Blog 19: Independent Component 2

Due Date:  Friday 4/24 by 8AM

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. 

(c) Provide a digital spreadsheet (aka log of the 30 hours).   Post it next to your mentorship log.

Done.

(d) Explanation of what you completed.
For my second independent component, I successfully completed three drafting projects and attended a power engineering seminar. 

1. 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 Game Board - Final Product
(Box not included)
•  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
  
• 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
  
• 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...
  
2. 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: 

• 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

INTERPRETIVE 
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.

Living La Vida Loca

Absolutely horrible!

Perfectly normal day, until my mentorship literally went up in flames...

Reality struck me in the face when I called 911, but the firemen were already on their way.

I can't believe this... I hope my my mentor is ok...

Little pieces of rubble surrounded the cars, trees, and shops nearby

Flames engulfed the right side of the building when I arrived

Oblong windows seemed to melt away as they brightened up

Oh god... what am i going to do now... Suddenly I heard a woman scream as she exited the left side...

Luckily... it was all a dream.

So thanks for listening. Have a nice day!

Fourth Interview Questions

Due Date: Thursday, March 12, 2015

Content: Post 20 open-ended questions you want to ask an expert in the field concerning your senior project. The focus of your questions should be on your answer to your EQ.

1. What do you think is the best way to optimize the electrical grid to ensure maximum operating efficiency? Why?
2. How big of a role do you think Home Automation Systems will play in optimizing the electrical grid?
3. 1 I can see that it is apparent that maintaining reliability is an integral part of any power system. So how do you deal with new technology being introduced into the power system reliably and efiiciently? Do only “proven technologies” get introduced into your projects? Or do you find yourself “de-risking” technology before it is implemented? If so, how? Please give examples.
4.  What do you think is the best way to boost the integration of renewable energy sources into the electrical grid?
5.  What do you think are the benefits of utilizing HVDC transmission systems as opposed to HVAC systems?
6.  According to Peter Vaessen, there is a double risk trend in reliability, which is becoming increasingly apparent as our networking increases and electronic information exchange develops. Furthermore, he states that this trend urges governments and transmission system operators to take measures to improve the availability of the system through standards and codes.
7. How do you think new standards and codes will improve the availability of the electrical grid?
8.  Do you think that new standards and codes could increase the operating efficiency of the grid? If so, why? In what ways?
9.  Are there any standards/codes that you think are detrimental to the reliability of the grid? If so, why and be specific.
10. Nispen stresses that being active in the integration of customer-centric microgrids is an important step for utilities to take. Have you heard of microgrids/know what they are?
11. How do you think utilities can combat this problem?
12. Why is operating efficiency important to the electrical grid?
13. How would you describe the current state of the electrical grid for all aspects? (e.g., generation, transmission, and distribution)
14. How reliable is our electrical grid (in the U.S.A.) today as far as electrical delivery is concerned?
15. In your opinion, is the reliability of our electrical grid deteriorating? Why or why not?
16. From a technological standpoint, how does our electrical grid today compare to the grid 10 years ago? 20 years ago?
17. A man named Hugo van Nispen once said, “Sustainability has moved beyond being a marketing message. For many utilities and their customers, it is a way of life.” Do you agree with these statements? If so, why?
18.  I read a blog post about the Utility of the Future Leadership Forum recently. In that post, Mr. Nispen also said that “Innovation is constantly redefining [the power] industry. However, while utilities have done a great job of applying innovative technologies in some cases… few have taken the required next step of transforming their business operations in a way that enables them to take full advantage of the applied innovation.” To what extent do you agree with this quote and why? Have you seen this happen while “in the field”?
19. What are capacitor banks, and how do they contribute to the operating efficiency of the power grid?
20. What repercussions do utilities encounter by deviating from the unity power factor?
21. What do you think is the best way to reduce the amount of reactive power in a distribution network?

If you have already interviewed someone two times, you aren't allowed to interview that same person without House teacher approval.

The interview itself is not due until Friday, April 17th to turnitin.com. However, we want to give you as much time as possible, so we are asking you to complete the blog now. Remember that in addition to turning in the interview, you also need to turn in the verification sheet to your House teacher.

Blog 17: Third Answer

Due Date:  Thursday, March 5th by 8AM

Content:

Just like you did for answer 1 and 2 post your:

• EQ
• What is the best way to optimize the electrical grid to ensure maximum operating efficiency?
• Answer #3 (Write in a complete sentence like a thesis statement)*
• Change voltage profiles to decrease the amount of reactive power being generated.
• 3 details to support the answer (a detail is a fact and an example)
• Changing the voltage profile of a distribution system, such as the electrical grid, helps utilities maintain a power factor of one (aka, "unity power factor"). The unity power factor is the goal of any electrical utility service. If utilities have a power factor less than one, then they have to supply more current to the user for a given amount of power use. In so doing, they incur more line losses. They also must have larger capacity equipment in place than would be otherwise necessary. As a result, an industrial facility will be charged a penalty if its power factor is much different from 1. According to my mentor, keeping the power factor close to one also minimizes the amount of reactive power being generated.
• There are two types of power: real power and reactive power. According to my mentor, reactive power is synonymous with wasted energy due to traveling between an input (e.g., a substation) and the output (e.g., a home). In order to reduce this reactive power in a distribution network, such as the electrical grid, engineers must remember the equation for electric power: P=VI (Power = voltage x current). This equation gives the instantaneous power in an AC circuit. Current is measured in Ohms. 
• Changing the voltage profile of a distribution system also helps facilitate the integration of distributed generators, DG. As DG becomes more widespread, there are some problems that are encountered. The distribution networks to which distributed generators (e.g. solar farms and wind farms)  are connected were not designed for direct connection of generators. They were designed for power flow from a source (substation) to the consumer loads. Introduction of DG often leads to changes in the direction of power flow in distribution networks. In addition to this, DG cause changes to stability, voltage profile and protection systems. Because distribution networks were not designed to accommodate generators, constraints are placed on DG utilization. One limit is the amount of power that DG can supply. Supply of real power causes voltage level around the power source to rise. If the real power supplied is too high, voltage level may rise beyond acceptable limits set by the NEC (National Electric Code).
• The research source (s) to support your details and answer
• Interview 3 (with Allen Barreno)
• https://www.uonbi.ac.ke/abunguodero/files/ijetae_1212_13.pdf
• http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/electric/powfac.html#c1
• Mini Interviews (with Ali Kazemi and Amanvir Sudan)
• Concluding Sentence
• 
  

*Write your answer like you would write a thesis statement.  Please don't give us one or two words or start your sentence with "by".    Thanks!

Answer 2

Label: Presentation
Due Date:  Thursday, 2/19 by 8AM
1.  What is your EQ?

What is the best way to optimize the electrical grid to ensure maximum operating efficiency?

2.  What is your first answer? (In complete thesis statement format)

Integrate microgrids into the electrical grid system.

3.  What is your second answer? (In complete thesis statement format)

Develop new standards and codes.

4.  List three reasons your answer is true with a real-world application for each.

For the following reasons, let us look at the benefits of mandatory vegetation management (a standard implemented into our electric code).

1. They can drive the industry towards controlling important risks in bulk power transmission systems. One of the most important risks in bulk power transmission systems is natural disaster. This particular standard ensures that these systems have adequate protective control settings that contribute to the prevention of disasters.
2. They help increase the reliability of the electrical grid by ensuring the interoperability of equipment. The interoperability of equipment is crucial to these systems working properly because they can't communicate, exchange data, and use the info they have been given without it.
3. They facilitate the integration of renewable energy into the power system. Standards, such as the one fore-mentioned, keep areas clean to ensure a seamless grid integration of variable renewables.

5.  What printed source best supports your answer?

Vaessen, Peter. "How Do You Cope with the "double Risk Trend" in Reliability? (Part 1)." Web log post. DNV GL Blog Utility of the Future. N.p., 26 June 2014. Web. 20 Jan. 2015.

6.  What other source supports your answer?

Vaessen, Peter. "How Do You Cope with the "double Risk Trend" in Reliability? (Part 2)." Web log post. DNV GL Blog Utility of the Future. N.p., 26 June 2014. Web. 20 Jan. 2015.

7.  Tie this together with a  concluding thought.

As our networking increases and electronic information exchange develops, it is becoming increasingly apparent that a double risk trend is emerging. "We are heading towards unprecedented changes in the power system caused by the unstoppable electrification and transition to a sustainable energy supply." According to Peter Vaessen, this trend urges governments and transmission system operators to take measures to improve the availability of the system through standards and codes. This becomes especially crucial as our power system integrates new technology, which makes it more complex and interdependent.

On Friday, 2/20 for Advisory #2, you will be presenting what you have from this blog.  The presentation is more like a share-out and should not last longer than 2 minutes. You don't need a visual, and you should not read what you have written.  

Blog 15: Independent Component 2 Approval

Due Date:  Thursday, 2/12 by 8AM

Content:

Please review the component contract on page 12 of the senior project packet.   The Independent Component 2 is an opportunity for you to add a dimension of creativity and/or an additional outlet for research.  The goal of the component is for you to explore your answers in more depth.  On Friday, April 24, 2014, you will be turning in the following to your blog to prove completion of this component:

·       Log of hours on an digital spreadsheet (with total number of hours included)
·       Evidence of the 30 hours of work (e.g. transcript, essays, tests, art work,    

        photographs) as digital artifacts
·       LIA

The senior team expects that your log will be on the right hand side of your blog in the Senior Project Hours link.   In addition to this,  we expect that you will be able to prove the total 30 hours of work by submitting evidence to the blog by the due date.  For this blog post and approval, please answer the following questions.

1.  Describe in detail what you plan to do for your 30 hours. 

For my second independent component, I plan to do additional mentorship hours. More specifically, I plan to continue my previous drafting projects, as well as delve into new ones. For example, the current project I am working on is a floor plan of my mentorship building. Once I finish the first floor, I will move on to the second one, which --- as previously demonstrated in my last blog post --- will provide me with plenty of time-consuming work for my second IC. I will also be consulting with my mentor about my project, conducting interviews, and asking questions about my EQ. 

2.  Discuss how or what you will do to meet the expectation of showing 30 hours of evidence.

I will take pictures of my drafting projects and record my progress and methodology in my Mentorship Notebook. I will also record our interviews via cell phone and record his answers on word documents.

3.  Explain how this component will help you explore your topic in more depth.

This component will help me explore my topic more in depth because aside from my research at home, my mentor, Allen Barreno, is my best source of information because he has decades of experience working as an electrical engineer. Through him, I hope to attain additional outlets of research, as well as technical and concise explanations of research content I have discovered at home. Additionally, he is adept at drafting using Microstation and AutoCAD, so I can also consult with him for guidance on drafting projects.

4.  Post a log in your Senior Project Hours link and label it "Independent Component 2" log.

Done.

Your answers to the questions should be supported with details and examples for the senior team to understand what you plan to do.   Once we review your Blog Post 15, your house teacher will discuss with you the approval of your plan.  If it is approved, please start working on it.  If it is not approved, your house teacher will explain why.  It is your job to address the concerns so you can get your component approved. 

Independent Component 1

Due Date:  Friday 2/6 at 8AM

·       LITERAL

I, Matthew Ibarra, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work.

1.       Cite your source regarding who or what article or book helped you complete the independent component.

Since my Independent Component (IC) consisted solely of drafting projects, my work was primarily experience-based. Drafting, in essence, is like driving is the sense that I will only improve my skills with practice. Therefore, it is a bit difficult to attribute my improvement in drafting to a single source such as an article or book. 

However, I do not mean --- in the slightest --- to say that I didn't receive help along the way. It was a collaboration of effort from me and the drafting team at my mentorship. For example, I did ask for small tips from time to time from Jason and Yagi, my fellow drafters at BERG. Yagi guided me in the right direction for initiating my First Floor Plan Project. He briefly explained to me about the concepts of layers in AutoCAD and assisted me in making sure I was using the appropriate scale and units for my project. Jason gave me small drafting tips about copying, rotating, and filleting objects\lines in Microstation. I also used a list of basic commands for AutoCAD that Yagi showed me to help me with my drafting.

2.       Update your hours in your Senior Project Hours link. Make sure it is clearly labeled with hours for individual sessions as well as total hours.

Done.

3.       Explain what you completed. 

For my IC, I completed a series of computer-aided drafting and design (C.A.D.D.) projects using computer programs such as Microstation and AutoCAD. Some of the drafting projects I did over the past few months were a biohazard symbol, a helmet from a Disney movie, and a floor plan of my mentorship building. For the most part, the projects I completed were chosen and designed by me --- meaning that I had full creative control over the methodology of my projects. The order in which I chose to do these projects was completely random. It just so happened that each project I did was slightly harder in difficulty and more time-consuming than the last. The reason I ended up doing random drafting projects --- as opposed to, say, one of my mentor's old drafting projects --- was because many of his old projects were either private or government-affiliated --- Meaning: It is illegal. But in the end, the source of the drafting work I receive mattered not because what really counted was the practice. 

·       INTERPRETIVE 

1.       Defend your work and explain its significance to your project and how it demonstrates 30 hours of work.   Provide evidence (photos, transcript, art work, videos, etc.) of the 30 hours of work.  

As previously explained, I completed a series of C.A.D.D. projects using computer programs such as Microstation and AutoCAD for my Independent Component. Although my IC does not directly pertain to my current EQ, I believe that drafting is an integral building block for a well-rounded foundation in my topic. It helps develop communication skills, patience, and problem solving skills, which are all crucial to drafting in a team-environment, like the one at my mentorship.

That being said, one does not become an expert drafter overnight. As my fellow drafter Jason once told me, you just have to keep on practicing; be able to use both programs proficiently because that's what the industry is using right now. And it's true; the program you use and the scale you design in is often dictated by the client --- whether it be a utility company or a home-user. For example, my mentor, Allen Barreno, told me that Southern California Edison requires that their designs be done using Microstation. 

Allen also told me that when he was in high school, his father would put him to do drafting work on the computer. In the beginning he would get paid "by the drawing" because his inexperience made him slow, but as he practiced more and more, he became so experienced that it became too expensive for his dad to pay him "by the drawing", so he decided to pay him by the hour instead. 

I had a similar experience to my mentor in the beginning; I was slow, very inexperienced, yet very eager to learn. Day one: sit, set up, breathe, click, draft, leave. Repeat. 

Line... Circle... Curve... 

Rectangle... Triangle... Square...

Basics... Basics... and more basics. 

Again and again until it was time for me to initiate my IC. 

By that time, I had already gained enough knowledge about the basics of drafting. I was ready to try something challenging... something daunting... something government-affiliated... 

But my mentor said NO.

Instead, he gave me two options: jail or Camp Caddlake. I chose Caddlake, of course, but I didn't exactly know what I was getting myself into. According to my mentor, the basic schedule would be as follows:

"As soon as you begin your Independent Component, you are to begin drafting a floor plan of the mentorship building. A copy of the floor plan will be provided by one of your fellow draftsmen."

The Mr. Sir-Barreno of my imagination looked up at me. "When you are not working on the floor plan, you are to be working on another drafting project of your choice. It doesn't matter what it is so long as it's appropriate. Any questions?"

I shook my head as motivation to keep myself awake.

"Good. Now get to work", he said.

It didn't take long for me to realise that the floor plan would take longer than I originally expected:

Day 1 - Five hours in

Day 3 - Eight hours in

Day 5 - About Twelve and a half hours in

Bathrooms - Deceivingly Simple

Sinks - Half an hour down the drain

This is why hours fly by like bullets across my computer screen.

This is why I draft biohazard symbols and Disney helmets at my mentorship. 

Bamax Helmet Project - About 9 hours

Biohazard Symbol Project - About 7 hours

This is why Friday afternoon smells like Happy Hour with a hint of techno and Tagalog.  This is why I love being a drafter.

·       APPLIED

1.       How did the component help you understand the foundation of your topic better?  Please include specific examples to illustrate this. 

My IC helped me understand the foundation of my topic better by demonstrating how drafting is a fundamental skill that all engineers must have. More specifically, it showed me how as technology evolves, the methodology of an engineer changes as well. Decades ago, engineers would draw their designs on paper, and make copies of them using the blueprint process. Nowadays, power engineers draw their designs using computer aided design techniques and transfer them as a digital file to a computer printer to be printed. At my mentorship, this is exactly how the designers, drafters, and engineers exchange their work and ideas. For example, during one of my mentor’s recent projects, he had to make design changes to an electrical substation on paper and give the paper to one of his drafters to edit the design via Microstation and had him print out the edited design. After that, he checked the drafter’s work, and then sent the design out to his client for approval.

Grading Criteria 

• Updated log in Senior Project Hours Link 
• Evidence of 30 hours of work 
• LIA submitted to blog