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Welcome to the

IEEE NY-Monitor, April 2011, Vol. 59, No. 4

<<<CONTENTS >>>

Calendar of events (this is a frequently upgradable file; and hence no pdf version is

available). Please check this page regularly for latest information on events

Editor’s words for this month’s issue

Message from the High Table . . .Darlene Rivera, Section chair . . . page9

Section activities in April

Paid announcement

IEEE-USA National Policy Recommendations by Mayer Sasson

William Stanley and electric power distribution by Mel Olken

Electrical and Computer Engineering . . . Rewarding Careers by Ronald O. Brown

Belarc Advisor: A free software for managing your computer by Amitava Dutta-Roy

Corrections

Guideline for authors (please click on the button on the header page)

Announcement rates

Note: To jump to any desired item please place the cursor over the first word in the line and the

customary little hand will show up. After reading the desired item if you wish to go another item

then press “Alt + <” and you will be brought back to the Contents page.

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JUST A FEW WORDS FROM THE EDITOR

What is happening to the seasons? Mark Twain said of April:

"The first of April is the day we remember what we are the other 364 days of the year."

Do we really have to remember the cold first of April for the rest of 2011? I hear the same

complaint from most people I meet. Now the spring should be here and we ought to enjoy the few

months of sun. But once the summer starts we will long for the milder days. We, the human beings,

are never satisfied.

Back to this issue of the NY-Monitor! You may have noticed that we have advanced the posting of

this issue by a week. But that is not enough. If we get the activity reports, event notifications and

articles in time we should be able to go online during the first few days of the month. So, once more

this editor appeals to you: please submit your items in time. It takes hours to do the fact checking,

remove any doubts and finalize the layout. All these cannot be done in a microsecond.

Though the NY-Monitor is not yet fully equipped with bells and whistles that is possible to get from

Wordpress . . . we are getting there. You will notice that the texts are bigger and easily readable. We

have also provided the pdf versions of the articles and other items that you may want to download

and print. We have given links to external web sites whenever that has been needed.

In the preceding section you must have found the calendar or events for April 26 through June 8

pretty full. There are many meetings scheduled and I hope that, depending on your own interest

and taste of course, you will attend one or more of them. They are great for learning about new

things and also for networking. We found that the calendar of events page gets the most hits. That is

why it goes first, even before my few words.

For this issue our Section chair Darlene Rivera has sent a message for the NY-Monitor. She writes

about the changes in our infrastructure that have been or will be necessary to move the Section

forward. As in the past we wish her the best of luck in achieving the goals she envisions. I urge all of

you in the NY Section to support the chair in her efforts.

Following the chair’s message we have the reports of section activities. The principal activity this

month was our participation in the Lower Hudson valley Engineering Expo. We have two reports on

that, one from Robert Pellegrino and the other from Balvinder Blah. Both of them volunteered to

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work at the IEEE booth and did a wonderful job in explaining the goals of the IEEE to the aspiring

engineers and their parents. Our thanks to both.

Next, Dr. Mayer Sasson, LF and the chair of the IEEE-USA’s Energy Policy Committee, writes on the

recommendations made by the committee for incorporation in the national energy policy. As they

say, it is straight from the horse’s mouth and very illuminating to know how IEEE-USA is involved

in shaping the energy policy of this country.

Mel Olken, LF and our historian gives us another gem of history from his basket. This time Olken

concentrates on the history and use of transformers in transmission and distribution of electricity.

Yes, William Stanley was the man who thought of such use of transformers.

Our last article in this issue comes from Dr. Ronald O. Brown, LSM and active in the Maine Section of

the IEEE, writes on the attraction of engineering, fun and career development for the electrical and

computer engineers in the current market situation. Dr. Brown is a successful consultant and

knows very well the weak and the strong traits in the engineer candidates he interviews for jobs.

Parts of his article were published in the Maine Sunday Telegram in 2009 and 2010 respectively.

The present article gives the best of those published earlier and are posted here with the

permission of the author and the Maine Sunday Telegram.

No publication is ever free of errors or typos. We are no exception. We made some mistakes in our

February 2011 issue. Please see the section on corrections.

Then there are some words on Belarc Adviser on computer usage that I find handy and would like

to share the information with all of you.

As usual the guide to the prospective authors is also posted. We have also given the rates for paid

announcements. We will accept paid announcements for all our issues. That is the only way we can

sustain the Monitor. So, please spread the news around and get us paid announcements, small or

big.

Thank you!

Amitava Dutta-Roy, Editor

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A MESSAGE FROM THE HIGH TABLE!

It has been quite a year and we are already in third week of April! For the New York Section the year

started with many changes; in November of 2010, I was elected as NY Section Chair for 2011. I have

been an IEEE member since my college days and first became involved in

the NY Section as a volunteer in 2005 as the Section’s

L to R: Shu-Ping Chang, Kai t. Chen, Balvinder Blah and

Darlene Rivera (Section Chair)

Women in Engineering (WIE) Chair. Since then I have seen the numbers of women and Graduates of the

Last Decade (GOLD) group increase steadily giving their time as volunteers to make the NY Section more

effective to its members.

In January 2011, after a long hiatus, The NY Section‘s journal, the Monitor, was re-launched as an online-

only publication. This re-vamped publication will help keep our members and other interested persons

informed, on a monthly basis, of upcoming meetings, events and conferences, within the NY section and

Members of the audit committee:

Robert Pellegrino, Paul Sartori, Shu-Ping

Chang, Kai T. Chen and Balvinder Blah

the surrounding areas relevant to the IEEE and its recent thrust on advancement of technology for

humanity.

In February, the NY Section successfully held its Annual Dinner Dance, thanks to the support of our

corporate sponsors; Bombardier Transportation, Booz Allen Hamilton, Con Edison, GE, IBM, Poly/NYU,

LTK Engineering, Shorelectric, Stanton Consulting and Urban Engineers. Nine new IEEE Fellows,

recipients of seven Region-1 awards (that included two awards for lifetime service) and the VTS Engineer

of the Year were honored that night.

This year we also re-activated out NY Section Consultant’s Network, formed a new chapter of the

Computational Intelligence Society, re-instated a new Publicity Chair and formed an Ethics Committee in

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an effort to codify the NY Section’s commitment to serve our members with professionalism and

respect. I am working together with our Career Guidance Committee Chair to redefine our stance with

respect to those who have been unemployed as a result last year’s economic situation. The NY Section

has also worked hard to bring some value added events to the NY Section and on May 17th, the IEEE

Southern Area Innovation Day will be held at Poly/NYU Brooklyn Campus. All currently unemployed IEEE

members will be able to attend the event for free.

I am also looking forward to form a Pre-University Committee for devising ways to encourage high

school-age students to pursue their interest in engineering, while promoting IEEE at the same time.

The NY Section is consistently looking for volunteers to hold interesting events and think of new projects

that could be valuable to its members. I would like to challenge all of you, as IEEE members, to e-mail

me with any ideas/suggestions you may have as how the NY Section can better serve its members, as

well as, ask you to consider volunteering your time to help make the NY Section great!

Thank you.

Darlene E. Rivera

IEEE NY Section

2011 Chair

Drivera938@ieee.org

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Section activities in April, 2011

This month the principal activity of the Section has been the Lower Hudson Valley Engineering

Expo that was held on April 3. We have two very interesting reports on the event.

The IEEE booth at the lower Hudson

Valley Engineering Expo, 2011

The first report is from Robert Pellegrino*

The Lower Hudson Valley Engineering Expo is a project of The Foundation Of Engineering

Education, Inc. (FEE). FEE is a NYS Chartered 501 (c)(3) corporation.

L to R: Robert Pellegrino, Balvinder Blah and Vandana Ramprasad at the Expo

Its purpose is to introduce, enlighten and inspire elementary and high school students to pursue

engineering careers.

Representatives from the IEEE Tappan Zee Subsection, New York Section Executive Committee and

NY Section Student Activities Committee participated in the 8th Annual Lower Hudson Valley

Engineering Expo held on April 3, 2011 at White Plains High School, White Plains, NY. Parents and

students from various Westchester, Rockland and Putnam County schools attended the event.

Exhibitors included engineering companies from the various engineering disciplines such as

electrical, mechanical, civil and chemical industries as well as their respective engineering

professional societies such as IEEE, SME, SAE, ASCE, ASCHE, etc. Representatives from in-state and

out-of-state colleges and universities also attended this event to discuss their engineering programs

and projects.

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L to R: Ray Windas, Roger Stillman, Tom Juell, Mike Allen, and Karl Pfaff, all represented the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) which cosponsored the event with IEEE.

Parents and students stopped by our table to find out what IEEE was. We explained that IEEE is the

world’s largest professional engineering organization for the advancement of technology. IEEE

creates engineering standards, holds technical conferences throughout the world and enhances the

careers of all of its members. Electrical engineers can specialize in a number of different field such

as power, communications, computers, robotics, broadcast technology, bio-medical engineering,

etc. We also explained the purpose of the NY Section and local Tappan Zee Subsection and

discussed a number of the presentations on computers, solar energy, patent law, etc. given at our

meetings by local engineering subject matter experts. Some of the students were more interested

in our “hand-outs”, which included copies of IEEE Potential Magazine, puzzles, key chains, buttons,

highlighters, rulers, cup cozies and note pads.

*Robert Pellegrino is the chair of Professional Activities Committee for Engineers at the NY Section.

The second report was submitted by Balvinder Blah**

IEEE-NY Student Activities Committee and Professional Activities

Committee represented IEEE at the Lower Hudson Valley Engineering

Expo held on April 3, 2011 at White Plains High School. This is an

annual event aimed at encouraging high school students to become

engineers. At the event, the students got an opportunity to stop at the

booths of universities, companies and societies and learn

about opportunities in engineering profession. They got to see, touch, feel and play with various

engineering gadgets. The students and their parents had the opportunity to ask question from the

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engineers at these booths and understand what they do for a living. To entice students, many

companies had competitions set up for the students, where these students could either work on a

computer model or create a robot or a bridge to win some “goodies”.

While representing IEEE, we spoke to these students about our professional careers. We informed them

about various opportunities in the field of Electrical Engineering and gave them some informational

material from IEEE describing different flavors of Electrical Engineering. We also spoke about the role of

IEEE in their future careers. It was interesting to note that we had a quite a few female students

inquiring about engineering, so we were able to speak to them about IEEE’s Women In Engineering

chapter. The event lasted till 4pm and up until the last hour, there were parents coming with the high

school students to get information about engineering as well as find out opportunities for summer

internships.

** Balvinder Blah is the Vice Chair for NY Section affairs.

______________________________________________________________________________

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PAID ANNOUNCEMENT

Cyber Infrastructure Protection Conference, CIP, June 8 – 9, 2011,

Location: City University of New York, City College (CCNY), Grove School of

Engineering Room T-27, 140th Street and Convent Ave, New York NY 10031. For

more information please visit www.ccny.cuny.edu/cip

The Cyber Infrastructure Protection Conference (CIP) will give you an opportunity to meet

with policy makers and researchers in the field and to keep abreast of the latest trends.

Hear presentations from:

William Cheswick, AT&T

Melissa Dark, Purdue University

John Shutt, US Army

Michael Losavio, University of Louisville

Martin Libicki, RAND

Tom Holt, Michigan State University

Thomas Overman, BoeingEnergy Cyber Security and

Other leading experts from Academia, Industry, and Government

Register online by clicking on the Registration button on the left side of the URL given

above. Registration fee: $75

Organized by: the Center of Information Networking and Telecommunications

(CINT) and Colin Powell Center at City University of New York, City College

(CCNY), and the Strategic Studies Institute (SSI) at the US Army War College.

CIP General Co-Chairs:

Dr Tarek Saadawi, City University of New York, City College

Colonel Louis Jordan, US Army War College

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FEATURE ARTICLE

The IEEE-USA plays an important role in the National Energy Policy

Mayer Sasson*

Background on IEEE-USA

From its Washington, D.C. headquarters, IEEE-USA develops position statements1 and communicates

technology policy recommendations to Congress, the executive branch, the media and other opinion-

makers in support of member priorities outlined in the legislative agenda2. All IEEE-USA position

statements must be approved by the IEEE-USA Board of Directors. They are first initiated and/or

reviewed by IEEE-USA volunteer committees that are comprised of U.S. IEEE members with expertise in

the subject field, including liaison representatives (where appointed) of IEEE technical societies, divisions,

regions and sections. Once approved by the committee, a proposed position statement is then reviewed

by the Vice President of Government Relations and the IEEE-USA Government Relations Council,

subjected to a Communications Review, and finally presented to the IEEE-USA Board of Directors for

consideration.

The National Energy Policy Recommendations3 was developed by the Energy Policy Committee. Originally

published in 2009, it was updated in 2010 and now again in 2011 to maintain its relevance with

technological developments.

IEEE-USA position statements are not copyrighted and may be linked to, reproduced or excerpted with

appropriate attribution as entity positions of the IEEE-United States of America (IEEE-USA). IEEE-USA

position statements should not be attributed as policy statements of IEEE or any other IEEE

organizational unit.

1 http://www.ieeeusa.org/policy/positions/

2 http://www.ieeeusa.org/policy/issues/index.html

3 http://www.ieeeusa.org/policy/positions/energypolicy0211.pdf adopted by the IEEE-USA Board of Directors on

February 18, 2011.

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Excerpt from the 2011 National Energy Policy Recommendations Position

Statement

Energy underlies three converging challenges facing the United States today: prosperity, security and

the environment. Electricity is a key enabler in addressing these challenges, but substantial changes as

to how we manage our energy resources will be required. We need an integrated and balanced

approach to increase energy efficiency, transform transportation and electric power supplies that are

environmentally friendly. We must build a stronger and smarter electric infrastructure, which will

require a cultural shift in the way we think about and use energy.

The strategic goals are clear: To ensure that we can reliably and securely meet our growing energy

needs, we must use energy resources more efficiently; transform our transportation systems; transition

our energy systems and our economy to one that can better manage our emissions and environment;

and upgrade and expand our electrical generation and delivery systems.

Established and new technologies must be applied at unprecedented scale, and on an accelerated

schedule. Bold actions and substantial investments will be required to achieve these goals.

IEEE-USA will support proactive energy policies that result in the development of new energy sources

and the reduction of U.S. dependence on oil in an economically and environmentally sound way.

Priorities include:

Promoting increased efficiency in conversion, delivery and use of energy, which is necessary to

help meet the challenges of prosperity, security and the environment.

Radically transforming the transportation sector to shift our energy use from imported oil to

domestic production by focusing first on electric vehicle technologies, and then replacing the

remaining transportation fuels by making use of alternative fuels.

Responding to the threat of climate change through the greening of future of electric power

supply by expanding the use of renewable electric generation, expanding nuclear generation

and capturing carbon emissions from fossil power plants.

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Building a stronger and smarter electrical energy infrastructure by transforming the network

into a smart grid, expanding the transmission system as needed to maintain reliability and

capture economic benefits and by developing large-scale electricity storage systems.

A more in-depth discussion of the Energy Policy Recommendations can be found at:

http://www.ieeeusa.org/policy/positions/energypolicy0211.pdf

INCREASING ENERGY EFFICIENCY Increasing efficiency in the conversion, delivery and use of energy is something all Americans can

participate in to address the energy challenges our country faces. Educating the country on the

importance of energy efficiency and making energy efficiency a way of life are necessary to help meet

the challenges of prosperity, security and the environment. Energy efficiency is an essential element in

any comprehensive national energy policy.

A more in-depth discussion on the subject of Increasing Energy Efficiency can be found at:

http://www.ieeeusa.org/policy/positions/EnergyEfficiency1110.pdf

BREAKING OUR DEPENDENCE ON OIL BY TRANSFORMING TRANSPORTATION

Today, more than 96 percent of the energy used in transportation comes from oil. The transportation

sector consumes about two-thirds of all petroleum used in the United States. Oil will continue to be a

major fuel for decades, but our ability to substantially reduce its use will be essential to address

challenges to national security and prosperity.

A radical transformation of the transportation sector is needed, not only to reduce our dependency on

oil, but also to reduce emissions in the transportation sector. However, directly mitigating emissions in

many millions of mobile sources is impractical. The proposed response is a two-pronged effort: to

electrify transportation, focusing on plug-in electric and hybrid technologies -- and in parallel, pursue

replacing conventional fuels with alternative fuels.

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Electrifying Transportation: Plug-In Electric Vehicles

Greater use of electricity as an energy source for transportation could substantially reduce oil

consumption. Electric motors are inherently more efficient than internal combustion engines; they do

not consume energy while vehicles are stationary (idling); and they provide the opportunity to recover

energy from braking. Current hybrid electric vehicle technology demonstrates the potential of this

approach. The introduction and widespread use of plug-in electric vehicles (PEV) with an all-electric

range sufficient to meet average daily travel needs could reduce per-vehicle petroleum consumption by

50 percent, or more.

Developing and Using Alternative Transportation Fuels Alternative transportation fuels, including biofuels and natural gas, offer the possibility of further

reducing oil consumption, particularly if deployed in conjunction with the greater use of electricity in

transportation. However, there is a need to better understand the economic, environmental, social and

political implications of various means to produce liquid fuels from biomass. Liquid fuels made from coal

and natural gas may also be attractive from an economic perspective. Greenhouse gases are a by-

product of their production, which must be mitigated if these fuels are to be used in large quantities.

GREENING THE ELECTRIC POWER SUPPLY Electricity generation is dominated by fossil fuels, with coal and natural gas making up about 70 percent

of the input energy, and the rest coming from nuclear and renewables (approximately 20 percent and

nine percent, respectively). To respond to environmental concerns, the future of electric power should

be green (i.e., using energy resources that produce less greenhouse gases, including CO2 and NOx; or

where the carbon emissions are captured and reused as feedstock for useful products; or stored for

geological time). Simple and predictable economic signals must be in place to encourage investments in

these green technologies.

Expanding the Use of Renewable Electric Generation Renewable sources for generating electricity , particularly those that emit minimal greenhouse gases,

must be deployed to the extent that they are technologically and economically practical, and have an

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acceptable impact on the environment and aesthetics. Such technologies include electricity generated

from wind, sunlight, waves, tides and underground heat (geothermal).

Expanding Nuclear Power Generation Nuclear power plants are the largest-capacity power generation sources that emit negligible greenhouse

gases. They have the ability to provide continuous base-load generation, regardless of the time of day or

weather conditions. They also have a high energy density and small footprint, thus making it feasible to

have installations in locations nearer to demand centers. The 104 nuclear plants in the United States

have proven to be cost competitive with both conventional fossil fuels and renewable sources and,

through license renewal, will operate for many decades. Nuclear power is, and must remain, an

important part of a balanced portfolio of energy sources.

Capturing Carbon Emissions from Fossil Power Plants Coal is our nation’s most plentiful, and one of its lowest-cost, domestic fossil fuel resources. It provides

more than 20 percent of U.S. energy supplies and 50 percent of total electrical energy. Coal, however, is

also one of the major sources of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Only the use of petroleum in

transportation is a comparable source of CO2 within the United States. The use of coal as a fuel also

produces other pollutants and by-products that must be mitigated for coal to be a clean fuel.

BUILDING A STRONGER AND SMARTER ELECTRICAL ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE The National Academy of Engineering classified electrification as the number one engineering

achievement of the 20th century. Today, the U.S. electric grid is a network of approximately 10,000

power plants, 150,000 miles of high-voltage (>230 kV) transmission lines, millions of miles of lower-

voltage distribution lines, and more than 12,000 substations.

The primary objective of the expansion of the transmission system is to meet load growth reliably and

efficiently. However, over recent decades, the grid has been stressed by an increase in demand for

electric power and a declining rate of construction of transmission. The increasingly complex and

competitive bulk power market stresses the grid. These conditions can lead to grid congestion and

higher transmission losses, which can eventually result in higher rates for electricity. Reinforcing the grid

when economically justified and deploying advanced technologies will help address some of these

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concerns and increase physical and cyber security of the grid. It is critical that market design and grid

expansion programs work together to maintain adequate levels of grid reliability.

A more in-depth discussion on the subject of Increasing Energy Efficiency can be found at:

http://www.ieeeusa.org/policy/positions/ElectricInfrastructureJuly2010.pdf

Transforming the Network into a Smart Grid

Adding intelligence – sensors, communications, optimal controls and computers – to our electric grid

can substantially improve its efficiency and reliability through increased situational awareness, reduced

outage propagation, and improved response to disturbances and disruptions. This so-called “Smart Grid”

can also enable flexible pricing of electricity that will allow consumers to reduce their energy costs and

facilitate distributed generation and redundancy, opening the door to wider use of intermittent

renewable generation sources.

Expanding the Transmission System Much of the renewable energy potential in the United States is located in areas that are remote from

dense population centers. Those areas lack high demand for energy, and are not connected to our

national infrastructure for transmission of bulk electrical power. Sufficient transmission capacity must

link on-shore and off-shore wind farms, solar plants and other renewables to customers to make

resources accessible to homes and businesses, and to replace significant portions of the oil used today in

vehicle transportation.

Developing Large-Scale Electricity Storage Systems Unlike many energy resources, electric power is generated and consumed instantly. If intermittent

sources of electric power, such wind and solar, are to reach their full potential to contribute to the

nation’s power requirements, technologies for large-scale energy storage must be developed and

deployed. Such large-scale energy storage systems convert electrical energy to other forms of energy

that can be reconverted to electricity when needed, enabling the storage system to act as a load leveler

and to facilitate more efficient utilization of the grid that can be used in response to system

contingencies.

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THE NEED TO TAKE ACTION NOW Urgent action is needed now because, with each passing year, U.S. dependence on imported oil is

increasing, and the threat to the economy and national security is growing. We cannot allow low prices

to lull our country into complacency again. The dual threats of dependence on oil and environmental

degradation to the United States are real and no longer just important, but urgent.

Now is the time to invest in new and established technologies to help our nation become better energy

stewards and reduce environmental impacts. Electricity has a major role to play in reaching these goals.

Notes: NOx signifies a generic term for nitric oxide or nitrogen dioxide

_____________________________________________________________________________________

* Dr. Mayer Sasson, a Life Fellow affiliated with the IEEE NY-Section, is the chair of the Energy Policy

Committee of the IEEE-USA. He is a Technical Leader in Transmission Planning with Con Edison, New

York, where he has been since 1990. Dr. Sasson was born in Colombia and had his engineering

education at the University of the Andes, Bogotá and at University of Illinois, Urbana. He earned his

Ph.D. degree from Imperial College, London, U.K.

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On the Human Side ...

WILLIAM STANLEY AND ELECTRIC POWER DISTRIBUTION

The electric transformer has no rotating parts and it only hums quietly on a pole in the back of your lot;

yet even in its simplicity it is vital to the network of electrical power transmission and distribution

throughout the world. To be economical, electricity must be transported over large distances at high

voltage and relatively low current, so as to minimize the losses due to heating of the conductor. In some

cases, it is desirable for transmission voltages to approach one megavolt. Yet such high voltages are

intolerable within generators, the limit being about 25 kV or less. At

places where the electricity is used by consumers, say in a home, for

reasons of safety the voltage must be

Stanley’s original transformer

reduced finally to 120/240 volts. It's the job of a transformer at generating stations to first raise the

voltage before transmission, and then for other transformers, in smaller versions, to lower the voltage

for entry into homes. The first person to show that this could be done in a practical way was William

Stanley: the place was Great Barrington, MA, and the time was the evening of March 20, 1886. “A gala

night was made of the event. The streets and stores were crowded with people who came to see

history in the making. Finally the whole system was turned on and ... they rejoiced with Stanley over

the success of the demonstration."[1]

Who was William Stanley?

Stanley worked for George Westinghouse in Pittsburgh, Pa, during the years 1884 and 1885. He had

gained a reputation for his work on incandescent lamps. While with Westinghouse he became

convinced that electricity should be distributed by alternating current, and not by direct current as was

advocated by Edison. Knowing of the work in Europe on converters (transformers) by Gaulard and

Gibbs, and others —Westinghouse had bought patent rights — Stanley thought that he could do a

better job. Health problems however implied that he leave Pittsburgh, and so with some financial help

from Westinghouse, he moved to Great Barrington, a place where he had spent a good part of his

childhood. There he set up a small laboratory and by early spring of 1886 had an alternator installed in

an abandoned mill on the edge of the town. At the mill the voltage was first stepped up to 3000 volts

and then back down to 500 volts. This exercise was apparently to show it could be done because actual

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transmission to and through the town was at 500 volts. "... two No. 6 wires were stretched down the

main street of the village and fastened to insulators nailed to the elm trees bordering the sidewalks....

The length of the line from the center of town to the laboratory [mill] was about 4000 feet. After the

wiring had been completed, a half dozen transformers were installed in the cellars of the buildings to be

lighted. The units were housed in wooden boxes and kept locked on the premises. Facilities were

extended to light thirteen stores, two hotels, two doctor's offices, one barber shop and the telephone

and post offices. The lamps were 150, 50, and 16 candlepower sizes [about 350, 125, and 40 watts]. In

the laboratory's new power plant, two 50-light and four 25-light transformers were installed. The

generator in the laboratory produced current at 500 volts [and probably at 133 Hz]. This voltage was

transformed up for transmission and then back down again for lighting service.... The original Great

Barrington plant continued to operate successfully until the summer of 1886 when, so it is said, an

attendant dropped a screwdriver into the generator which thoroughly ruined that pioneer machine and

required the rebuilding of a greater portion of the equipment.[1] " 'Then [Stanley speaking] on a wet

night a leak from our 500 [volt] primaries set fire to the side of the shed. While I publicly mourned with

the townspeople 1 secretly exulted. Finally I sold that engine without a guarantee.'"[2]

George Westinghouse, although a little skeptical at first, adopted the system and by the summer of 1888

his company had installed over 100 central stations. Further, the Westinghouse company was chosen to

light the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago with alternating current. Sixty thousand lamps

were utilized. Next was the hydroelectric generation of power at Niagara Falls in 1895, alternating

current at 25 Hz. It was not many years before DC was left far behind.

Another New Yorker!!

William Stanley was born in Brooklyn on November 28, 1858. The family soon moved to Great Barrington.

When Stanley reached college age it was expected that he would go to Yale as had many Stanleys before

him. He lasted there but one semester, wrote his family that he had had enough, and went to NYC in

search of a job. [3] A succession of jobs followed, none of which were to his liking until he was hired by

Westinghouse in 1884. The historic experiment with AC transmission followed in 1886, as was described

above, and by 1890 Stanley decided to do it alone, setting up the Stanley Electric Manufacturing

Company in Pittsfield, Mass., (January 1, 1891) and Stanley Laboratory. He enlisted Cummings C.

Chesney and John F. Kelly. The much able trio designed and sold the SKC system of electric power

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generation and distribution; naturally the technology was based on alternating current. They pioneered

in high voltage transmission and by 1902 had an installation in California operating at 60,000 volts. In

1895 the Laboratory was absorbed by the Stanley Company, and in 1899 the control was gained by

Roebling Sons Company of Trenton, NJ. In 1903 the General Electric Company bought a major interest in

it and by 1907 the Pittsfield Works (e.g., Stanley’s original manufacturing plant) was fully integrated into

the GE Company. Stanley went along with GE and became an active member of its influential Advisory

Research Laboratory Committee, while pursuing his own interests, such as invention of an all-metal

"thermos" bottle. He received 130 patents and was awarded the Edison Medal from the AIEE in April of

1912. He died May 14, 1916. Pittsfield has a business park named after William Stanley.

Charles Steinmetz on William Stanley

Charles Steinmetz, probably the most respected engineer of the time, had this to say of Stanley's work:

"The solution of that problem was the most important thing that had yet been done in electricity. It was

solved by a man unknown to the public. William Stanley, by his invention of the transformer, made

possible the economical long-distance transmission of power."[3]

[1] Press release from the American Institute of Electrical Engineers on the occasion of

the 50th anniversary of Stanley's demonstration, March 15, 1936.

[2] Christian Science Monitor, Boston, MA, March 20, 1936.

[3] Hawkins, Laurence A., William Stanley - His Life and Work, The Newcomen Society

of North America, 1951.

For further reading (taken from Wikipedia):

"William Stanley Dies", New York Times, May 15, 1916, pg 9, col 5.

"William Stanley" (Nov.22, 1858-May 14, 1916), Dictionary of American Biography, Vol XVII,

Charles Scribner's Sons, New York, 1935, pg 514.

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"William Stanley", The National Cyclopedia of American Biography, Vol XXIV, James T. White &

Co., New York, 1935, pg 394.

William Stanley (1858-1916) — His Life and Work, Laurence A. Hawkins, The Newcomen Society

in North America, New York, 1951.

* Mel Olken is a Life Fellow of the IEEE and the Editor-in-Chief of the IEEE Power & Energy Magazine. He

has been active in the IEEE affairs for a long time. This year the Region 1 of the IEEE has honored him with

the William Terry Service Award for his Outstanding Lifetime Service to the IEEE and Region 1.

21

Electrical and Computer Engineering:

Exciting Paths, Exciting Challenges and

Rewarding Careers*

Ronald O. Brown**

Electrical and Computer engineers (ECE) touch everybody’s life every day. Look around as you read

this. Electricity powers the light above you – and a more efficient and environmentally friendly smart

grid will soon deliver it. You sit in a comfortable house where instruments and tiny computers monitor

and carefully control the temperature, and a computer system initiates your automatic fuel delivery.

Earlier today, you wirelessly surfed the Internet in a neighborhood coffee shop or as you walked down

the street guided by your GPS. Later today, you will visit a friend in the hospital where new sensors,

diagnostic tools, and instrumentation save lives. All this and more is the realm of electrical and

computer engineers.

To the question, “What do electrical and computer engineers do?” The quick answer is: all kinds of

fascinating stuff. We’re the problem solvers. We make life more comfortable. We make the

environment friendlier. Electrical and computer engineering degrees open limitless career paths. There

are a myriad of technologies, industries to work in, and these jobs cover areas that are all fun, all-

challenging, and, at the same time, all offer great career potentials.

What are some of the major areas of technology where the ECEs would contribute their best? The

IEEE currently has over three dozen societies, representing every facet of the profession. A brief

overview of what electrical and computer engineers do includes investigation and innovation in these

technologies:

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Chips and Solid-State Systems. New chip technologies, that means new chips, and novel ways

of producing them as we move fast toward nanotechnology and even more cost effective

components and systems.

Computers and Intelligent Systems. New computer systems, software systems, and intelligent

systems to meet society’s needs at ever decreasing costs.

Environmental Systems. The electrical and computer engineering aspects of environmental

solutions. Remember, engineers are the ones who are going to figure out and implement the

solutions to the world’s pressing environmental issues.

Medical Electronics. The electrical and computer aspects of healthcare systems. ECE

graduates play a key role in medical diagnostics and equipment.

Power Systems and Devices. All aspects of power generation, transmission, and large

machinery. Alternative energy, such as that from wind and ocean waves, are the key new

areas of interest in addition to that of the readily managed smart grid that offers significant

energy savings.

Telecommunications and Networks. All forms of communications – wired and wireless, using

technologies ranging from copper and fiber optic cables, microwave, and satellite to name a

few. Design and development of new network components, new technologies like Wi-Fi

leading to even revitalization of the entire global telecom network using the newer

technologies. Some engineers can also work for major corporations to keep their large and

complex networks up and running.

And there are many other technologies you can specialize in.

Next, consider the diverse industries which may use your talents. For example:

Aerospace and Electronic Systems. A novel system that could guide newer aircrafts. The

existing flying machines are chock full of all types of electronic systems that use most every

technology in the realm of the ECEs

Biomedical. A new artificial organ, new low-cost and less invasive sensors to monitor critical

functions, or an intelligent system that would revolutionize medical data analysis and

healthcare information systems.

Computers and Software. A new computer architecture or an improvement of an existing one,

a supercomputer, or even a new software to control tomorrow’s smart grid that is managed by

these new computers.

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Control and Sensors. More effective algorithms to control tomorrow’s smart grid and better

guidance for the software engineer who writes the codes, or new sensors for inflatable space

stations.

Electronics/microelectronics. Design of tomorrow’s chips and development of new

semiconductor fabrication techniques. Or, move from today’s chip design methods to

tomorrow’s nanotechnology.

Power. New processes to monitor and control generation, distribution, and use of electrical

energy for a greener world. Or, research into new alternate forms of power generation.

Telecommunications and Signal Processing. You could develop the next smart phone or be the

one who can think of new apps for these phones. You could also develop new wireless

broadband access technology to economically reach rural areas, or a new algorithm to better

detect low power signals – whether Wi-Fi or signals coming from outer space.

Many types of work are available within these technologies and industries. A brief overview of what

people do in a few of these areas includes:

Consulting. Consultants give professional or expert advice to others as needed, usually on a

short-term basis. Consultants usually are experts in their fields with many years’ experience.

Development. Developers take researchers’ ideas and make useable products. These products

can be computers, electrical generators, monitors, routers, and software.

Entrepreneur. Entrepreneurs start with an idea and grow it into their own business in the

electrical and computer area. Take a good idea, add funding and a large measure of hard

work, and success is achievable.

Intellectual Property and Patent Law. Patent lawyers work with researchers and developers to

write the patents necessary for engineers to receive the financial rewards of their most

creative work. An ECE degree is an almost required foundation for being a successful patent

lawyer in the areas of electrical and computer engineering.

Management. Managers are the corporate leaders and technical management is a specialized

area. An ECE degree coupled with an MBA is key to success in managing technical companies.

Research. Researchers, usually at university or corporate labs, develop the science that is the

basis of tomorrow’s technologies and products.

Sales. Marketing and sales persons deliver technology products to users. To intelligently and

effectively sell electrical or computer products almost requires an ECE degree.

24

Teach. Good teachers ensure that the profession carries on with its valued contribution to the

society . Whether at the community college or university level, it’s a rewarding career.

Frequently, teaching is combined with research and consulting.

These work areas give rise to using an ECE degree as a stepping-stone. Combined with an MBA, ECE

grads are great technology managers. Combined with a law degree ECE grads are great IP attorneys,

and combined a health sciences degree ECE grads are great research physicians.

And within all areas, electrical and computer engineers also must answer the question, What are the

social impacts of these technologies?

These are but a few of the options an ECE degree opens -- there are many more. All are reasons

why ECE has more students than any other engineering field and our professional society, the IEEE, is

the largest professional society in the world though many begin their careers in one ECE area and move

to others as interests change.

Importantly, engineering isn’t just for guys anymore. That stereotype has been banished. More and

more women who enjoy math and science study electrical and computer engineering and are rewarded

with exciting, challenging, and high paying careers. Supporting them in school and their careers is the

IEEE Women in Engineering Society (WIE) with groups throughout the United States, including many

university campuses. The IEEE WIE is the largest international professional organization dedicated to

promoting women engineers and scientists.

What does it take to succeed in an EE or CS program? First, an interest in what makes things tick.

Secondly, an interest in science and math along with a good background in these subjects. Have more

questions about a career in electrical or computer engineering? Email me,

ron@ronaldobrownconsulting.com. I would like to hear from you.

Electrical and computer engineers have a myriad of opportunities. They affect every aspect of life.

They are real solvers of problems facing our society today. If you’re thinking of a career, if you want to

part of the solution, think electrical and computer engineering. It’s a great ride!

____________________

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*This article was adapted from articles written by the author and originally published in Engineer’s Week

Supplements of the Maine Sunday Telegram, February 15, 2009, and February 21, 2010.

**Ronald O. Brown, Life Senior Member of the IEEE, vice chair of the Maine Section and the chair of the

Section’s Computer and Communications Society Chapter, is a PE and the president of Ronald O. Brown

Consulting, an independent information technology and enterprise network management firm. Dr. Brown’s

career has been as diverse as the profession. He is also an expert on patents and intellectual property,

contracts, and antitrust matters; a member of the Boards of Directors of Cooperative Communications, a

New Jersey-based Competitive Local Exchange Carrier, and the Maine Telecommunications Users Group.

He obtained his Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering from Queen’s University at Kingston, Ontario, Canada.

26

TAKING INVENTORY OF YOUR COMPUTER

Do you have any idea as to the resources you have in your computer? What are the ratings of the

CPU, the capacity of the hard disk drive (HDD), how much of RAM, what peripherals you may be

using (e.g. printer, scanner, removable flash drives, web camera etc.), the operating system and the

virus protection? What is the health status of your HDD?

It is good to know the current profile of your computer. They can be very handy whenever you have

a problem with your machine and want to troubleshoot yourself before you call for help. Even when

you speak with a customer service agent you can quickly give the details. Did you know that Belarc

Advisor software can display that profile for you? I have been using it for quite some time and am

happy with it and I thought that it would be good to share that information with you. I know that

my hard drive is healthy and the RAM working well. You can download the software from

http://www.belarc.com and it is free for personal use. – Amitava Dutta-Roy

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CORRECTIONS!

In the March issue a couple of errors inadvertently crept in. In the review of the free drawing

software the URL from which you would be able to get the software is

http://www.drawanywhere.com . Also, the URL for downloading the “CaptureXT” program should

be http://www.belltechsytems.com. We are sorry for these errors and hope that nobody was

unduly inconvenienced.

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RATES FOR PAID ANNOUCEMENTS

The NY-Monitor welcomes paid announcements — of events (fliers), employment opportunities

and products etc. — for posting in its issues. We will soon introduce classified announcements. The

present rate for paid announcements is $250 per half-page insertion per issue. For announcements

that will be posted for a minimum of three issues there will be a 20% discount that we think that is

most reasonable and affordable.

ANNOUNCE YOUR EVENT OR YOUR PRODUCT IN THE NY-MONITOR

For more information and for special needs please contact the editor: a.dutta-roy@ieee.org