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| Chanda |
PULLMAN, Wash. – Sayonsom Chanda, a graduate student in Washington State University’s School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, was awarded a prize in the July 2013 Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Power and Energy Society’s student poster contest.
With his poster, entitled ‘Modeling and Analysis of Campus Microgrid Distribution System, Chanda received a third place award in the graduate student category at the society’s general meeting in Vancouver, B.C. A total of 193 student posters were accepted for the competition.
Originally from Calcutta, India, Chanda received a bachelor’s degree from National Institute of Technology Durgapur in Bengal, India. He came to WSU last year to pursue his PhD.
Working with Anurag Srivastava, assistant professor in the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Chanda aims to develop a reliable microgrid for university or corporate campuses that would keep the lights on during severe power outages both on the campuses and in surrounding neighborhoods. After deploying modern innovations, such as integrated volt controls and demand-response technologies, such a system would also allow the researchers to calculate energy and cost savings.
“I am committed to improving and inventing new ways to ensure everyone in our community and around the world gets reliable and uninterrupted electricity, even in the face of natural disasters,” he said.
Chanda’s project is part of the Pullman Smart Grid Demonstration Project. Supported by the Department of Energy through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and headed by Avista Utilities, the regional smart grid demonstration project is designed to expand upon existing electric infrastructure and test new smart grid technology. In addition to Avista and the Department of Energy, Chanda also receives support from Microsoft and Puget Sound Energy.
