VIRGINIA MOUNTAIN SECTION NEWSLETTER IEEE Region 3, Council 9, Section 6 February, 1999 ***************************************** CONTENTS February Meeting 1 Reservations 2 Directions 3 January meeting report 4 Career Workshop 5 ExComm Meeting 6 Job Hunting 7 New Section Members 8 1999 Student Competition 9 Computer/Control/IES Report 10 Legislative Tech. Advisors 11 IAS /Portland Cement Special 12 EE Week Banquet 13 IEEE and Teachers 14 Pilot On-Line Course 15 VMS Web Page - Features 16 1998-99 VMS Schedule 17 Your IEEE Benefits 18 Virginia Mountain Section 19 *****************************************( 1 ) February Meeting Joint with the IAS Chapter Cy Harbourt General Electric Harmonics from Pulse Width Modulated Converters Walter Hill, originally scheduled to present this talk, will not be available. Cy Harbourt, a joint author, with Mr. Hill, of a paper with this title, has graciously agreed to step in. Abstract: Even two level PWM sources with low harmonic voltage and current distortion characteristics can affect a plant power system in such a way that voltage sensitive electronic equipment is adversely affected. It is unwise to feed PWM sources and sensitive electronic equipment from the same substation transformer. The resulting voltage distortion is time consuming to troubleshoot and expensive to fix. Additional filtering is needed to stop the unwanted harmonic frequencies that emanate from PWM sources from interfering with the operation of sensitive electronic equipment such as gas burner controls, robots and assembly line sensors typically used in the automotive industry. The paper will describe the generation of voltage and current harmonics of two level PWM inverter sources. The level of these harmonics were measured before the application of a passive filter and will serve as a guide as to the effectiveness of the passive filter in minimizing the level of voltage and current harmonics. About the Speaker Cy Harbourt is a Senior Design Engineer at GE industrial Systems in Salem. working in the Power Conversion and System Engineering unit at GEIS. He holds a BSEE from the University of Missouri, Columbia, and an MSEE from Syracuse University. He came to Salem in 1984 from GE Aircraft Electrical Systems in Binghamton, NY to work on a large cycloconverter system for power generation on Navy ships. His work assignments since then have included static exciter* for the Navy Electric Drive, Static Voltage Regulators for DC excitation of synchronous machines, software and hardware development for Electric Vehicle inverters, software development for the Battery Energy Storage System and full power system testing of the CV2000 cycloconverter main drive. His current assignment is that of technical lead for the 4160V MV IGBT based AC drive. *****************************************( 2 ) Reservations for the February Meeting Thursday, February 18, 1999 Place: German Club Virginia Tech Campus Social hour 6:30-7:00 p.m. Dinner 7:00-8:00 p.m. Lecture 8:00-9:00 p.m. Cost: Members: $13.00 Students: $6.00 Non-Members: $15.00 Please make reservations by Monday, Feb15, 5:00 P.M. Roanoke: David Livingston (540) 857-6261 Blacksburg: Ira Jacobs (540) 231-5620 Lexington: Ed Wheeler (540) 464-7548 Radford and Christiansburg: Russell Churchill (540) 731-0655 *****************************************( 3 ) Directions From I-81 Exit 128, follow signs to Blacksburg. At the split in 460 at approach to Blacksburg, stay (left) on 460 (To Va. Tech) to first traffic light, turn right onto South Gate Drive, proceed 1 mile, past Tech Center Drive on right, turn right into long driveway (no name). *****************************************( 4 ) VMS Activities Meeting Report January saw the first joint meeting between the Shenandoah Section of ASHRAE and the Virginia Mountain Section of IEEE. The meeting was also, to the best recollection of those present, the first IEEE section meeting to be held at the Virginia Military Institute. Howard Arthur, VMI mechanical engineering and ASHRAE section chair, began the evening by welcoming the approximately 60 guests to VMI. He introduced David Livingston, VWCC and IEEE section chair, who then introduced the evening's speaker, Jan Helge Bøhn of the mechanical engineering department at Virginia Tech. Jan Helge began his talk by providing the motivation for efforts in rapid prototyping. These include much shorter product design cycles and improved final designs. By coupling computer-aided design with hardware to allow these models to be realized in nylon, ABS plastic, or fiber-reinforced thermoplastic, physical models of the design can be rapidly and inexpensively created. With the model in hand, tests and experiments can be conducted to determine whether modifications or design improvements are needed. The idea in rapid prototyping is this: By utilizing rapid prototyping and several short design cycles in sequence, the final design will be better and be achieved more quickly than if the design process is confined to analytical tools and computer-aided design in one longer design cycle. There is no substitute for having a physical model to test. Dr. Bøhn provided information on several competing technologies in this area- stereolithography, laminated object manufacturing, selective laser sintering, and fused deposition modeling. The Rapid Prototyping Laboratory at Virginia Tech, which Dr. Bøhn directs, employs fused deposition modeling. Dr. Bøhn's research includes the development of software to speed the deposition process by a factor of 40. Also of interest is research in fiber- reinforced thermoplastic. The goal here is to be able to control the orientation of the fibers throughout a part under fabrication. If this were possible, the mechanical properties of a particular part could then be optimized for that part's shape and function. Dr. Bøhn's research has application in real virtuality, medicine (e.g. brain surgery), and in rapid tooling. Ed Wheeler, VMI electrical engineering and IEEE section vice-chair, thanked Jan Helge for his talk and presented him with a certificate of appreciation from the IEEE Virginia Mountain Section. The reader may be interested to know that on page 138 of the January, 1999 IEEE Spectrum there appears a note which mentions a future spectrum article in this area. This article will explore the topic of solid free-form fabrication (SFF) ... Ed Wheeler *****************************************( 5 ) IEEE CAREER WORKSHOP The IEEE Virginia Mountain Section is still considering organizing a career workshop. It would be a supplement to the services offered by company outplacement services, and would be targeted specifically toward engineers and other technical professionals. It would cover psychological aspects of non- voluntary job change as well as practical measures for obtaining a new job. Among the topics would be what IEEE has to offer in assistance. If you or anyone you know are in a position to need such information in the near future or anticipate a more distant need and would be interested in such a workshop, please contact Dan Jackson, Virginia Mountain Section Professional Activities Chairman, at (540) 774-0484, or email to d.jackson.ieee.org. For more details on workshops and other IEEE services, visit the IEEE web site at WWW.IEEE.ORG. ...Dan Jackson, IEEE PACE Chairman *****************************************( 6 ) EXCOMM Meeting There will be a meeting of the Executive Committee one hour before the regular meeting at the German Club. *****************************************( 7 ) Job-hunting, like engineering, is an exact science After all, good jobs don't come to you by chance. No matter where you are in your engineering career - starting out, in your prime, or starting over - - you need reliable career skills and knowledge. The Engineer's Guide to Lifelong Employabilily can teach you these skills. It is a practical, complete resource book on locating and obtaining good jobs throughout your career. Features 173 pages of in-depth text that will allow you to master the engineering job search. IEEE Members: $19.95 (Plus shipping, handling, sales tax) To Order: Call 1-800-678-IEEE with your credit-card information and ask for Product No. UH2970 Learn Employability Conduct an electronic job search and locate great jobs. Find "search tools" other than the newspaper. Learn how to write a new "searchable" resume that show- cases your experience and skills. Network. Everyone talks about it. Learn how to create and use a career network. Consider consulting as an employment alternative Apply knowledge on transitioning from school to work, researching prospective employers, and interviewing and negotiating the job offer. *****************************************( 8 ) New VMS Members - Welcome - According to our latest updates, 11 IEEE members have recently joined the roster of the Virginia Mountain Section. All have received welcome letters from Dave Livingston describing VMS activities. We hope to see and meet all of you at future meetings and join Dave in extending greetings to: Carrie E. Aust, Blacksburg Dennis L. Collins III , Blacksburg Daniel E. Johnson, Blacksburg Mark A. Morton , Blacksburg Mat Narayanan , Roanoke Anthony N. Payne , Buchanan Vadim Polyakov , Roanoke Joseph J. Praschak , Blacksburg Richard L. Weaver , Lexington Daniel E. Wolstenholme , Radford ... editor *****************************************( 9 ) 1999 Student Paper Competition Share in up to $800.00 in prizes. In spite of the historical title, this year's event will be in poster-session form. It will held in the Hancock Hall Atrium on April 15 at 6 P.M. Details are available from Dr. John Bay. It is not too late to sign up. An application form is available from Dr. Bay or by download from our Web site: http://fiddle.visc.vt.edu/ieeevms/ Keep In Touch *****************************************( 10 ) Computer/Control/IES Two meetings are planned for Spring 1999: one on network protocols, and another on the impact of the Year 2000 on industrial automation systems. Details next month. Meeting details may not always be available when the Newsletter goes to press. Check our Web Site at http://fiddle.visc.vt.edu/ieeevms and follow the guides to Chapter activities. Chapter meetings are held on the second Tuesday of each month, from 5:00 to 7:00 PM at the GE Main Plant, 1501 Roanoke Boulevard, Salem, VA. Enter the front door, near the flag pole. An escort will meet you at the reception desk. Guests are Welcome at our meetings. You do not have to be an IEEE member to attend. Social hour begins at 5:00. Coffee and soft drinks will be available. The presentation will begin promptly at 5:30. There is no charge. RESERVATIONS are appreciated! Call Dave Geer, 540-387-7359 or email d.geer@ieee.org by 5 PM on the Monday preceding the meeting. *****************************************( 11 ) Help Needed Legislative Technical Advisor The Virginia Council is seeking a member from this area to serve as a (very occasional) advisor to the Commonwealth Legislature on technical matters of concern in their activities. We understand the position to require very little time simply because of the relative rare need for the services. Names of volunteers, from all areas of the state, will be made available to appropriate regional representatives and senators who will seek assistance as needs arise. This is a new undertaking by the Council to gain long term recognition of engineers in general and the IEEE in particular, as well as performing a needed and worthwhile service. For further information contact Ed Wheeler at, Tel: (540) 464-7548 e-mail: wheeler@vmi.edu ...editor *****************************************( 12 ) Upcoming Special Industry Applications Society The IEEE-IAS and the Portland Cement Association (PCA) will hold the 41st Cement Industry Technical Conference in Roanoke, VA on April 11-15, 1999. The conference will feature technical presentations on recent developments in the cement industry including Power Generation, Distribution and Related Items; Drives and Related Items; Environmental Maintenance and Safety; General Practices; and Automation. Optional tutorials will address new noise standards, and maintenance of motor windings. An optional Environmental Enforcement Colloquium follows the conference on April 16, 1999 and will concentrate on improving cement operations to avoid civil and criminal enforcement actions. Registration is now being accepted. Register online at www.ieee.org/conference/cement. You can also download the form from the web and mail or fax to: Michele L. Hibbitts, IEEE.PCA 41st Technical Conference Registration, 309 International Circle, Suite 140, Hunt Valley, MD 21030. The fax number is 410 785- 3278. Dave Kingma, Tel: (540) 382-0956 e-mail: dkingma@swva.net will be acting local coordinator. ...Dan Jackson *****************************************( 13 ) Roanoke Valley National Engineers' Week Banquet Date: February 22, 1999 Location: Clarion Hotel Roanoke Airport, 2727 Ferndale Drive, NW, Roanoke, VA, Ballroom 5:30-6:30pm: Cocktail Hour with Cash Bar 6:30-7:30pm: Dinner: $17.00. Choice of Chicken Dijon, Sliced Roast Beef, or Vegetable Lasagna with salad, whipped potatoes, green bean almondine, dinner roll, and apple pie. Cost includes coffee, tea, and gratuity. 7:30-8:30pm: Presentation by Dr. Louis J. Circeo, Director of the Construction Research Institute of the Georgia Institute of Technology on PORTABLE PLASMA TORCH TECHNOLOGY use in landfills and hazardous waste sites. IEEE members are asked to please make their reservations with Dave Livingston at (540) 857-6261 or d.livingston@ieee.org by 5:00 P.M., Tuesday, February 16, 1999. Please note: Reservations are non-refundable. ... editor *****************************************( 14 ) IEEE & Teachers = Help K-12 Students Learn Technology Piscataway, NJ, 29 January, 1999 -- Fifteen members of the IEEE Pre-College Education Coordinating Committee (PECC), a cross- section of engineers and educators, recently developed a framework for an IEEE pre- college education initiative. The framework was developed after the committee brainstormed ways in which the IEEE and the engineering community can collaborate with teachers to foster innovative teaching strategies among K-12 science, math, and technology teachers. Formed in October 1998 at the Technological Literacy Counts workshop in Baltimore, MD, the PECC is one of the few IEEE committees that actively recruits non-engineers. Pete Lewis, Educational Activities Staff Director, contends, "It's important that the IEEE take an active role in enhancing the technological literacy of K-12 students. We can only do so by listening to the educational needs of those on the front lines, the teachers themselves." In a round-table discussion format, participants sought to answer the following questions: · In this rapidly growing technology age, WHAT tools/resources do K-12 educators need in order to most effectively teach their students science, math, and technology subjects? · As the world's largest technical professional society, HOW can the IEEE, and the engineering community at large, help teachers foster technological literacy among their students? A participating and appreciative eighth- grade science teacher from Oklahoma said, "I am so glad the IEEE is breaking out of the 'box' and reaching out to teachers." In the coming months, the IEEE will form a specific action plan for its pre-college education initiative. For more information, contact Barbara Stoler, IEEE Educational Activities, 445 Hoes Lane, PO Box 1331, Piscataway, NJ, 08855-1331; e-mail: b.stoler@ieee.org. The IEEE is the world's largest technical professional society, serving the interests of more than 330,000 members in the information and electrotechnology communities in approximately 150 countries. In keeping with its "Networking the World" slogan, the IEEE helps to foster technological innovation, enable members' careers, and promote worldwide professional community. *****************************************( 15 ) IEEE TEAMS UP WITH A UNIVERSITY FOR PILOT PROGRAM OF WEB-DELIVERED COURSE PISCATAWAY, NJ, 28 January, 1999 - The IEEE has created an alliance with the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign (UIUC), Urbana, IL, to offer a web-delivered course on antennas and propagation. This four-week course, designed to serve as a refresher for practicing engineers, will be based entirely on the Internet. Classes run from 1 April 1999 through 30 April. Registration ends 31 March 1999. Course capacity is limited to 30 students. The course will provide learners with an analytical and intuitive understanding of antenna physics, expose them to antenna computer-aided design software, and introduce them to a variety of antenna structures of practical interest. The course will also cover recent developments in the wireless and personal communication systems. Those intending to register are expected to have a basic knowledge of electromagnetic wave theory outlining the general plane wave solution of Maxwell's equations, phenomena involving reflection and transmission of plane waves, transmission lines, and impedance matching techniques. Students who successfully complete the course will be awarded 3.6 IEEE Continuing Education Units (CEUs). Eric Michielssen, Ph.D. will be instructing the course. Dr. Michielssen received his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1992. He is an assistant professor in the UIUC Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, associate director for the Center of Computational Electromagnetics, and a part- time faculty member in the Beckman Institute Photonic Systems Group. His professional interests are computational electromagnetics, photonic systems, high- speed digital circuits, fast algorithms, and stochastic optimization. For more information about the course contents and requirements, and to register for the course, go to: http://www.ieee.org/eab/distance/webcourse.h tml. The tuition for this pilot offering of the course is: Member price, $350. List price: $400. For more information about this educational opportunity contact Peter Wiesner, IEEE Educational Activities 445 Hoes Lane, PO Box 1331 Piscataway, NJ 08855-1331 Phone: (732) 562-5500 Fax: (732) 981-1686 E-mail: p.wiesner@ieee.org *****************************************( 16 ) Your VMS Web Page Some of your current Web page features should be of interest to you. Take a look. Items Include: Special: Student Contest Application 1. Meeting and General Announcements 2. VMS Chapter Meetings and Announcements 3. VMS Newsletters 4. PACE Info, Announcements, 5. and Policies 6. IEEE USA Leadership Wire 7. (an IEEE USA periodical) 8. Links to IEEE Hdq, USA, Services, etc. 9. What Is? (Descriptions of IEEE, Region and Section Entities) 10. Special Interest Items 11. Misc. reports and other items. 12. IEEE USA Newsletters 13. VMS Calendar Highlights 14. Meet the Officers 15. Student Branches within VMS And More Anything else you would like there? Drop me a note. ...editor *****************************************( 17 ) 1998-1999 REMAINING MEETING SCHEDULE DATE MEETING PLACE SPEAKER/TOPIC March 18,1999 Joint meeting with our Power Engineering Chapter Roanoke/Christiansburg T. W. Cease TVA Principal Project Specialist IEEE Distinguished Lecturer Optical Current Transducers April 15,1999 Hancock Atrium Virginia Tech Student project night May 20,1999 Litton Poly-Scientific Blacksburg Plant trip EXCOMM meetings will be held preceding the meetings in February and March *****************************************( 18 ) Take Advantage of Your Member Benefits CONTINUING EDUCATION CURRENT TECHNICAL INFORMATION IEEE INFORMATION RETRIEVAL Ask*IEEE Document Delivery Service INFO: EMAIL: askieee@ieee.org CAREER TRANSITION SUPPORT * Employment Services * Job Listings * Entry Level Resources * Resume Listing Service * Job Fairs * Job Search Tools and Advice LINKS TO OVER 30 OTHER EMPLOYMENT RESOURCES SUCH AS: THE ACADEMIC POSITION NETWORK ADAMS JOBBANK ON-LINE AMERICA'S JOB BANK CAREERBUILDER OTHER * Electronic Communications Services * Directory Service (Aliases) * Electronic Mail Services * Mailing-Lists and Discussion Groups * Majordomo Tutorial for ListOwners * Usenet Newsgroups - ieee.* hierarchy * Public Information Retrieval * Anonymous-FTP Server * File-Retrieval via E-Mail * Traveling the Information Highway with Bob Alden * IEEE Internet Project * Info on IEEE RABFacts System HERE ARE SOME OF THE PERSONAL BENEFITS IEEE MEMBERSHIP BRINGS YOU: * Receive your own personal subscription to SPECTRUM. * Become an active part of your local professional community. * Enhance your career by networking with technical experts. * Save with low member prices on IEEE products. * Attend top technical conferences at low member rates. * Increase your professional prestige. * Join a technical society. * The IEEE Financial Advantage Program Program Highlights: IEEE Gold MasterCard and VISA Gold IEEE Mutual Funds IEEE Group Insurance IEEE Conference Management and Travel Program Benefits and Services: Business Services Education Services Financing, Planning & Investing Home Services Insurance Plans/ Supplements Travel & Conference Registration For access information and details on any of these, take your browser Directly to the IEEE at: http://www.ieee.org/member.html Or to the VMS Home Page at: http://fiddle.visc.vt.edu/ieeevms/ select (6) Links to IEEE , then (12) Member Services *****************************************( 19 ) IEEE Virginia Mountain Section VMS OFFICERS Chairman: David Livingston d.livingston@ieee.org (540) 857-6261 Vice Chairman: Ed Wheeler wheeler@vmi.edu (540) 464-7548 Sec./Treasurer: Andy Stevenson stevenson-ac@salem.ge.com (540) 387-8471 VMS Executive Committee John Bay bay@vt.edu (540) 231-5114 Russell Churchill arcova@swva.net (540) 731-0655 Ira Jacobs ijacobs@vt.edu (540) 231-5620 David Kingma dkingma@swva.net (540) 382-0956 Junior Past Chairman: David Livingston d.livingston@ieee.org (540) 857-6261 Virginia Council Representative: Ed Wheeler wheeler@vmi.edu (540) 464-7548 VMS Chapter Chairs Industry Applications Andy Stevenson stevenson-ac@salem.ge.com (540 )387-8471 Industrial Electronics/Computer/Control Systems David Geer d.geer@ieee.org (540) 387-7359 Microwave Theory & Techniques/Electron Devices VACANT Power Engineering Ted Aaron Tea45@aol.com (540) 381-2521 COMMITTEE CHAIRS Awards : Ira Jacobs ijacobs@vt.edu (540) 231-5620 Membership Development: Russell Churchill arcova@swva.net (540)-731-0655 Nominations: David Livingston d.livingston@ieee.org (540) 857-6261 Anbo Wang awang@vt.edu (540) 231-4355 Lynn Abbott abbott@vt.edu (540)-231-4472 PACE : Dan Jackson d.jackson@ieee.org (540)-774-0484 Program : Ed Wheeler wheeler@vmi.edu (540) 464-75 Publicity : John Fennick j.fennick@ieee.org (540) 552-0052 Student Activities: John Bay bay@vt.edu (540) 231-5114 NEWSLETTER Editor: John Fennick j.fennick@ieee.org (540) 552-0052 e-mail Newsletter Subscription Send the one-line message: SUBSCRIBE IEEEVMS your-name to: listserv@vtvm1.cc.vt.edu Anyone may submit material for the Newsletter Deadline: Monday following each meeting Submit To: Editor Change of Address VMS Web Page: http://fiddle.visc.vt.edu/ieeevms/ US Mail: IEEE Service Center 445 Hoes Lane, PO Box 1331 Piscataway, NJ 08855-1331 e-mail: address.change@ieee.org Tel: 800-678-IEEE Fax: 732-981-9667 IEEE Web: http://www.ieee.org/i3e_mailer.html (Changes are forwarded to the Newsletter) Visit the VMS WEB page: http://fiddle.visc.vt.edu/ieeevms Section/Chapter meeting notices, and reports. 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