ECE Research Seminar (Virtual Event) – February 25 at 12:30
February 23, 2022
Please join us Friday, February 25 12:30-1:30 pm CT for our next ECE Research Seminar.
The Electric Grid and High Voltage Engineering in the US ― How Can MSU Help Support It
David Wallace | david@ece.msstate.edu
Abstract: Today’s electric grid is the blood line for the nation. The demand for electricity grows daily. In the past, the national grid was able to support the demand with no issues. Today, times are changing. The national electric grid is showing vulnerabilities. The disastrous winter storm of 2021 demonstrated serious weaknesses in the grid. Combining these weaknesses with ageing infrastructure and the increasing supply of renewable sources being connected to the grid, new approaches are needed to insure the reliable operation of the grid into the future. The High Voltage/Power program here at Mississippi State is tackling this problem head on. By creating a curriculum focused on the needs of the industry, the ECE department is able to prepare the future engineers to meet these needs. As part of this program, the High Voltage Lab is instrumental in meeting the research and testing needs required by the industry to insure the electric grid remains resilient and reliable. This lecture will help demonstrate the current needs of the national electric grid and how the ECE and the High Voltage Lab can help solve these needs.
Dr. David Wallace received his B.S, M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Mississippi State University in 1989, 2011, and 2020 respectively. He is currently an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Mississippi State University
(MSU) and Manager of the Paul B. Jacob High Voltage Laboratory (HVL) where he has served since 2016. He has 33 years of research and testing experience in the areas of lightning studies, transformer design, transformer testing, test equipment design, dielectric materials, material ageing, high voltage engineering, protective relaying, partial discharge detection, field service and failure analysis. He has also provided in house and on-site training in electrical safety, high voltage testing techniques and grounding techniques for various companies along with designing and troubleshooting high voltage test labs at various manufacturing locations. Dr. Wallace is highly active in standards development for the IEEE Transformer Committee, Power System Instrumentation Measurements (PSIM) Committee, High Voltage Testing Techniques (HVTT) Committee, IEEE Std. 4, and a US representative for TAG TC42.
* For further information on the seminar, contact: Dr. Jenny Du | du@ece.msstate.edu | 5-2035
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The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Mississippi State University consists of 27 faculty members (including 6 endowed professors), 7 professional staff, and over 700 undergraduate and graduate students with approximately 100 being at the Ph.D. level. With research expenditure of the department in excess of $11.94 million, the department houses the largest High Voltage Laboratory among North American universities. For more detailed information on the department, please visit our website www.ece.msstate.edu.