Electrical Engineering Technology students at Saskatchewan Polytechnic Moose Jaw campus will now benefit from state-of-the-art technology thanks to a generous gift from Dynamo, Altelec, and GE Grid Solutions.
The gift, announced at a public event at Sask Polytech on Sep. 12, is a custom-built electrical substation protection and control panel built in co-ordination with electrical engineers at the University of Saskatchewan.
It cost nearly $200,000 to build over two years and incorporates advanced substation technologies that will give Sask Polytech students invaluable hands-on experience.
“This is a huge asset,” said Kyle Solie, who co-ordinated the project. Solie is a Sask Polytech alumnus and key account manager at Dynamo. He has maintained a commitment to his alma mater since graduating two decades ago.
“As a graduate of the Electrical Engineering Technology program, a chair on the Program Advisory Committee, and a regular employer of co-op students and graduates, I was able to identify a gap with student learning equipment,” Solie said. The gift has closed that gap, he was happy to say.
“I’ve been in the industry myself for almost 20 years now, and there’s technology [in this substation simulator] that I’ve never been exposed to before.”
Dynamo provided the panel materials, design, and manufacturing for the process, while Altelec and GE Grid Solutions provided universal relays, switches, gateways, and technical support.
Solie noted that the advanced nature of the physical components involved, along with software integration solutions that incorporate the necessary cybersecurity to protect modern electrical grids, meant that even the professionals who developed the simulator learned something from it.
“Through the commissioning process, our engineers and technologists who worked on this, they took a lot of learnings away,” Solie added. “As far as I know, this is a one-of-a-kind, custom piece of equipment. There is nothing else like this out there.”
Josh Norris, a U of S student in his final year of electrical engineering who contributed heavily to the project, gave a demonstration of the substation during the event. His good-natured attempt to explain the actual workings of the device was met with nods from the electrical students and teachers in the audience, and bewildered laughter from everyone else.
Nevertheless, Norris simulated a fault in a power line that caused the mechanical breakers to trip and generated a software report in the simulator. The system can be programmed by students to simulate virtually any modern power station arrangement they are learning about.
“You’re going to have multiple versions of these systems around the province, all the signals will be timed, and you could tell where power is flowing in or out, or you could do this within a plant, anything like that,” Norris explained.
“Applied learning is what we’re all about at Saskatchewan Polytechnic,” said Dr. Larry Rosia, president and CEO of Sask Polytech. “Industry partnerships are a key differentiator for us, it’s the reason we are able to put graduates into the workforce with the skills that industry needs.
“Partnerships like these, where industry is able to put their equipment in the classroom, our students can get hands-on experience with the equipment that they’re going to see [when they graduate]. … That allows them to contribute from day one on the job, and it also gives industry the confidence that our students will have the skillsets [industry needs].
“It’s a win-win for our students, for industry, and ultimately for the province of Saskatchewan.”
Rosia extended a heartfelt thanks to Dynamo, Altelec, and GE Grid Solutions for the gift.
“I owe my career to this program. It feels great to give back,” Solie said. “Dynamo regularly hires Electrical Engineering Technology graduates from Moose Jaw campus. We will ultimately benefit from this gift.”
Learn more about Sask Polytech's Electrical Engineering Technology program on their website at saskpolytech.ca/programs-and-courses/programs/Electrical-Engineering-Technology.aspx.
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