graduate students, also merit further dis-cussion. The first is a Power Systems Seminar Course which isdiscussed later in this section. Improvement in power systemperformance is the theme of the second course. Since thiscourse and the related research has greater involvement at thegraduate level, it is discussed more fully in the next section.

In Mechanical Engineering, the undergraduate curriculumprovides the student the opportunity of selecting one of thefollowing options:

1. Biomedical Engineering2. Energy and Fluids Systems Engineering3. Mechanical Systems Design Engineering4. Metallurgy and Materials Engineering5. Nuclear Engineering6. Operations Research7. Petroleum Industry Applications

Students desiring professional careers in the energy industrygenerally select the Energy and Fluids Systems Engineering orNuclear Engineering options. In addition to the core coursesrequired of all undergraduate Mechanical Engineering students,the following is a list of some of the courses available tostudents interested in energy:

1. Intermediate Heat Transfer2. Power Plants3. Design of Thermal Systems4. Introduction to Nuclear Power Systems5. Nuclear Reactor Engineering6. Energy Systems Laboratory7. Internal Combustion Engines8. Environmental Control of Buildings

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TABLE IPOWER SYSTEMS SEMINAR COURSE ToPics

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

18.

19.

Introduction to and Terminology of Power Systems

Fuel Planning

Coal Gasification

Fossil-Fired Steam Generation

Steam Turbines and Generation

Hydro and Pumped Storage

Water-Cooled and Gas-Cooled Nuclear Power Plants

Breeder Reactors

Gas Turbines and Combined Cycles

Power Plant Cooling

Auxiliary Power Plant Items

Power Plant Control

AC and EHV Transmission

DC Transmission and Conversion

Overhead and Underground

Power System Equipment

Distribution Systems

Types of Loads as well as Customer Metering and Billing

Power System Instrumentation and Metering

20. Power System Protection

21. Power System Planning Techniques

22. Environmental Constraints as well as Economics and theirInfluence

23. Power System Operation

24. Power System Control Centers

25. Computer Applications

26. Introduction to Regulation

27. Nuclear Licensing and Regulation

28. Corporate Planning

29. Economics within a Utility Including Capitalization ofNew Equipment

30. Utilities and the Future

The Department of Mechanical Engineering requires, as partof its core curriculum, that all students carry out an industry.sponsored project during their senior year. Projects are one

semester in duration, and are supervised by a faculty member,with long distance input from the company engineer. Studentsare required to submit regular progress reports and to presenta comprehensive final report at the end of the project. Anumber of excellent projects on energy-related topics havebeen carried out in recent years, some sponsored by electricutilities, and others by large users such as refineries andchemical plants. Where appropriate, one or two electricalengineering students may also participate in a given project.The Electrical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering

Departments jointly sponsor a Power Systems Seminar Coursewhich is intended for both undergraduate and graduate stu-dents from both departments. This course has several goalsincluding:

1. To introduce the student to the terminology of powersystems.

2. To familiarize the student with the individual powersystem components, their functions, and the relation-ship between them.

3. To provide the student with information on how a

typical electric utility is structured in terms of staff andfunctions.

4. To acquaint the student with the problems, constraints,and engineering methods associated with each divisionwithin a utility.

5. To give the student a first-hand opportunity to meetrepresentatives from various utilities and manufacturers.

6. To illustrate the technical, economic, political, and regu-latory constraints which the power industry faces.

7. To indicate what the future holds for the electric powerindustry.

This course consists of thirty, one and one-half hour seminarswhich are generally presented by representatives from industry;a complete list of the topics covered is given in Table I. Manyof the speakers spend several hours or days of their own timepreparing their presentations and most of them fumish noteson their topics for the students' information. As a part oftheir participation, the students are required to write a se-mester report on a subject of their choice related to energyengineering. Since each company which sponsors speakerspays the associated cost of travel and possible lodging, thecost to the university is minimal, and the companies' willing-ness to support this effort is indicative of their commitmentto the concept. The student response to this course had beenoutstanding and field trips are being considered as a part ofthis course in the future. This seminar course is probably oneof the best examples of introducing industrial practice intothe classroom.

GRADUATE PROGRAM

The graduate energy program of The University of Texasat Austin is entitled "Energy Systems Program" and wasdeveloped in cooperation with regional members of theenergy industry including the electric utilities. The programis intended for both electrical and mechanical engineeringstudents. Four courses form the core of the program; a briefdescription of each follows.Power Systems I covers the basic elements which compose

the power system. This includes the different sources of fuel,various steam cycles, alternators, transmission lines and otherequipment. In addition to studying steady-state and transientperformance, and student learns about transients and travelingwaves.Power Systems II emphasizes the computer solution to

power system problems in addition to an in-depth study ofthe procedures and evaluation techniques for power systemoperation. Load flow, short circuit and transient stabilitycalculations are employed to teach the students both algo-rithms and application of results. Some of the topics coveredin power system operation include automatic generation con-trol, economic dispatch, unit commitment, hydro-thermalcoordination and maintenance scheduling.Economics of Energy Systems provides the student with an

opportunity to study in depth the economic methods andconsiderations used in long term system planning. One projectwhich was recently studied in this course involved the tech-nical and economic analysis of installing a coal-fired generat-ing unit in a utility which has only used natural gas and oilas a boiler fuel thus far.The fourth core course is entitled Environmental Engi-

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LAMONT AND SCHMIDT: ENERGY SYSTEMS ENGINEERING PROGRAM AT UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS-AUSTIN

neenng of Energy Systems and is taught by members of theCivil Engineering Department specializing in this area. Stu-dents are taught the fundamentals of both air and waterquality restrictions as well as different methods of control.Each student must include 6 credit hours outside of his

major area (Electrical or Mechanical Engineering) as a minor.Courses in the other departments as well as Computer Scienceare often used to fulfill this requirement. Typical courses thatElectrical Engineering students take as a minor include Intro-duction to Operational Research Methods, Engineering Eco-nomics (for those who have not previously had such a course),Survey of Numerical Techniques, and Energy ConversionEngineering (discussed in more detail later in section).Although a 36-hour-course-only option does exist, students

are encouraged, to say the least, to select either the 30-hour-plus-professional report or 24-hour-plus-thesis option. Theprofessional report option is a part of the industrial internshipprogram presented later in this paper. The remaining hoursrequired towards the degree are electives selected by the stu-dent in cooperation with his advisor. Some of the electiveswhich are somewhat unique are described next.A course in Power System Instrumentation and Control is

taught annually for both graduate and undergraduate students.This course has as its theme the improvement in performanceof existing generating units by the utilization of better mea-surement and computational procedures. Students work withdata from local generating units to study system and sub-system performance. Visits to the power plant are an integralpart of this course. Moreover, several students have the oppor-tunity to work directly with engineers in industry as a part ofthis program. Other elective courses in Electrical Engineeringinclude Advanced Machine Dynamics and High Voltage Engi-neering.

Several elective Energy System Engineering courses have beendeveloped in the Department of Mechanical Engineering.While these are oriented toward the mechanical side of powergeneration and energy utilization, they are open to and arefrequently taken by electrical engineering students as well.Examples include a course in Modern Energy Conversion,covering conventional power machinery such as gas turbines,combined cycles, and current Rankine cycle equipment; Ap-plied Solar Energy, primarily focusing on use of solar energyfor heating and cooling in buildings, and several new courses innuclear power engineering. The Mechanical Engineering De-partment includes a nuclear engineering division and studentsare permitted to take a variety of the core nuclear engineeringcourses as electives for their energy systems specialization.

GRADUATE RESEARCH PROJECTS

All students in the Energy Systems Engineering Program arerequired to carry out an independent research project, whetherin-house as a conventional thesis, or at a company as aninternship project. The majority of these projects are appli-cations oriented, in contrast to the more basic scientific natureof a traditional Masters' thesis. This research forms one por-tion of our overall energy program which consists of threeparts:

1. Formal academic classroom program2. Industry-University collaboration projects3. Basic long-term research projects.Technical research can assume many forms within the

academic world [2]. At one extreme is the philosophy of"one student, one professor, one project." The disadvantagesof this method are obvious. The other extreme is a team ofprofessors and students assembled to work on a competitivebasis. While faculty members and students are generallyavailable only a part-time basis, they are capable of makingsignificant contributions to these research problems. Full timeresearchers may be employed to make this method competi-tive. The research at The University of Texas spans the entirerange. Some examples of recent research projects are givenbelow.A short term economy security power system operations

cost model: this PhD dissertation produced a weekly opera-tions model for a combined hydro-thermal power systemutilizing a regional utility system.A digital heat rate meter and interface design: the design of a

digital heat rate meter with appropriate interfaces for localgenerating unit was designed to produce an accurate heat ratemeasurement on the order of once a minute. This unit is nowbeing built and will be used to determine the effects of indi-vidual operating procedures within the power plant.Theory and application of deviation-monitoring of per-

formance for the steam turbine cycle using differential instru-mentation: this project involves the use of differential mea-surement techniques to determine the deviation from operationin a generating plant.Correction of an under-rated circuit breaker problem: A

regional utility installed some gas turbines which createdshort circuit capabilities in excess of breaker ratings. Becauseof the different ages of the circuit breakers involved, a stan-dardized method of computing and comparing ratings wasdeveloped. A solution was presented as a part of a profes-sional report.The establishment of steam tables for digital application:

A library of computer programs for computing values fromthe steam tables was modified to the university computerfacilities. It is being used in conjunction with other com-puter programs for generating unit performance.Gas turbine data monitoring and analysis: A feasibility

study was carried out on-site for a power company having alarge number of remote gas turbine units: instrumentationand data analysis methods were evaluated for continuousmonitoring and diagnosis of gas turbines for preventive main-tenance purposes.Design of a new substation for a chemical plant expansion:

A complete substation was designed and equipment specifiedfor bringing in the new high voltage line to supply an expan-sion unit in a chlorine plant.In-core fuel management for a nuclear power plant: A com-

puter code was developed to plan the redistribution of fuelrods during long-term operation of a nuclear plant. Theproject took existing computer codes and tailored them toapply to the specific reactor in question. This project wascarried out partly on-site at the plant and partly at theUniversity.

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IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON EDUCATION, VOL. E-21, NO. 3, AUGUST 1978

Performance of gas turbines and combined cycles operatingon low BTU fuels: Performance calculations were performedto determine the feasibility of using fuels from in-situ gasifica-tion of lignite in existing gas turbines and combined cycleplants.Performance and cost of above-ground equipment for geo-

pressured geothermal application: Turbine cost and perfor-mance estimates were made for typical geopressured geo-thermal steam conditions to define the general feasibility ofusing existing equipment and pointing out particular areasof inadequacy.Application of high temperature heat pumps in industrial

processes: A computer code was developed to size componentsand estimate costs for equipment to absorb heat from lowtemperature waste streams and deliver it to higher tempera-ture processes.Alternative technologies for the central station generation

of electricity: This study involves the engineering, economicand environmental characteristics of alternative sources andtechnologies for the central generating power station. Dif-ferent fuels and different conversion techniques are includedalong with techniques for controlling the environmentalimpact and energy storage.

Inertial energy storage for pulsed power supply applications:This is a research project involving a flywheel which is alsothe rotor of a homopolar machine. The inherent feature isthat the kinetic energy stored is very near to the point atwhich the electromagnetic torque is supplied to increase ordecrease the kinetic energy. The objectives of this programare to develop engineering design procedures for pulsed powersupplies with discharge times of 1 to 10 s and to learn thelimitations on how fast an inertial energy system can bedischarged.

INDUSTRIAL INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

The professional report option was mentioned previously.When the Energy Systems Engineering Program was estab-lished, it was decided to set up a professional internship as apart of this program. The student would complete his 30hours of course work and then join a member of the energyindustry. The student would then write up his first suitableassignment as a technical report under the joint supervision ofan engineer in industry and a faculty member from the EnergySystems Engineering Program.While originally envisioned as a keystone of the entire

Energy Systems Engineering Program, the internship programhas been less successful than was hoped. Only a half-dozenstudents have opted for this program in the five years theEnergy Systems Engineering Program has been in existence.There appear to be several reasons for this. The primary oneis economic. In order to -carry out an internship as originallyenvisioned, the student must first complete his course work,which requires at least two semesters of full-time effort.Unless the student is on a fellowship, he generally must sup-port himself either by teaching or by doing research. Pres-ently, sponsored university research in the energy area is

relatively abundant, and the majority of students take thisoption. A major fringe benefit of working as a research assis-tant is that the student's research may be used to completehis Masters' thesis requirement, and hence an internship isnot necessary. Most companies have been hesitant to put upfellowship money on the uncertain basis that the studentmay or may not ultimately select that company for perma-nent employment or that the company may or may not beinterested in the particular student. Thus, in most cases, thecompanies have found it more desirable to simply supportresearch within the university rather than having the studentin residence. A second reason for our lack of success withthe internship is the general reluctance of students to pull uproots from the university without having actually obtainedtheir degrees, if the option of completing their work on-campus exists. This is compounded by the fact that theinternship arrangement does not require a permanent com-mitment on the part of the company, and students feel theyare in limbo during their periods of residence at the company.In fact, this concern is more psychological than actual, sincein all the cases we have experienced, the students have re-ceived attractive offers from the companies in which theydid their internships. They have not, in all cases, chosen tostay with these companies, however. Lastly, the administra-tive logistics of dealing with the project being carried outperhaps hundreds of miles from the University requires amajor time commitment on the part of the coordinatingfaculty member. In some cases, the spin-off benefits, in termsof research funding and consulting opportunities, make thiscommitment worthwhile, but generally speaking it has beendifficult to justify. This problem may be less serious at auniversity in a high industrialized area but it is chronic.

NEWLY EMERGING AREAS

The Energy Systems Engineering Program was originallydeveloped as an electric power-oriented program. In recentyears, however, the explosion of interest in emerging energytechnologies and in energy conservation has broadened thefocus of the program to a great degree. New courses in geo-thermal and solar energy applications have been developed,and a course is now under development in industrial energyconservation. The research side of the program has alsoexpanded greatly, with major projects now underway inpower system operation, geothermal, solar, coal gasification,and energy storage. Students are now taking courses in thechemical engineering and petroleum engineering departments,as well as the more traditional ME and EE areas. Each student,however, is still required to pursue some depth in a selectedarea of concentration, and our original objective of producing"a jack of all trades, but a master of one" remains unchanged.From the academic point-of-view there has been a three-

degree sequence, Bachelor, Master and Doctorate, aimed tra-ditionally at independent scholarly research. This is theaccepted route for people whose career objectives includeresearch and/or teaching. The usual barrier to continuing in auniversity degree program, beyond the BS, is a B average in

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academic subjects; practically speaking, this means the top25% of the class. The authors believe the middle 50% of anyengineering graduating class has demonstrated its ability toprofit from some form of a post graduate experience. Someof this gap is being filled via short courses and other con-tinuing education projects. However, much remains to bedone.

SUMMARYThe paper has presented several of the features of the energy

program of The University of Texas at Austin. This is aconstantly evolving curriculum developed to reflect current

energy technology and its limits. While this program attemptsto satisfy most of the educational needs of regional industry,it is, and must be, continually reviewed and improved in aneffort to assure its continued relevancy.

REFERENCES

[1] K. E. Knight and H. R. Baca, "A 1975 Determination of KeyProblems Facing Electric Utilities in the U.S.," University ofTexas Report, see Electrical World, pp. 32, November 1, 1975.

[21 H. H. Woodson, "Power Engineering Research-How UniversitiesCan Meet the Challenge," paper C73262-3 presented at 1973 IEEEWinter Power Meeting, New York, N.Y., January 28-February 2,1973.

The University of Houston Electric Energy SystemsControl Program

EDGAR C. TACKER, SENIOR MEMBER, IEEE, KWANG YUN LEE, MEMBER, IEEE, THOMAS D. LINTON, ANDCHARLES W. SANDERS, MEMBER, IEEE

Abstract-This paper presents our response to the national need toeducate more students in the area of power systems engineering. OurElectric Energy Systems Control Program (EESCP) is described, both interms of (1) individual courses, sequences of courses, and subprogramsof concentration, and (2) the development of the Electric Energy Sys-tem Control Laboratory Facility (EESCL). The description is organizedso as to emphasize the close relationships between the particular EESCLequipment purchased and the development of the individual courses.The present status of the EESCP Program development is given as is anassessment of our progress measured against our educational objectives.Discussion is also provided relative to our future plans in further devel-oping our educational program in power systems education.

FORMULATION OF OBJECTIVESV ERY recently this country's educational system has been

presented several significant technical challenges, one ofwhich is in the area of producing power systems engineers(PSE's). This paper presents some of our philosophical view-points relative to this challenge as well as a summary of ourprogress toward contributing to the effort of meeting it.The national educational PSE production capability suffers

a well-recognized shortfall on the supply side of the equation.

Manuscript received January 31, 1978; revised April 18, 1978. Thiswork was supported in part by NSF Grants SER-76-014531531 andSER-77-03799 and in part by the State of Texas under a Title VIGrant.The authors are with the Department of Electrical Engineering and

Systems Engineering Program, University of Houston, Houston, TX77004.

Any study dealing with improving this production system mustfirst recognize that (1) financial resources are severely limited,(2) the system tends to be quite capital-intensive, and (3) thesystem is highly decentralized and virtually non-coordinateable.With these facts in mind it was deemed that the best approach

for us was to emphasize areas of PSE that were especiallysupply-limited. Another strong consideration of course wasthe backgrounds and interests of our faculty' and studentbody.

EESCPProgram Development Chronology: An OverviewFor the reasons just given our efforts have been focused

upon the computer/control aspects of PSE, resulting in theformulation of our Electric Energy Systems Control Pro-gram (EESCP). Developmental plans were formulated in late1974 and proposals were written in 1975 and 1976 that wouldprovide needed financial resources for capital equipment pur-chases and released-time for course development. Fortunatelythese proposals were funded (refer to Appendix I for somedetails) and, subsequently, additional funds were provided bythe University of Houston Electrical Engineering Departmentand the Cullen College of Engineering. This allowed the pro-gram development to accelerate and, most importantly, al-lowed the establishment of the Electric Energy Systems Con-

1Our long standing interests in computer control, especially as itapplies to PSE, provided the initial self-impetus for our efforts. A se-lected representative list of our publications is included in Appendix 1I.

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