Catalog Course Description

Class Information

My web page: http://www.engineering.usu.edu/ece/faculty/rjost

My USU email address:

Please put the following => [ECE 5930] (exactly as shown, with square brackets) into your subject line, it will help me to better manage the large number of emails that I will be receiving this semester. Also, it is an extremely good idea to include your NAME in your emails. I realize that some of you have secret identities to keep the evil supervillains from finding out who you are, but I promise not to tell them, and I really would like to know to whom I am responding when I get an email. Your university-provided email address does not always tell me who you are, and you don't want me to have to remember the email address of everyone in the class, because it will make me cranky. And cranky professors do not give out liberal amounts of partial credit.

Lecture Time and Location: 7:30 - 8:20 M/W/F, Room: ENGR 238

Prerequisites:
ECE 3410: Microelectronics I, ECE 3640: Signals and Systems, ECE 3870: Electromagnetics I.
Note that you really do need to have these under your belt before the class starts. Given that this is actually a 5930/6930 class, we will not be able to cover all the material in these courses again and still get some power engineering done. We will have a review class on these topics, but it will be just one class to cover key portions from several courses.

Required Text: Electrical Machines, Drives and Power Systems, 6th edition,, by Theodore Wildi, Prentice-Hall, 2006, ISBN: 9780131776913.

Recommended Text: Dynamic Simulations of Electric Machinery: Using MATLAB/SIMULINK,, by Chee-Mun Ong, Prentice-Hall, 1998, ISBN: 9780137237852.

Required Text:

Electrical Machines, Drives and Power Systems, 6th. edition, by Theodore Wildi, Prentice-Hall, 2006, ISBN: 978-0131776913.      While there is no one book that covers everything in power engineering, I chose this book for a couple of reasons. First, it is used in a large number of power classes across the US. Second, it addresses most of the topics involved in power engineering, although some topic areas would benefit from some expansion. However, we only have one semester. For some specific course topics, I have some other recommendations below. Finally, it is very readable and has a large number of worked out examples, as well as answers for the end of chapter problems in the back. You will come to appreciate this as we go through the course.

Recommended Supplements:
     While these books are not required, if you plan on doing anything serious in Power Engineering, you should also have a few of the following texts on your book shelf. Note that these are just my opinions, and everyone knows that opinions are like..., well, you know.

Dynamic Simulations of Electric Machinery: Using MATLAB / SIMULINK, by Chee-Mun Ong, Prentice-Hall, 1998, ISBN: 9780137237852.      This is a good compliment to Wildi. This provides a very good introduction to simulation electric machinery with MATLAB. We will be doing some machine simulation in the course, but I will provide you some of the MATLAB code you will need to get you started. There is a copy of the book and accompanying CD-ROM on reserve in the library. I would recommend buying the book only if you plan on doing more in power engineering, but if you want to keep working in this area it is worth the cost.

Electric Machines: Analysis and Design Applying MATLAB, by Jimmie J. Cathey, McGraw-Hill, 2001, ISBN: 0072423706.      This is another very good compliment to Wildi. This provides an excellent introduction to electric machinery and simulating its operation with MATLAB. While this text doesn't use SIMULINK in its machinery models, it provides a very good introduction to the operation of electric machines and most of the chapters conclude with a very well done description of the process involved in carrying out the basic design of transformers, dc motors, induction machines and synchronous machines. Highly recommended.

One of the smartest things you could do, if you plan on doing extensive work in Electromagnetics and data applications or Digital Signal/Image Processing is to get your own copy of one of these three programs. They all have their pros and cons, so you should try them out in our PC labs, then pick up whichever one you feel most comfortable with.

Note that as a participant in the Maple Adoption Program, students registered in this course are qualified to purchase Maple at a reduced rate. You also receive FREE two study guides (Pre-Calculus & Calculus). To purchase your download copy of Maple please visit the Maplesoft web store here: https://webstore.maplesoft.com/ You will also need the course promotion code which is: "xx".

Note that I am not requiring you to buy any particular package, but I strongly recommend that you consider getting one of them, and given that in all cases, the cost is less than that for the typical engineering text, I believe you will definitely be glad you did so by the time you finish your degree. For more information about these packages, visit my Tutorial page, and select the MATLAB or Mathcad link. I will be putting up some links for Maple on this page, as soon as I find some good tutorials and become more familiar with the program. I also have information concerning the current prices of these packages at the USU bookstore.

Syllabus: Introduction to power systems, three-phase circuit analysis, transformers, polyphase induction motors, synchronous generators, synchronous motors, diode and diode circuits, thyristor and thyristor circuits, DC-DC switching converters, and DC-AC switching converters. Additionally, we will be discussing alternate energy sources for power system generation. Finally, economic and policy issues that affect the power industry, especially in the intermountain west and Utah, will be introduced.

5930 Grading: Your grade will be based on the sum of the scores of two exams (60%), homework (15%), and a software project (25%). The software project will entail the use of either Maple, Mathcad or MATLAB to develop some simulations and/or calculations of parameters useful in the power engineering area. For more information, go to the Supplemental Material page via the link below, then go to the Software Project page.

6930 Grading: Your grade will be based on the sum of the scores of two exams (40%), homework (15%), a software project (25%) and a research paper (20%). The software project will entail the use of either Maple, Mathcad or MATLAB to develop some simulations and/or calculations of parameters useful in the power engineering area. For more information, go to the Supplemental Material page via the link below, then go to the Software Project page. For more information about the research paper, go to the Supplemental Material page via the link below, then go to the Research Paper page.

Reading & HW Assignments: Reading/Homework assignments for the semester

Supplemental Material: Supplemental material for this class and links to class projects.

Software Programming Project: SW Programming Project

Research Paper (6930): Research Paper for 6930 Students

Power Links: Power-related links Not yet Active

Reference Material: Useful Power reference information Not Yet Active

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Last Updated: 4/25/2008