The Power Specialty Area
Summary
The following are some of the areas included in the power specialty.
- Design of Power Stations - Electrical engineers in the power area design and maintain electric power generation plants.
- Design of Power Distribution Networks - Electrical engineers in the power area design the power distribution system that connects homes and factories to power plants. Much work is being done currently on decreasing the frequency of blackouts.
- Design of Motors & Generators - Power engineers design the motors and generators used in homes and in industry. The motors and generators in an electric or hybrid car are a key part of the vehicle.
- Design of Power Control Circuitry - This is called power electronics. Power engineers design the circuitry that controls high power devices of all kinds. The electronic circuitry in windmills used for renewable energy has a large impact on performance, as does the circuitry in electric cars.
Research in Power at the University of Arkansas
The following Electrical Engineering faculty are doing research in the power area. Details on their research and their labs can be found by clicking on their names.
- Simon Ang does research in power electronics, power converters, and power semiconductors.
- Juan Balda does research in motor drives, power electronics, electric power quality, and electric power distribution systems.
- Alan Mantooth is doing research on the application of silicon carbide semiconductors in power distribution networks.
Courses for the Power Area
Recommended Undergraduate Elective Courses
ELEG 4523 Introduction to Power Electronics
ELEG 4503 Electric Power Distribution Systems
ELEG 4323 Switch Mode Power conversion
Additional Graduate & Undergraduate Courses
ELEG 4513 Power System Analysis
ELEG 4403 Control Systems
ELEG 5313 Power Semiconductor Devices
ELEG 5513 Electric Power Quality
ELEG 5533 Power Electronics and Motor Drives
