Recent Events

IEEE Pittsburgh Section, PES/IAS Joint Chapter’s Tour of ABBs High Voltage Breaker Facility

One of the Pittsburgh Chapter’s more memorable meetings last year was a tour of the ABB high-voltage circuit breaker facility on October 17, 2012. The world-class ABB high-voltage breaker facility in Mt. Pleasant, PA opened in April 2003 and serves as the US headquarters for high-voltage power technology products. This new facility has been designed to produce SF6 dead-tank circuit breakers for use in applications from 38 kV to 800 kV and where lead-times, floor space, capacity and productivity have all been greatly optimized.

A total of 18 members and guests started the evening off with a light dinner and a presentation from Jeff Mains, ABB Sales Manager. Our host showed us his humor, enthusiasm, and his deep knowledge of the products and manufacturing of them at this ABB facility. We were there for over 3 1/2 hours and could not get enough. Everyone was given a personalized certificate of attendance worth 3 1/2 professional development hours for the course on high-voltage circuit breakers.

Baltimore PES Participates in the Baltimore IEEE Smart Tech Metro Area Workshop

The Baltimore PES Chapter participated on the event planning core team of the first IEEE Smart Tech: Metro Area Workshop in Region 2, held November 2-3, 2012 at the BWI Westin. Smart Tech Workshops offer parallel, all-day track sessions that allow attendees to immerse themselves in a given technology. Baltimore PES provided speakers for the topic, “Smart Grid: Microprocessor-Based Protection of Power Systems – Distribution and Transmission Lines”. This course was designed for engineers and technical professionals interested in learning about the utility industry, with a focus on microprocessor relay and protection systems.

IEEE Dayton Section PEAL (PE/IA/PEL) Chapter Tours GE EPISCENTER

Dayton’s PEAL (joint PE/IA/PEL) Chapter toured GE Aviation Systems’ EPISCENTER (Electrical Power Integrated Systems Center) on November 16, 2012. 25 members and guests participated in the event. EPISCENTER is a new R&D center being built by GE with a $60 million investment. The facility will feature a 50,000-square-foot office and an 89,000-square-foot lab and will operate as the base of GE’s aircraft electrical power business. The center will open in July of 2013.

Upcoming Region 2 Events

Dayton PEAL Chapter Holds Member Technical Exchange Committee

On February 7, 2013, members of the Dayton PEAL Chapter as well as non-members are invited to exchange knowledge and experience, learn others’ capabilities, and explore synergies in this novel networking event. Registered attendees are each given five minutes to present their technical focus, capabilities and interests over food and drinks. The meeting will be held at UDRI, S1700 Auditorium, 1700 S. Patterson Blvd, Dayton, OH 45409, on Thursday, February 7, 2013, from 6:15-8:30 PM.

Baltimore Chapter Hosts Annual Engineers Week Dinner 2013

The Baltimore Chapter of the IEEE Power & Energy Society proudly announces their upcoming Engineers Week Dinner during National Engineers Week. Engineering professionals, high school students, college students, parents and educators are invited to enjoy dinner and an outstanding program of speakers. This year’s event will be held on Wednesday, February 20, 2013 from 5:30 PM to 9:00 PM at Johns Hopkins University’s Shriver Hall.

The purpose of this annual event is to expose students to the engineering field and to provide a unique opportunity for networking and mentorship. Presentations for the evening will include the IEEE Robotics Challenge and Smart Grid concepts. Baltimore PES will also honor its 2012 Outstanding Engineer Award recipient.

Cleveland Chapter Co-Sponsors IEEE EnergyTech 2013

This is a growing, international energy conference, currently in its third offering. It offers tracks for peer-reviewed paper presentations, as well as industry-oriented tracks, typically without accompanying papers. This year it is running in collaboration with INCOSE and with support of the U.S. Army. It will be held on the campus of Case Western Reserve University, May 21-23, 2013. Paper submission deadline is March 1, 2013.

This conference offers presentations from academia, government, and industry on advances in energy systems concepts and electrical energy technology, including generation, control, transmission, storage, and efficient use. Deliberately broad, this forum is an opportunity to view energy issues across the spectrum. Participants will include experts in energy fields, as well as attendees desiring to bring themselves up to date with the current frontiers and emerging promises in power and energy.