From Electromechanical Control to Power Plant Controls

[knji]

I am thinking of pursuing a 4th Class Power Engineering Certificate, if allowable, in order to make pursue a career in the power industry.

I already have an MSc in Electrical with emphasis on Controls but I took very few courses on power generation and distribution. As such, my current educational background and prior experience does not seem to be sufficient to allow me jump into a utility plant at this time.

I have discounted doing a PhD in Power Engineering for I cannot afford to return to school on a full time basis.

Is taking the couse work for a 4th class Power Engineering certificate a good course of action? If not, any recommendations?

TIA.

 

[ScottyUK]

Personal opinion: a modern power plant is far too complex for any one person to understand all aspects of it. There will always be a requirement for specialists in, for example, control systems, rotating plant, performance, protection, etc. These specialists will have knowledge outside of their field, but probably not in great depth. If you are happy being a specialist in control systems then you may not need much more formal education. Also consider that much of the theory taught in a power engineering class is unrelated to generation, assuming that is what you mean by 'utility plant', and would perhaps be of little direct use: for instance the intricacies of designing transmission lines will be a interesting aside which has little relation to someone working on turbine controls.

You will definitely need some basic understanding of some of the principles relating to generation, and you may be able to find appropriate study modules through a distance learning scheme or in a summer school. There is a lot of free material published by the likes of GE, Basler and Woodward available on the net too. Have you tried to discuss your position with engineers already in the industry at a meeting of your professional body or perhaps by a direct approach to their company?


----------------------------------

Start each day with a smile. Get it over with.

 

[knji]

ScottyUK,

Thanks for the response.

I have not yet run across any engineers working in this industry but for this board . A direct approach does sounds like a good idea however.

My objective is to understand the basic operation of power generation and distribution. I am hoping that this will allow me to better understand the entry point for someone with a specialized background.

If I understand you correctly, university education in power engineering does not neccessarily teach one the theories behind power generation. This question may not sound right or I do not yet fully understand what a power plant is made of but what is the typical background of an electrical engineer in a power plant composed of?

Is university education more geared towards the design of machinery used in power plants and not neccessarily the implementation and daily operation?

Thanks again.

 

[tommy75]

Dude,

Ok the first question you have to answer is: what job in a power plant or utility am i going after? There are various jobs in such you can go after but you must narrow down the exact detail. Example: will a fourth class stationary engineers license get me a job as an I&E Tech. Possibly but highly doubtful. your better off appling for a control room operators position. While the license is good to have, you won't be running the board until you complete the 1st. class license.

Now with a msc in electrical you definatly need some instrumentation expierence before you go after an I&E position. You don't have enough schooling for power plant engineer or utility engineer so you need more education.

Summer schools or seminars are not hands on enough to learn any power plant DCS or turbine control scheme so tripping the plant offline because you didn't know something is a very costly and rather embarrising thing to do, trust me it happens to everyone though it still suck's!!
So if you want to run high pressure boilers, steam turbines and gas turbine start at your fourth class S.E.L.

If you want to work on the systems, get some instrumentation, DCS, Turbine control, Generator theory ETC... and apply for an I&E tech posotion them work your way up to plant engineer from there!!


Good luck, Tommy

 

[buzzp]

Given your experience, I don't think I would be going back to school. Generally, electrical engineering curriculums require the student to pick a 'major' in EE. This can be controls, power, semiconductors, etc. I avoided all the power courses (except electives) and oddly enough I am working in a power generating plant. The transition from designing relays (no not the fancy SELs and GEs) but the low budget ones, to a power facility, has not been that difficult. However, you will likely be starting as a junior engineer or someone less experienced in power.
Personally, I would go for a career change first before I would consider going back and taking more courses. College is just disciplined education, if your disciplined without being pushed, you can learn what you need to by exploring the big power OEMs websites for basic info, reading books, etc.
I found the power guys liked my diverse experience (field service, product design, and a designer using COTS equipment) and have had many offers in the power arena with no direct power experience. I had to choose one of three offers.
Look for the right company and I am sure you can get your foot in but expect to take a pay cut to start as a less experienced engineer.

 

[knji]

Thanks for the response guys.

Tommy, I have yet to answer the question on exactly what I will like to do in a power plant. I do know however, that my experience and interest in implementing control solutions, both PC and PLC based, will naturally lead me towards a control position, possibly one in R&D. I am doing some self study on Power Generation and distribution and will hopefully converge to an answer soon.

Buzzp also raised good points though. The challenge I see with his approach is convincing potential utility employers that my self study on the subject is worth considering. It is more logical to accept certification from a known college or university as opposed to self study, especially when the latter is not accompanied by relevant experience.

One question for you guys currently in utility companies, where do PhDs (emphasis on Power Engineering) fit?

 

[itsmoked]

"One question for you guys currently in utility companies, where do PhDs (emphasis on Power Engineering) fit?"

NOT in utility companies...
I would expect more likely in companies that support utility companies; GE, Westinghouse, ABB, Woodward, etc, etc.

 

[buzzp]

Don't underestimate what you have to offer a utility, especially a generator. Control systems are abound in generating facilities and they often use dedicated control engineers for this function. Smaller facilities may have one or two engineers who do all the engineering work including overseeing contractors who might perform some of the work. In any case, I have found that the 'power' side of things are only about 20% of my job. By power, I mean sizing transformers, cables, breakers, disconnects, etc. The rest of what I do involves control systems of some sort, which is what I like working on. Protective relaying is starting to spill over into the control relaying as well. This is certainly one area where expertise is lacking. You might consider looking at this area.

I just wanted to point out not to undersell yourself and the experience you have. You will likely find your experiences can be applied to most utilities, especially generators. I had no experience in power when I received the three offers I was referring too.