Expert Details

Electrical Engineer - Design/Operation/Maintenance of Electrical Power Systems - Industrial/Utility

ID: 722041 Virginia, USA

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• Engineering Expert in Electric Power Systems & Energy for Utility, Industrial, & Facilities
• Licensed Professional Engineer (Virginia & Florida) / Electrical Engineer
• United States Citizen (Born in USA)
• 36 Years Experience / Seasoned Professional / Qualified Mentoring

Areas of Expertise:
Electric Power Distribution Systems:
• Electric Utility (T&D), Industrial, Manufacturing, OEM's
• Facilities, Hospital, Commercial, Residential, Buildings
• High Voltage, Medium Voltage & Low Voltage / AC & DC
• Design, Construction, Operation, & Maintenance of Electric Power Systems
• Overhead Power Lines / Underground Distribution / URD / Substation / Transmission
• National Electric Safety Code (NESC) Practices
• National Electric Code (NEC) Practices Power System Studies:
• Short Circuit / Fault Calculations / Coordination
• Protective Relaying, Motor Starting, Voltage Drop, Flicker
• Harmonics, Load Flow, Power Factor, Arc Flash Hazard
• Network Grid System Modeling & Analysis
• Engineering Economics / Cost Analysis Grounding & Overvoltage Protection:
• Lightning Protection / Surge Suppression / TVSS / Insulation Coordination
• Grounding & Bonding - Systems & Equipment
• Substation Grids / Signal Reference Grids (SRG
Electrical Safety / Code Application & Compliance:
• National Electric Safety Code (NESC) Practices
• National Electric Code (NEC) Practices
• OSHA - 29 CFR Parts 1910 & 1926
• NFPA 70E - Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace
• NFPA 70B - Electrical Maintenance
• IEEE Standards / ANSI / ASTM (As Applicable)
Power Quality / Energy Management:
• Computer Grade Clean Power
• Mission-Critical Facilities
• Energy Conservation and Efficiency / Demand Side Management
• Audits, Analysis, Troubleshooting, Problem-Solving
Reliability / Maintenance Technology:
• PM, PdM, RCM, CBM, TPM
• Electrical Testing for Equipment & Systems
• Data Centers & Server Farms / ADP Rooms
• Emergency & Standby Generation Systems
Equipment Design:
• Generators, Transformers, Motors, UPS's, Cable, Conductors
• Reclosers, Breakers, Sectionalizers, Relays, Fusing
• Switchgear, Panelboards, Capacitors, Filters, Arresters
• Wiring, Splices, Connectors, Pole-Line Hardware, Insulators
Quality Assurance & Control:
• Plant Inspections, Surveillance & Audits
• Material Receipt Inspections & Testing Procedures
• QA/QC Programs Designed and Implemented
Expert Witness, Forensics, and Litigation Services:
• Electrocution / Electrical Contact / Shock / Arc Flash Hazards
• Accident Reconstruction / Fire Investigations / Safe Work Practices
• Consulting & Research (Electric Power Systems)
• Articulate, Accurate, and Believable Testimony
Power System Training & Seminars:
• Fundamentals Of Electrical Power Distribution Systems
• Modular, Half-Day Lectures on Six Important Power Topics
• Over 1000 People Have Attended From Major Corporations
• Off or On Site Training / Continuing Education Credit (CEU's )
Technical Marketing & Writing:
• Specifications For Equipment Purchase / Standards and Procedures Written
• Marketing Brochures and Catalogs / Presentations (e.g. for Engineering Sales Meetings)


Consulting Experience:
Performed Grounding Study in conjunction with Chewning & Wilmer Electrical Contractors.
(Also reviewed thermography and harmonics measurements taken on equipment during inspection of same facility.)
Consulted for power system problems with improper grounding of service transformer which caused ASD motor drives to fail.
Also consulted for electrical maintenance criteria for plant.
Prepared Consultant Report on electric power requirements for continuous and reliable operation of plant facilities.
Consulted on improper operation of high DC voltage electrostatic coaters. Redesigned electrodes for more stable coating process and efficiency.
Management:
• Management Audits / Engineering Oversight / Project Management

Skills:
• Seminar Lecturer - "Fundamentals of Electric Power Systems" given onsite at:
- NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA
- San Francisco International Airport, California
- Power Distribution, Inc. (PDI), Richmond, VA
- Graybar Electric Co., Inc., Richmond, VA
• Engineering Software Experience: CYME, ETAP, PSSE, GE SmallWorld, AutoCAD, et al
• Competent and Proficient in Use of Computers - IBM / Microsoft Based PC's
(e.g. MS Word, Excel, Access, Publisher, PowerPoint, Lotus Notes, SAP, others)
• Effective Organizational and Planning Abilities
• Thoroughly Knowledgeable in Business and Project Management
• Experienced in Marketing, Sales & Customer Service
• Accomplished Public Speaker, Lecturer, Trainer, and Writer
• Excellent Communication Skills

Education

Year Degree Subject Institution
Year: 1978 Degree: BEE Subject: Electrical Engineering Institution: Georgia Institute of Technology

Work History

Years Employer Title Department
Years: 1993 to Present Employer: Undisclosed Title: President/Chief Engineer Department:
Responsibilities:
Responsibilities include power system design & consulting, short circuit, grounding, harmonic, and reliability studies, trouble-shooting power system problems, development of electrical maintenance programs, power seminar presentations, & expert witness testimony.
Years Employer Title Department
Years: 1987 to 1993 Employer: Virginia Power Title: Senior Engineer Department: Distribution Engineering
Responsibilities:
Responsibilities included engineering design of distribution switchgear equipment (OH & UG), reclosers, splices, terminations, & connectors. Activities included development of specifications, construction standards, application guidelines, maintenance criteria, and selection & approval of vendors. Also, prepared economic studies for system design, performed quality assurance audits, testing, and failure analysis of materials.
Years Employer Title Department
Years: 1980 to 1987 Employer: Florida Power & Light Company Title: Engineer II Department: Distribution Engineering AND District Office
Responsibilities:
Responsibilities included distribution power line design & planning (Overhead, Underground, URD), electrical installations (services, transformer vaults, etc.), street lighting design, etc. Also served as a Standards Engineer which included same responsibilities as outlined above for Virginia Power.
Years Employer Title Department
Years: 1979 to 1980 Employer: McGraw-Edison Company Title: Sales Engineer Department: Power Systems Division
Responsibilities:
Responsible for the sales of electrical power equipment (transmission, substation, and distribution) to utilities in the State of Georgia (i.e. Oglethorpe Power, Savannah Electric & Power, REA's, EMC's, municipalities, etc.) Duties included sales, technical presentations, forecasting, marketing, bid proposals, solving operational problems with equipment, establishing good communication lines between customers, factory personnel, electrical distributors, consulting firms, etc. Products sold included transformers, switchgear, breakers, reclosers, fuses, surge arresters, etc.

Career Accomplishments

Associations / Societies
• Senior Member of Institute of Electrical & Electronic Engineers (IEEE)
• Charter Member of Mid-Atlantic Power Quality Society
• National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE)
• Senior Member of Association of Energy Engineers (AEE)
• Past Member of the Electrical League of Richmond
• Past Member of American Society of Testing & Materials (ASTM)
• Past Member of American National Standards Institute (ANSI-IEEE)
• Past Member of Florida Engineering Society (FES)
Licenses / Certifications
-Registered PE
VA
-Registered PE
FLA
-Notary Public in VA

Additional Experience

Expert Witness Experience
Expert's Qualifications f, P.E.
My opinions are based on my experience working in the electrical power industry with utility, industrial, & commercial power systems. I am an electrical engineer by education and training and I have worked in electrical engineering and the power industry for over 38 years. I am a Registered Professional Engineer in the State of Florida and Commonwealth of Virginia.
I obtained a Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of
Technology in 1978. Upon graduation, I was employed by the McGraw-Edison Company (now Cooper Power Systems), a major manufacturer of electrical products for utility and industrial applications. In 1980, I was employed by the Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) as a Distribution Engineer and also held a position as a Senior Standards Engineer in the Corporate Distribution Engineering Department, for a total of approximately 6 years. In 1987, I became a Senior Standards Engineer for Dominion Virginia Power (VEPCO). In 1993, I founded x Engineering Company, where I am currently the President and Chief Engineer.
As a Distribution Engineer in FPL's Corporate, Divisional and District offices, I was engaged in power system design and in various utility operations including having designed and managed installations of various electrical distribution and substation systems and equipment. I planned and designed a variety of electrical power installations such as overhead pole lines, underground feeder systems (UG, URD), network systems and equipment (secondary underground electrical
grid), manholes, vaults, services and other projects such as underbridge installations.
In this capacity, of designing overhead power lines and underground distribution systems, I utilized methods of line design such as NESC code compliance, Sag & Tension calculations, strength analysis of pole line, system protection (short circuit calculations, coordination, relaying, etc.), surge & lightning protection, pole framing, electrical load calculations, transformer selection, capacitor and regulator applications. Other experience includes feeder regulation, automatic throwover systems applications, grounding design, corrosion prevention, and various mechanical sciences (e.g. guying calculations and standards, metallurgical applications, pole line hardware designs, etc.)
As a Standards Engineer in the corporate headquarters for FPL, and later for Virginia Power, I had the responsibility for, and corporate-wide authority over, the design, manufacturer approval, application, and maintenance policies for various equipment such as switchgear, reclosers (a type of circuit breaker), network protectors, overhead pole line hardware, guying equipment, connectors (overhead and underground), underground equipment (conduit, manholes, vaults, etc.), UG splices, electrical tape, terminations, facility wiring (used in customer service vaults) and a variety of other products used on the utility's distribution system. I have performed numerous OEM factory inspections of a variety of many manufacturer's and types of utility
equipment. Possibly significant to this case in particular, I have served as an expert on cases involving the NESC required clearances of high voltage supply lines.
In addition, my responsibilities and duties as a Standards Engineer, at FPL & Virginia Power, included the development and implementation of system-wide application guidelines, construction standards, equipment specifications, vendor approval, quality assurance (for equipment), code compliance (NESC, OSHA), work methodologies, safety, and corporate engineering policies and procedures, used to build and operate the utility company's Distribution power system. These jobs entailed being responsible for various aspects of the design, safety, construction, operation, maintenance, quality and reliability of the utility power distribution system and the electrical equipment used by the utilities.
I also have extensive experience in investigating and performing failure analysis of electrical power equipment and power system faults. I have widespread experience in specifying testing procedures (e.g. ASTM tests and custom-designed tests), witnessing tests, interpreting test results and forming conclusions of tested properties of products and equipment (for approval of manufacturers to the utility's Standard Materials List which is normally used for specifying and purchasing).
In 1993, I founded Expert Engineering Company, where I am currently the President and Chief Engineer. As a Registered Professional Engineer, I provide power system consulting services, such as engineering design, troubleshooting system problems, performing failure analysis, developing electrical maintenance and safety programs, and serving as an expert witness.
In addition, I worked, on contract, as a System Protection and Reliability Engineer, at the Jersey Central Power & Light Co. (a First Energy company), for two, half-year stints between 2001- 2003, where I performed the duties of designing and setting substation protective relaying and protection schemes for circuit breakers and electronic reclosers.
I am an expert in electric power systems (utilities, industrial, and commercial) design,
construction, operation, maintenance, reliability, electrical safety, code compliance, equipment design, and all relevant areas such as grounding, system protection, and quality assurance and control (for electrical products). I have served as an expert in cases involving electrocution, electrical contact, shock, and property damage. I have lectured on electrical power system design in seminars and classes around the country, as well as taught electrical power classes, onsite at enterprises such as NASA, the San Francisco International Airport, Power Distribution Inc., MET Electrical Testing, Graybar and others. Through my education and professional experiences, I have become an expert in the National Electric Safety Code ("NESC”) and the National Electric Code practices. I am an expert in industry and governmental standards pertaining to electrical safety and work practices, including the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) standards, the Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace (NFPA 70E), the Standard for Electrical Maintenance (NFPA 70B), and other industry standards applicable to power systems (e.g. IEEE). I also have comprehensive knowledge in and am very familiar with the skills, education, and experience required of linemen and contractors who build, operate and maintain electrical power systems.
Training / Seminars
Expert developed the following seminars. They have been given across the country and on-site with companies and institutions. Over 1200 people have attended his seminars.

1.
"FUNDAMENTALS OF ELECTRIC POWER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS"
A two day course specifically developed for industrial, utility, and commercial institutions to give personnel an in-depth understanding and "gut level" comprehension of the advanced basics of power systems. Topics include:

- Grounding
- Power Factor Control
- Harmonics
- Surge Protection
- Overcurrent Protection

2.
"THE ELECTRIC POWER FORUM OF VIRGINIA"

Basically the same course as above but formatted for 3 days instead of two days.
Vendor Selection
As a Standards Engineer with both FPL and Virginia Power, Expert specified many electrical products
for use on utility distribution power lines. Expert prepared specifications, application criteria, construction & installation standards, and operational & maintenance guidelines for power equipment. This equipment included Reclosers, Switchgear, Splices, Terminations, Connectors, & Pole-Line Hardware.

Expert selected and approved vendors to supply this equipment to the utility companies aforementioned. Expert also made numerous plant inspections and quality audits of vendors' facilities to determine their competency as a supplier and for ongoing product development and problem solving needs.
Marketing Experience
Expert has nine years experience in technical marketing. Expert has developed and implemented marketing programs which consisted of brochure & newsletter creation, mass mailing campaigns (over 200,000 brochures bulk mailed), automated fax campaigns, development of potential customer databases (identification of potential clients and contact information), telemarketing, sales, and website design.

Expert has been successful at attracting clients from hundreds of large industrial companies as well as governmental agencies and commercial firms.

His technical marketing experience is unique in the industry, and admittedly, this expertise is hard-to-find in the engineering sector of industry.
Other Relevant Experience
Expert has developed an electrical maintenance program entitled EMaTS which stands for Engineering, Maintenance, and Testing Services. EMaTS is an innovative program designed to provide totally engineered and comprehensive maintenance services for electrical power systems in facilities with mission-critical and continuous operations.

EMaTS structures effective maintenance, in order to increase the reliability, availability, and power quality of electrical systems.

This premium program provides a comprehensive and proactive approach for achieving 100% Planned Uptime, for minimizing downtime, for optimizing asset value, for maximizing ROI, and for helping companies meet their corporate goals.

EMaTS is holistic in nature and organizes the many facets of the electrical industry into one, all-encompassing methodology.

The program combines the expertise and resources of the following industries and professions, and merges them into a single, cooperative source for a Total Productive Maintenance system:

-Electrical Engineering
-Electrical Contractors
-Power Quality
-Reliability
-Maintenance Technology
(TPM, RCM, CBM, PdM,
PM, CMMS)
-Testing & Measurement
-Risk Assessment
-Loss Prevention
-Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP & EAM)

Fields of Expertise

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