Content:
LITERAL
(a) Statement saying:
“I, Matthew Ibarra, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work.”
(b) Cite your source regarding who or what article or book helped you complete the independent component
- Allen Barreno (electrical engineer)
- My mentor helped me complete my independent component by answering questions about my EQ. He also provided me with information about an invaluable power engineering seminar that led me to my second and third answers.
- Amanvir Sudan and his associates
- He is a very knowledgeable power engineer with an MS in Power Systems Protection. Through the combined experience of him and his engineering associates, I was able to formulate the second and third answers for my EQ.
Done.
(d) Explanation of what you completed.
For my second independent component, I successfully completed three drafting projects and attended a power engineering seminar.
- Drafting projects
- The Poly Games Project (PGP)
- The first C.A.D.D. project I completed for my independent component was a game board that I designed on AutoCAD. Dubbed the Poly Games, this project represents approximately 25 hours worth of my blood, sweat, and tears. The PGP pushed me to my drafting limits, as I constantly researched commands that I had never attempted prior. In the end, I learned a handful of new tips, tricks, and techniques that helped me become a lot more knowledgeable and efficient in my drafting endeavors.The Poly Games Project - 25 hours
- The First Floor Plan Project (FPP)
- The first FPP was a drafting project that I had started during my first independent component, but due to a number of factors beyond my control at the time, I was unable to complete it. Now that I gained a lot more experience from the game board, I was ready to begin where I had left off on the floor plan. Utilizing the new things I had learned, I promptly completed my first FPP within my first three hours at the mentorship. Happy to have accomplished my long-set goal, I eagerly began part 2...My "First" Floor Plan - Completed
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- The Second Floor Plan Project (FPP)
- Not to be confused with the first FPP, this floor plan was the second story of my mentorship building. It also featured many of the same components, such as cubicles, doors, bathrooms, stairs, etc. Much like its first-story predecessor, it was bound to be time-consuming... If it were not for my best friends: Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V. Thanks to them, I was able to finagle my way to completion in three hours flat.The Second Floor - 3 hours
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- Four Symbols Project (FSP)
- One of the best things about C.A.D.D is that the industry is dynamic. This means that there's always something new to be learned, whether it be a new technique, command, or program. And just when you think you've learned everything there is to know about your trade, you encounter a road block that forces you to think outside of the computer screen. This is the essence of how I felt "walking into" my FSP. I've yet to decipher the best way to create these complex shapes, but once I remaster the basics of Microstation, I will be happy to continue.I wish I was a linebender...
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- Power Engineering Seminar
- On March 3rd, 2015, I attended an SEL (Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories) product training seminar in Ontario, CA. Seminar located at the wonderful DoubleTree Hilton Hotel
- At this seminar, I acquired information on some of the following topics:
The Game Board - Final Product
(Box not included)
- Transmission, Distribution, Metering, Fault Indicators and Sensors
- Generator and Motor Protection, Information Processors, I\O Processors and Controllers
- Transformer, Bus, Breaker and Capacitor Protection, Testing and Commissioning, Event Analysis
- Synchrophasors, Software, Fiber-Optic Products, Services and Solutions, Networking and Communications
- As an added bonus, I was able to talk to a number of highly qualified electrical engineers about my senior project and EQ.
- This event lasted approximately eight hours in length (from 8AM - 5PM)
- Lunch time not included
Defend your work and explain how the significant parts of your component and how it demonstrates 30 hours of work. Provide evidence (photos, transcript, art work, videos, etc) of the 30 hours of work.
Computer Aided Drafting and Design has become more than a tool, but an essential component of modern engineering. Forty to fifty years ago, engineers would painstakingly draw their designs by hand using a pen and paper. However, innovations in computer software technology have made it possible for engineers to not only draw their designs on screen, but to also edit them in real-time. With the added bonus of being able to collaborate with other engineers anywhere and anytime, this technology has greatly increased the efficiency of the design process.
As drafting software has become more ubiquitous, utility companies such as Southern California Edison and Pacific Gas & Electric have adopted programs such as AutoCAD and Microstation into their normal business operations. As a result, electrical engineers have upgraded their work stations to utilize this innovation in their business settings as well. This is one of the many reasons why my power engineering mentor, Allen Barreno said that C.A.D.D. is a very valuable skill for an electrical engineer to have.
Throughout my mentorship, I have both observed and experienced the significance of my mentor's words. For example, Allen told me he uses drafting programs such as AutoCAD and Microstation everyday is his line of work. Whenever I go to BERG Power Engineers, the design team is always using drafting software to work on projects. Aside from physical copies of blueprints for reference, the drafting and design projects at BERG have become virtually paperless. This is why I decided to practice drafting for my first independent component. To keep the momentum rolling, I wanted to continue practicing this invaluable skill as I continue acquiring knowledge about my EQ and the field of power engineering.
As a whole, Computer Aided Drafting and Design (C.A.D.D.) projects have sharpened my skills as a drafter. The Poly Game Project aided me to learn some basic, yet extremely vital drafting skills. That project really was the gateway to helping me overcome my past problems with projects I had initiated during my first independent component, such as my first FPP. For instance, the game board project inadvertently taught me how to: properly add dimensions to my floor plan; add a multileader to a text object; and to learn through immersion. Without it, I wouldn't have established a strong foundation for my future drafting endeavors.
APPLIED
How did the component help you answer your EQ? Please include specific examples to illustrate how it helped.
By continuing my mentorship for my independent component, I received invaluable information about a power engineering seminar that was not only an unprecedented outlet for research, but an opportunity to meet and interview a number of professionals in my senior topic.
Throughout the seminar, I attended a number of presentations, each pertaining to a certain technology or concept relevant to the field of power engineering. I also conversed with a number of electrical engineers, each with varying levels of expertise. Whenever I talked to these engineers, I would ask them my EQ and their opinions on the subject matter. This experience inadvertently led me to my second and third answers for my EQ. Although there were a variety of pertinent answers to choose from, the results were quite consistent. Each engineer I interviewed chose at least one answer in common: Voltage profile optimization (otherwise known as Voltage/VAR Control). After careful examination, I determined what my other answer would be based on the other options the engineers had provided.
Each presentation I attended was jam-packed with information about my topic, so I transcribed what I could, hoping to 'fill in the blanks' as I continued my research independently. Some choice words helped me to locate important journal articles at home, facilitating my search for support of my newly discovered answers.
In the end, I had a very well-rounded independent component. I was able to practice my drafting skills as well as develop connections with engineering professionals that will hopefully lead me to outlets in research for years to come.
Thanks for the help Allen! And thanks to SEL for allowing high school students like me to attend your seminars to expand my electrical engineering knowledge.
