Course information
Lecture time: Spring 2026, TR 2:20-3:35pm
Lecture location: ZACH 210
Lab location: ZACH 326 (Times vary, see syllabus)
Instructor: Prof. Adam Birchfield, abirchfield@tamu.edu
Office hours: Tuesdays 4-5pm, WEB 215-E, or by request
Required Textbook: Power System Analysis and Design, Glover, Overbye, Sarma, and Birchfield, 7th Edition
Syllabus: ECEN_460_Syllabus_Spring2026_Dec31
Course schedule and links:
| Class Day | Slides | Reading, Homework, Labs, and Misc. |
| Tue 13 Jan | Class 1: Three-Phase AC Power Calculations (pdf) | Reading Chapters 1 and 2. Handout_Class1 (includes HW#1 due Jan 20th and HW#2 due Jan 27th) No Labs this week. |
| Thur 15 Jan | Class 2: Power System Structure and History (pdf) | Quiz1_Solutions |
| Tue 20 Jan | Class 3: Generators and Machines, Part 1 (pdf) | Lab1_Materials HW1_Solutions Quiz2_Solutions |
| Thur 22 Jan | Class 4: Generators and Machines, Part 2 (pdf) | Quiz3_Solution |
| Tue 27 Jan |
Class 5: Transformers, Part 1 (pdf) | HW2_Solutions Homework 3 on transformers: book problems 3.4, 3.5, 3.23, due Feb. 3rd. Homework 4 on transmission lines: book regular problems 4.10, 4.11, 4.20, and 4.41, 5.14 (a,b), 5.38, and 5.41 (a,b), due Feb. 10th. Lab2_Instructions Quiz4_Solution |
| Thur 29 Jan | Class 6: Transformers, Part 2 (pdf) | Quiz5_Solution |
| Tue 3 Feb | Class 7: Transmission Lines, Part 1 (pdf) | Lab3_Instructions HW3_Solutions Quiz6_Solutions |
| Thur 5 Feb | Class 8: Transmission Lines, Part 2 (pdf) | Quiz7_Solutions |
| Tue 10 Feb | Class 9: Power System Operations Fundamentals (pdf) | Quiz8_Solution |
| Thur 12 Feb | Class 10: Power System Control Principles (pdf) | Quiz9_Solution |
| Tue 17 Feb | First Exam | |
| Thur 19 Feb | Class 11: Power Flow Network Equations (pdf) | Reading Chapter 6. Homework #5: book problems 6.30 and 6.31, due Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026 Homework #6: book problems 6.9, 6.12, 6.18, 6.25, 6.38, due Thursday, Mar 5, 2026 Lab4_Materials |
| Tue 24 Feb | Class 12: The Power Flow Problem (pdf) | |
| Thur 26 Feb | Class 13: Newton-Raphson Solution Method for the Power Flow Problem (pdf) | Lab5_Materials |
| Tue 3 Mar | Class 14: More Power Flow Examples (pdf) | |
| Thur 5 Mar | Class 15: Power Flow Approximations (pdf) | |
| Tu 10 Mar | No class, spring break | |
| Thur 12 Mar | No class, spring break | |
| Tue 17 Mar | ||
| Thur 19 Mar | ||
| Tue 24 Mar | ||
| Thur 26 Mar | ||
| Tue 31 Mar | ||
| Thur 2 Apr | Second Exam | |
| Tue 7 Apr | ||
| Thur 9 Apr |
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| Tue 14 Apr | ||
| Thur 16 Apr |
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| Tue 21 Apr | ||
| Thur 23 Apr |
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| Tue 28 Apr | No class, redefined to be a Friday | |
| Tue 5 May | Final Exam, 1-3 PM |