A R6 million donation of innovative software will help CPUT train South Africa’s future power system engineers.
The Centre for Distributed Power and Electronic Systems (CDPES), which is based in the Department of Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering, recently acquired simulation software for microgrid technology from the US based company ETAP.
The donation is part of the company’s Power Lab Program, an initiative that sees them provide educational institutions with access to the latest technology for the design, modeling, simulation, and operation of electrical power systems.
Senior lecturer and researcher at CDPES, Dr Atanda Raji, says the software will play a key role in teaching and learning activities, allowing them to provide students with tangible examples and projects.
“The power system is changing rapidly and to train future power system engineers we need different approaches,” says Raji.
Currently power systems are centred on the traditional utility grid, but with advances in technology, there is a move towards microgrid systems, which are local energy grids that can operate independently and offer green and renewable energy solutions.
Raji says the software will allow students to be skilled in the design, modelling, detailed analysis, intelligent load shedding, islanding detection, optimization and automated control of microgrids.
“This acquisition will capacitate the research centre in conducting advanced research, attracting the best students, developing the future electrical power engineering workforce and increasing the throughput of the centre’s postgraduate students’,” says Raji.
The research centre focuses on distributed generation automation, infra-red technology for agricultural processes and plastic gasification, microgrid technology, MEMS, Optic fibre technology, alternative and green energy sources, power electronic interface design and development, distributed power generation system, LVDC distribution system, smart and micro inverter development and future power smart grid technology.
Postgraduate students interested in these research areas can contact the department at khant@cput.ac.za or rajia@cput.ac.za
Image courtesy of KROMKRATHOG at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
