A Novel Approach to Teaching Power Systems Analysis and Design Using Software Development

Abstract

The study of electric power systems is extremely vital and relevant due to the ongoing efforts to modernize the grid. The authors are trying to shift from carbon-based energy sources to renewable energy sources. This requires developing the workforce of the future which can handle these contemporary challenges. Two of the most useful tools when it comes to the analysis of electric power systems are power flow simulation and fault studies. There are simulators that are provided to universities for educational purposes so that students can learn how to run power flow simulations and use the results for analysis and design. The problem that the authors have observed is that students need a better intuition on how to interpret the results. This leads to students accepting erroneous results simply because the simulation produced them.In this paper, the authors propose a methodology for teaching power systems analysis that teaches students how to run power flow simulations using a commercial tool and gives them a deep intuition of what the simulator is doing. The authors propose that students learn how to truly learn to use a simulator by developing one from scratch. This simulator is developed over the course of a semester by coupling the active learning techniques of the flipped classroom model and projectbased learning. In the course, students watch videos prior to class to learn about modeling and implementation techniques. In the class, students work with instructors and teaching assistants to build a simulator in a modular approach. Students then validate the results of the simulator that they are developing with a commercial simulator.Using this teaching methodology, students learn the first-principles physics equations for steadystate power systems and the techniques to implement them. As a bonus, the authors can teach students about the software development process giving them an added skill set that is usually not part of the traditional power systems engineering student's CV. The end goal of producing students who can run power flow and fault studies and use them for design and analysis is still achieved; however, students have a much deeper understanding of what the simulator is doing "under the hood."In this paper, the authors detail the structure of the course, course topics, the term project, midterm assessments & checkoffs, and the final project.