Multidimensional Engineering Design Education for Modern Applications: A Smart Grid Design Case Study

Yuri R. Rodrigues

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Conference: 2022 ASEE Zone IV Conference
Location: Vancouver
Publication Date: May 12, 2022
Start Date: May 12, 2022
End Date: May 14, 2022
Conference Session: Case Studies
Tagged Topics: Diversity and Conference Submission
Page Count: 11
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--44748
Permanent URL: https://strategy.asee.org/44748
Download Count: 43

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Paper Authors

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Yuri R. Rodrigues Seattle Pacific University

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Yuri R. Rodrigues received the B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in electrical engineering from the Federal University of Itajuba, Brazil, in 2015 and 2017, and the Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering from the University of British Columbia, Canada, in 2021. He is currently an Assistant Professor at Seattle Pacific University, United States. His research interests include dynamics, controls and analysis of microgrids and active distribution networks, advanced monitoring provided by phasor measurement units, integration of distributed and renewable generation, power system short- and long-term stability, and engineering education.

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Abstract

The design of new services and products based on technological advancements is one of the greatest challenges in engineering. This process has been traditional performed considering reduced realities of complex system using selected economic and technological parameters designated based on a generic group of customers. Still, the massive digitalization of our modern society has significantly increased access to customers’ data, allowing for the effective identification of the diverse groups consuming a respective service or product. As well, their respective needs and expectations regarding that service or product, which at times may be disregarded due to the lack of customization in the design process. In this sense, modern solutions must be designed in ways to enable equitable access to the diverse groups they serve, i.e., all customers’ groups must have their needs reasonably considered during the design process; a feature that is not achievable considering traditional design solutions based on generic data. For this, engineering design education must be expanded in ways to recognize and incorporate the multidimensional aspects involved in the customer-product/service relationship into the technical design scope. In this perspective, this paper seeks develop a new methodology for engineering design education that ensures technically sound designs able to incorporate multidimensional perspectives required for ensuring an effective customization of services for a broad spectrum of customers’ group. For this, a two-staged approach respectively focused on macro- and local-thematic is developed. First, strong theoretical analysis on macro-thematic factors are performed regarding technologies, architectures and infrastructures required for the respective engineering application design. This stage includes research and assessment on the evolution and changes of models toward a definitive design, recommendations, future vision, ongoing projects, lessons learned and trends in technology development. Next, local-thematic factors based on social, economic and regional aspects are explored toward the achievement of a multidimensional design able to model different customers’ group characteristics. For this, information and communication technologies (ICT) paradigms on data identification, services sharing, and the integration of technologies are explored, including advanced metering, data-intensive computing (Big Data) and internet of things (IoT). Based on this methodology, a holistic engineering design process is achieved, enabling an effective harnessing of technological advancements toward actual needs and expectations of diverse customers’ group. To verify the proposed methodology, a case-study depicting the electric power grid modernization journey toward Smart Grids is developed. Smart grids represent electric power grids evolution into more sustainable systems with high integration between customer-utility. Based on the proposed holistic engineering design process, a successful modernization journey is designed featuring a strong common theoretical backbone, while enabling customization based on the particular needs of the diverse customers’ groups served, e.g., Smart Grid projects for high-income neighborhoods are likely to be focused on service reliability, whereas for lower-income neighborhoods Smart Grid projects can be focused on tariff reduction.

Citation
Format

Rodrigues, Y. R. (2022, May), Multidimensional Engineering Design Education for Modern Applications: A Smart Grid Design Case Study Paper presented at 2022 ASEE Zone IV Conference, Vancouver. 10.18260/1-2--44748

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - The design of new services and products based on technological advancements is one of the greatest challenges in engineering. This process has been traditional performed considering reduced realities of complex system using selected economic and technological parameters designated based on a generic group of customers. Still, the massive digitalization of our modern society has significantly increased access to customers’ data, allowing for the effective identification of the diverse groups consuming a respective service or product. As well, their respective needs and expectations regarding that service or product, which at times may be disregarded due to the lack of customization in the design process.
In this sense, modern solutions must be designed in ways to enable equitable access to the diverse groups they serve, i.e., all customers’ groups must have their needs reasonably considered during the design process; a feature that is not achievable considering traditional design solutions based on generic data. For this, engineering design education must be expanded in ways to recognize and incorporate the multidimensional aspects involved in the customer-product/service relationship into the technical design scope.
In this perspective, this paper seeks develop a new methodology for engineering design education that ensures technically sound designs able to incorporate multidimensional perspectives required for ensuring an effective customization of services for a broad spectrum of customers’ group. For this, a two-staged approach respectively focused on macro- and local-thematic is developed. First, strong theoretical analysis on macro-thematic factors are performed regarding technologies, architectures and infrastructures required for the respective engineering application design. This stage includes research and assessment on the evolution and changes of models toward a definitive design, recommendations, future vision, ongoing projects, lessons learned and trends in technology development.  Next, local-thematic factors based on social, economic and regional aspects are explored toward the achievement of a multidimensional design able to model different customers’ group characteristics. For this, information and communication technologies (ICT) paradigms on data identification, services sharing, and the integration of technologies are explored, including advanced metering, data-intensive computing (Big Data) and internet of things (IoT). Based on this methodology, a holistic engineering design process is achieved, enabling an effective harnessing of technological advancements toward actual needs and expectations of diverse customers’ group.
To verify the proposed methodology, a case-study depicting the electric power grid modernization journey toward Smart Grids is developed. Smart grids represent electric power grids evolution into more sustainable systems with high integration between customer-utility. Based on the proposed holistic engineering design process, a successful modernization journey is designed featuring a strong common theoretical backbone, while enabling customization based on the particular needs of the diverse customers’ groups served, e.g., Smart Grid projects for high-income neighborhoods are likely to be focused on service reliability, whereas for lower-income neighborhoods Smart Grid projects can be focused on tariff reduction.

AU  - Yuri R. Rodrigues
CY  - Vancouver
DA  - 2022/05/12
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Multidimensional Engineering Design Education for Modern Applications: A Smart Grid Design Case Study
UR  - https://strategy.asee.org/44748
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--44748
ER  -