Courses

Recent Courses

ECE 566 – Grid Integration of Wind Energy Systems

Course Description: The modern electricity grid is evolving to include increasing numbers of variable and renewable generation sources. This course covers several aspects of wind energy con- version systems (WECS) and their interconnection to the power grid. The course provides students with the background to understand, model and simulate a complete wind turbine system, including the wind resource, mechanical torque production, electrical motor and drive system responses. Various wind turbine topologies and control concepts are covered. The integration and impact of wind generators on the power grid are also discussed.

ENGR 570 – COUPLED ELECTROMECHANICAL SYSTEMS

Course Description: Energy transfer between magnetic and electric fields produce linear and rotational forces which underlie numerous engineering applications. Through the examination of magnetic material properties and coupling fields and derivation of physics-based equivalent circuit representations, students will gain the ability to understand, model, simulate and design a large class of electromechanical devices. Devices investigated include: linear motors, switched reluctance stepper and servo motors, DC and AC rotational machines. This course also provides foundational knowledge for other topics such as robotics and hybrid electric vehicles.

ENGR 597 – DYNAMIC OPTIMIZATION FOR SYSTEM OPERATION UNDER UNCERTAINTY

Course Description: This course will provide a survey of analytical and numerical methods for solving multi-stage decision problems which include uncertainty, with the goal of operating systems to minimize an undesirable outcome (e.g., economic cost, risk) over a number of stages. The course will introduce the dynamic programming framework and illustrate its use in solving multi-stage operational decision problems in areas such as energy, finance, and operations research. Finite horizon and infinite horizon problems will be discussed. This course will include individual review assignments to survey existing literature and application of concepts through numerical simulation.

ENGR 530 – OVERVIEW OF SYSTEMS ENGINEERING PROCESSES

Course Description: In this course, students will develop a conceptual understanding of the systems engineering life-cycle process and familiarity with analysis techniques used in that process. The class introduces the concepts of reliability and robustness, and rigorous tools for analysis and design with them in mind. Real-world experience and case studies working with a system through all phases of the system design process are discussed.