Where's the 'traditional' path to go down gone?
Where's the 'traditional' path to go down gone?
(OP)
Hello,
I'm just wondering why the traditional path to go down in electrical engineering is becoming virtually extinct on the degree?
I have an interest in all areas of the industry. However, my dream ambition is to become a power systems design engineer.
Furthermore, students lack an interest in the 'heavy' side nowadays.
I have no problem against electronics, but ANY degree I choose to look at is so heavily integrated with electronics, the electrical side of the coin hardly even exists anymore. Same applies to power engineering degrees.
I feel the 'traditional' side of the coin is becoming non-existent in an academic environment.
The books from which I've had no alternative but to buy for my own sake consist of: Protective Relaying, Insulation Coordination, Transients in power systems, Short-circuit load flow and harmonics, Spacial electric load forecasting, Transformer engineering, Synchronous generators, Power system capacitors etc as well as all the Math.
Could I ever see the above list heavily integrated onto a degree... doubtful.
I'm just wondering why the traditional path to go down in electrical engineering is becoming virtually extinct on the degree?
I have an interest in all areas of the industry. However, my dream ambition is to become a power systems design engineer.
Furthermore, students lack an interest in the 'heavy' side nowadays.
I have no problem against electronics, but ANY degree I choose to look at is so heavily integrated with electronics, the electrical side of the coin hardly even exists anymore. Same applies to power engineering degrees.
I feel the 'traditional' side of the coin is becoming non-existent in an academic environment.
The books from which I've had no alternative but to buy for my own sake consist of: Protective Relaying, Insulation Coordination, Transients in power systems, Short-circuit load flow and harmonics, Spacial electric load forecasting, Transformer engineering, Synchronous generators, Power system capacitors etc as well as all the Math.
Could I ever see the above list heavily integrated onto a degree... doubtful.






RE: Where's the 'traditional' path to go down gone?
RE: Where's the 'traditional' path to go down gone?
RE: Where's the 'traditional' path to go down gone?
On a serious note, I had a wise professor exclaim in class one day (ABET making its 5 year rounds) that schools can teach the material but they can only hope to teach you how to learn. From the list of books you have mentioned this covers quite a bit. Much of this really needs to be learned on the job.
My opinion is that power systems don't seem to be all that "sexy", when compared to communications or computers. It's a matter of economics for the universities. It took years (decades) for utilities to buy into digital relaying. Imagining waiting that much time for an iPad to be accepted.
RE: Where's the 'traditional' path to go down gone?
I want the job that bad I will sacrifice my life for it, but I feel I will have put that much effort into getting there it will cost me the attribute of effective communication.
I read upon job applications in order to give me an idea of what will be available when that day comes, and they always ask for strong communication skills. Extensive book reading is already having an effect on me. I have a tendency to just find something to stare at on a wall to give my eyes something to do whilst I do nothing but think, think and think.
RE: Where's the 'traditional' path to go down gone?
There really isn't an engineering job that is worth that, trust me.
RE: Where's the 'traditional' path to go down gone?
would also like to add to magoo2's comment that IIT (Illinois Tech) is indeed a great place to take such courses (Protective Relaying being a standout) and to toot my cheesehead horn, University of Wisconsin-Madison is a power systems giant. Iowa State also casts a long shadow in this field (namely Paul Anderson)...
And remember, if you are beginning your college studies, feel the force - don't force the feel!
RE: Where's the 'traditional' path to go down gone?
xnuke
"Live and act within the limit of your knowledge and keep expanding it to the limit of your life." Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged.
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RE: Where's the 'traditional' path to go down gone?
However, there is only ONE Uni in the UK which provides power engineering at Bsc, and the instant you start reading upon their course modules it's, microprocessors, communications, etc, etc.
It's not a true power eng course and that's the only one available. I'm not to concerned over reading about other areas because as already aforementioned I show an interest in all areas, but I'll to be qualified in an area I'm not choosing to go down.
I do believe in the comment from which was previously mentioned, it's not as "sexy" as other areas. If students pursue a degree, a bit of metal-clad will be the last thing their interested in, in comparison to a light-emitting-diode. Sometimes I want to say: " You havn't even seen what's under the bonnet yet."
For example, I feel it takes maturity to pick up a 1k page book on short-circuit load flow and begin to read with an interest. I am a mature student. I've never met a student who want's to go down that route. And how the job-market is looking, I also feel I will stand a better chance in securing a permanent job I enjoy due to the lack of interest from younger generations in that area.
RE: Where's the 'traditional' path to go down gone?
RE: Where's the 'traditional' path to go down gone?
There were only two of that I know of that went onto do power engineering from my course. There were a lot who went towards eectronics, programming or acountancy. So I don't think things have changed as much as you might think.
RE: Where's the 'traditional' path to go down gone?
Regards
Marmite
RE: Where's the 'traditional' path to go down gone?
Going off-topic, what do your daily duties consist of being a power eng?
RE: Where's the 'traditional' path to go down gone?
They have a nice power lab too. They took us on detailed tours of two local switch yards. A 245kV and a 500kV.
http://
Now they have a Smart Grid Center
http://www.ecs.csus.edu/CASmartGrid/
They offer an BSEE with power focus.
Maybe you should come to USA and get your degree. Sacto, even though it's in California, is economical. We had a lot of foreign students.[/end alma mater pep-talk
Keith Cress
kcress - http://www.flaminsystems.com
RE: Where's the 'traditional' path to go down gone?
It depends on the day, any combination of: talking to end customer, liasing with other parts of the company, writing reports to recommend changes, writing specs, assessing tenders, commenting on documentation, doing calculations, site visits/FATs, site commissioning and testing, fault finding, advise to sites, data analysis, keeping documentation up to date, devising maintenance schedules, sitting on national working groups, training more junior engineers, doing endless site inductions and safety document acceptor courses, hanging around waiting for safety documents, moaning about the latest company/government policy changes (otherwise known as putting the world to rights), cups of tea etc
I'm sure there's loads more that I've missed. I work in a very narrow field so tend to cover everything to do with that area.