Student design projects in King Abdulaziz University for power engineers

International Journal of Electrical Engineering Education, Jul 2004 by Ibrahim, Emad S

Abstract

This paper describes samples of practically oriented senior design projects recently incorporated into an undergraduate power systems course at King Abdulaziz University, which have significant positive impact on power engineering education. These projects utilise a personal computer software package that includes transmission line, power flow, short circuit and transient stability computer programs. The senior projects should provide students with a major capstone design experience according to the rules of the engineering accreditation organisation in the USA, the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). The projects, the way they are utilised and student reaction are all discussed.

Keywords personal computers; power engineering education; power system design; software package; student design projects

The engineering accreditation organisation in the USA, the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) lists the following instructions:

1 How to use the computer in engineering problem solving and engineering design as one of the accreditation criteria for undergraduate electrical engineering programs.

2 Design projects must be introduced to satisfy the ABET design content in the courses.

The ABET criteria guidelines in section IV.CS.g1 state, in part, that 'appropriate computer-based experience must be included in the program of each student. Students must demonstrate a knowledge of the application and use of digital computation techniques for specific engineering problems. The program should include, for example, the use of computers for technical calculations, problem solving, data acquisition and processing, process control, computer-assisted design, computer graphics, and other functions and applications appropriate to the engineering discipline. Access to computational facilities must be sufficient to permit students and faculty to integrate computer work into course work whenever appropriate throughout the academic program'. The guidelines further state that 'appropriate use of computers must be integrated into courses and laboratories throughout the program. The program must include instruction in software design using modern programming techniques, structured programming in a high-level language, and experience in the use of at least one operating system. Students must be taught to use software for analysis, design, and simulation of engineering problems'.

The Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering Department at King Abdulaziz University, as with any institution that offers an undergraduate electrical engineering program, is committed to fulfilling the ABET accreditation requirements by providing all of its students within the department with easy access to substantial resources in computer hardware and software, and proper training in the use of computers for analysis, simulation, and design in electrical engineering problems. The meaning of Engineering Design (ED), as quoted from ABET, is 'engineering design is the process of devising a system, component, or process to meet desired needs. It is a decision-making process (often iterative), in which the basic sciences, mathematics, an engineering sciences are applied to convert resources optimally to meet a stated objective. Among the fundamental elements of the design process are the establishment of objectives and criteria, synthesis, analysis, construction, testing and evaluation. The engineering design component of a curriculum must include some of the following features: development of student creativity, use of open-ended problems, development and use of modern design theory and methodology, formulation of design problem statements and specifications, consideration of alternative solutions, feasibility considerations and detailed system descriptions. Further, it is essential to include a variety of realistic constraints such as economic factors, safety, reliability, aesthetics, ethics, and social impact. Courses that contain engineering design normally are taught at the upper division level of the engineering program. Some portion of this requirement must be satisfied by at least one course, which is primarily design, preferably at the senior level, and draws upon coursework in the relevant disciplines.

The purpose of this paper is to present and discuss the senior design projects scheduled by the author in the power and machines program.

Power and machines program

The Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering Department at King Abdulaziz University has four programs:2

1 Power and machines;

2 Computer;

3 Electronics and Communications; and

4 Biomedical.

The Power and Machines group offers 16 undergraduate courses in the power systems area. They are listed below:

Senior Projects EE499

Each of the power courses has a term design project. The senior project is a two-term design project and must be registered by every student during the last two terms before graduation. These design projects have been introduced not only to satisfy the ABET design content in the courses, but also because they have proven to be excellent vehicles for teaching the subject and for motivating students to go into the power systems field. The project emphasises practical applications in power system design and requires computer utilisation. The idea is to introduce a design project which is similar to an actual problem confronted by engineers in the power industry. This objective pulls together all of the theory learned in class. It also teaches students to exercise engineering judgement and apply it to a practical problem.3