Class Syllabus

Power system design, and engineering design in general, involve complicated considerations and tradeoffs. Therefore, the projects would not have a single right answer. The idea in this class is to explore some aspects associated with system design, including operations, cost, efficiency, economics, environmental issues and so on. Designs require iteration and trial and error, and you should be prepared to explain why you made some choices and not others. For more information, see syllabus.

This is the main website for this class. The Canvas Site is only used to post grades and software log in info.

Class: TTh, 12:30-2pm, ECE 031 .
Instructor: Baosen Zhang, zhangbao@uw.edu, Office: ECE M310

Note:

  1. I will try to respond to emails within 24 hours. Please write EE456 in the subject.
  2. We are using Powerworld extensively in this class, it’s a good idea to spend some time playing with it to get familiar with all its properties.
  3. To install Powerworld, see information on CANVAS.

References:

There are no required textbooks for this class. Some references that maybe helpful are:

  1. ``Power Systems: Fundamental Concepts and the Transition to Sustainability’’, Daniel Kirschen, Wiley, 2024
  2. ``Power system analysis \& design’’, Glover, J. Duncan, Thomas J. Overbye, Mulukutla S. Sarma and Adam Birchfield. Cengage Learning, 2022.
  3. ``Power System Analysis - Analytical Tools and Structural Properties’’, Steven Low, draft, 2025. (Download the draft here: https://netlab.caltech.edu/book_reg/)
  4. ``Power System Stability and Control’’, Prabha Kundur, McGraw Hill, 1994 (The classical book on this subject, but a very large book.)
  5. ``Power System Dynamics and Stability’’, Peter W Sauer and M A Pai, Prentice Hall, 1998 (A more mathematical treatment of the subject)

Schedule of Classes:

  1. Introduction slides, review of power system operations slides
  2. Economics, economic dispatch

Powerworld Exercises

  1. Introduction to Powerworld
  2. Model Construction, Solution

Structure:

The idea in this class is to explore some aspects associated with system design, including operations, cost, efficiency, economics, environmental issues and so on. Designs require iteration and trial and error, and you should be prepared to explain why you made some choices and not others. The lectures will have the following structure:

  1. The first hour would be a more traditional class, with me lecturing.
  2. The rest of the time would essentially act like an office hour, with me being there to anser your questions.

Grade Distribution:

Project 75%, class participaton 25%

Projects

  1. Wind farm design, Project Description, Answer to Possible Questions, Cost
  2. Stability
  3. Interconnection queues

AI Policy:

AI content generators, such as ChatGPT, present opportunities that can contribute to your learning and academic work. In fact, this course might be a good opportunity to explore these tools. If you use them, you must clearly state where they are used and how they contributed to your work. Otherwise, using these technologies may violate academic standards of the University.

For other course policies, please see the syllabus.