CCET facilitates electric industry, technology company and university collaboration for the purpose of enhancing the safety, reliability, security, and efficiency of the Texas electric transmission and distribution system through research, development and commercialization of emerging technologies.

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2010 CCET/IEEE Graduate Level Design Contest

2010 Student Contest Winners

The winners of the IEEE/CCET 2010 student design contest have been announced! In 2010, the undergraduate level topic involved designing a home energy management system for homes equipped with solar and battery storage and the graduate level topic was automatic phase detection. Each of the winning teams and/or individual was invited to attend an Awards Banquet hosted by IEEE Region 5 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Undergraduate Level Contest Winner

First-place went to the team led by Beny Vasquez of The University of Texas - Pan American, Edinburg, Texas. Team Members included Gabriel Benavides, Roberto Morales, Emile Kowalski.

Graduate Level Contest Winners

First-place went to the team led by Miguel Hinojosa of Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas. Team members included Rajnish Kumar.

Second-place went to Justin Gregory Adams of Lamar University, Beaumont, Texas.

Congratulations to all!

Design Topic

Automatic Phase Detection in Smart Meters

Summary

For 2010, student contestants explored both the engineering design and the economic analysis and optimization of a combined renewable energy source and electrical energy storage system applied in a real time pricing power market. The objective is to demonstrate both engineering competence and a thorough understanding of the economics around such systems.

Design Plan

In 2010, the students were asked to design a new, or preferably retrofit, device for smart meters. Millions of smart meters or advanced meter systems (AMS) are being deployed around the U.S. The smart meter is a major element in what is popularly called the smart grid. Although not a part of the original design, the automatic detection of phase by the meters is not seen as a valuable feature. CCET and IEEE Region 5 sought a paper design for such a device that can be part of a new design for the meters or, preferably, installed as a retrofit to the smart meters now being rolled out. As with previous contests, the economics of the retrofit are important. The successful contestant team/individual had to determine the mass produced costs of such a device (including installation) and compare this to the monetized benefits of automatic phase detection to the industry.

Background

Smart meters are solid state devices that sense current and voltage. Most, if not all, manufacturers do not include automatic phase detection. The topic for graduate students arose when one of CCET's member utilities had to restore power to thousands of homes and businesses that had been affected by a hurricane. Many of the customers had the new smart meters. Had the smart meters been able to automatically detect phase, the restoration process could have proceeded more rapidly. Moreover, there are other benefits that would accrue to the industry if the smart meters had automatic phase detection. These include knowing the load on the distribution lines and the transformers to avoid overloads and possible outages.