ETAP Donates Software Valued at nearly $125,000 to West Virginia University Institute of Technology

ETAP recently donated an ETAP power-lab software package valued at nearly $125,000 to West Virginia University Institute of Technology. This donation includes a lifetime license allowing up to 20 students to work concurrently on projects, studies, and research. ETAP’s giving program promotes the pursuit of academic excellence and the advancement of power systems studies.

“The ETAP software package is one of the leading packages used both nationally and internationally by the well-renowned electrical power systems industries,” explained Dr. Surinder Ram, professor of electrical and computer engineering, who facilitated the donation.

The academic edition of ETAP Enterprise Solution provides educational institutions with access to the latest technology for the design, modeling, simulation and operation of electrical power systems. Blending ETAP into standard power system curriculum gives students an excellent opportunity to learn and apply essential power system concepts utilizing the most sophisticated electrical engineering software package available for offline solutions.

Dr. Stephen Goodman, chair of the department of electrical and computer engineering, said, “We’re grateful for this gift since it allows us to bring more of the latest technology into our classrooms.”

The Use of ETAP at Louisiana State University

The ETAP software is used for both instruction and research in power system courses in the Electrical Engineering Department at Louisiana State University. Most of the students taking these courses are seniors or graduate students. A large number of students in the power system area are now being exposed to the software at LSU thanks to the generosity of ETAP.

Introduction of ETAP is taught in the senior/graduate level course “Power System Modeling and Analysis with Laboratory.” In the laboratory part, power system analysis is performed using this software for load-flow, fault analysis, compensator design, and transmission line studies.

ETAP is utilized as a teaching tool at the graduate level courses. Courses such as “Advance Power System Protection” intimately integrate the software into the subject matter. ETAP software is also aids graduate students in performing power system studies on several research projects including:

• Renewable effects on distribution lines
• Network protector study
• Fault diagnostics agent for distribution lines
• Reliability of power systems with penetration of renewable sources

“We are truly grateful for OTI’s support and look forward to our continued partnership,” said Tammy Abshire, CFRE Associate Director of Development & Stewardship, LSU College of Engineering.

A Celebration for the Newest ETAP Power Lab

The University of Tennessee Chattanooga, College of Engineering and Computer Science department is the latest recipient of ETAP software to be used in the new ETAP-TVA Power Simulation Lab. Operation Technology, Inc, (OTI) gifted 40 ETAP licenses to the university in order to provide the students an opportunity to gain valuable hands on experience with the most widely used electrical engineering software in the power industry.

OTI partnered up with the Tennessee Valley Authority who initially proposed the development of a power lab.

The University of Tennessee is the region’s primary resource for educational, applied research, and service programs. The university recently received a $2.4 million grant from the Department of Energy to prepare electric power sector employees for smart grid applications and increase the number of engineers from undergraduate and graduate programs to support smart power applications. These factors combined to make UTC a logical choice for the implementation of an ETAP Power Lab.

The University of Tennessee celebrated the opening of the Power Lab by inviting OTI CEO Dr. Farrokh Shokooh for a ceremonial ribbon cutting. Over 50 spectators were present as Dr. Shokooh made the opening of the Power Lab official. The ribbon cutting was covered by local news outlet The Chattanoogan and can be found here.

OTI’s commitment to the future of power systems energy is no more evident than in this quote by Dr. Shokooh, “Our contribution to [UTC students’] future success is an honor for us because they are the innovators who will develop the energy solutions and technologies of tomorrow.” OTI wishes all the best to UTC and the students striving towards becoming the future of power engineering.

ETAP Power Labs: Shaping the Engineers of Tomorrow

It’s no secret. Jobs are getting harder and harder to come by, especially so for recent graduates. This is just as true for electrical engineering graduates looking to start their career.

According to the US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment growth rate of electrical engineers is 6% over the decade of 2006-2016. The projected 6% growth in electrical engineering is lower than the average for other occupations, meaning that it’s not getting any easier to be an electrical engineer.

Recent graduates might feel as though they don’t have the requisite experience to directly compete with older and highly qualified individuals, but ETAP has a solution. Fortunately for aspiring engineers, ETAP is being placed in universities worldwide in the form of Power Labs. ETAP Power Labs assist power engineering students in developing best practices and familiarizing themselves with the latest advances in power system analysis technology.

Our industry leading electrical engineering software helps give students a jumpstart on their peers in order to make them more competitive workforce candidates. By gaining valuable hands on experience with our comprehensive power system software, recent graduates will be able to even the field and brighten the prospects of starting their electrical engineering journey.

Characteristics of a Good Power System Training Station

Many utility and large industrial operators are currently seeking power system training stations for operator training. Operation Technology, Inc (OTI) has been developing power system simulators utilizing power management system data for nearly 20 years, with the first system installation in 1991. Since then, the system has been enhanced and is currently a full-fledged power management system.

The following characteristics are important in a successful and efficient operator training tool:

1. Interchange information from existing SCADA systems
2. Complete understanding of an electrical system including its component capabilities
3. Historical data retrieval for playback and generation of study scenarios
4. Collection of analysis modules such as load flow, short-circuit, arc-flash, device coordination, transient stability, optimal power flow and more
5. Ability to easily transfer information to other departments such as planning, maintenance, etc

Currently ETAP is the only software in operation that meets such characteristics. All power simulation modules in the software have the capability to bring power management system as well as historical data from its playback archive to develop scenarios for operators to study. Historical data from playback is a great way to generate real-life scenarios for operators to study alternate solutions, while the power management system data function can even help during normal operation to predict system response before any action is taken.

Power Labs at Universities Provide Real World Experience

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), “Overall engineering employment is expected to grow by 11 percent over the 2008–18 decade, about as fast as the average for all occupations.”  It’s expected that there will be a strong demand for electrical devices, including electric power generators, to keep job growth going, with international engineering services performed in other countries adding to worldwide growth.

Also according to the BLS, increased interest in nuclear power energy will mean a higher demand for engineers to research and develop new designs for reactors, with over 18,000 new jobs expected to open up before 2018.

What does this mean to electrical engineering students in universities around the world?  Although growth in that employment sector is expected, the best jobs in any industry always go to the most promising and qualified individuals.  The best way to rise above the rest is to graduate from a college or university that provides a curriculum and lab environment that reflects real-world problems and challenges.

Several years ago, OTI decided to do their part by working directly with accredited engineering universities around the globe. With enrollment in the power sector dwindling, the intent was to empower students with the most comprehensive power system engineering software.

Universities that have installed an ETAP Power Lab have had very high placement ratios with their engineering students upon graduation. Time and again we hear about how the Power Lab helped students reach their academic goals by providing them with the tools and knowledge to smoothly transition into the workforce by having the value-added benefit of already knowing how to use ETAP.

Engineering schools that have practical hands-on laboratory classes that focus on current engineering issues and not just generic applications will turn out better prepared design and production engineers.