The annual joint dinner meeting of the Worcester section of the IEEE and the ASME will be held at the Higgins House, on to campus of Worcester Polytechnic Institute, on May 11, 1999. The optional dinner at 7 p.m. will be preceded by a social period at 6:30 p.m. The choices for dinner are chicken or fish at $15. The speaker will begin at 8 p.m. For further information and reservations, call (508) 831-5425. This yearís presentation , ìRenewable Energy Systems and Electric Vehicles ì, will be given by an outstanding individual with many years experience in the field.
Massachusetts Electric Company, one of the New England Electric Systems (NEES) distribution companies, has supported research, development and demonstration projects in customer-sited, grid-connected renewable energy projects since 1980. Interest in electric vehicles (EVís) goes back approximately 15 years, and has included three phases of EV technology. The company remains active in both areas, with ongoing tests of state-of-the-art EVís and a pioneering integrated photovoltaic (PV) technology (the AC Module).
Dr. John Bzura, principal engineer - retail R&D, will discuss the companyís experience with residential PV systems, commercial PV systems, the unique 100-kw ground-mounted PV system at Beverly (MA) high school, PV-assisted lighting and Medford Solar Project. This project began in February and will monitor the performance of the AC Module. The AC Module is a unique combination of a single large
(4íx6í) PV module and an inverter attached to the back. The system produces up to 250 watts of a.c. power and is easily connected to home wiring. The company has also monitored wind energy systems from 300 watts to 10 kw.
Dr. Bzura will also discuss his experience with electric vehicle development. Early electric vehicle R&D, focused on small foreign cars with lead-acid batteries and d.c. motors. Projects begun in the mid-1990ís examined cars with a.c. induction motors and nickel-cadmium batteries. Current tests include two types of EVís, both with nickel-metal-hydride batteries. The first is a four-door sedan with an induction motor; the second is a small sport-utility vehicle with a permanent magnet d.c.motor.
Dr. Bzura has worked in energy R&D for 24 years, starting with high-power ( 5 megavolt, 100 kiloamp ) electron beam research at Cornell University where he earned his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering. Following a year of postdoctoral work at Cornell, he completed an M.B.A. at Syracuse University. He then spent eight years at Arthur D. Little, Inc. (ADL) in Cambridge, MA. Work at ADL ranged from railroad electrification to advanced power transmission technologies. Since joining New England Power Service Company (a NEES company) in 1983, he has worked on load management projects, home surge protection technology, electric vehicle systems and distributed generation (DG) technologies; these include solar power systems, wind energy systems, fuel cells and microturbines. He is a senior member of the IEEE and has been active on several Power Engineering Society committees and working groups since 1980.
Higgins House is located on the northwest part of the WPI campus, off Salisbury Street. There is no parking at Higgins House, so please park on West Street, or in the area parking lots.
Directions: From I-290 northbound, take the Belmont Street/Lincoln Square exit (exit 17), and turn left, follow through WPI campus. At the intersection with Salisbury Street, turn left, the first left is the entrance to Higgins House. From I-290 southbound, take exit 18, bear right at the end of the ramp, then take the next right, proceed straight, merging with Salisbury Street. Continue west on Salisbury Street until the WPI campus is on the left. Parking may be found on Salisbury Street or on West Street. The entrance to Higgins House is the first left after West Street.