ECEN 460: Power System Operation and Control, Spring 2026

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 Quiz10_Solution
Tue 3 Mar	Class 14: More Power Flow Examples  (pdf)	Solution_HW5 Quiz11_Solution
Thur 5 Mar	Class 15: Power Flow Approximations (pdf)	Solution_HW6 Quiz12_Solution
Tu 10 Mar		No class, spring break
Thur 12 Mar		No class, spring break
Tue 17 Mar	Class 16: Power System Economic Modeling (pdf)	Homework #7: 6th edition book problems 6.62, 6.63, 6.65 or 7th edition book problems 7.1, 7.2, 7.4, due Tuesday, March 24th Lab6_Materials
Thur 19 Mar	Class 17: Economic Dispatch Examples (pdf)	Quiz13_Solution Solution_HW7
Tue 24 Mar	Class 18: Optimal Power Flow (pdf)	Lab7_Materials Quiz14_Solution
Thur 26 Mar	Class 19: Power System Markets (pdf)	Quiz15_Solution
Tue 31 Mar	Markets, continued (no slides)
Thur 2 Apr		Second Exam
Tue 7 Apr	Class 20: Introduction to Power System Dynamics (pdf)	Lab8_Instructions Handout_Class20
Thur 9 Apr	Class 21: Dynamic Models (pdf)	Optional PowerWorld Assignment
Tue 14 Apr	Class 22: Dynamics Examples (pdf)	Lab9_Materials Handout_Class21 Quiz16_Solution
Thur 16 Apr	Class 23: Governors and Exciters (pdf)
Tue 21 Apr	Class 24: Additional Dynamics Topics (pdf)	Lab10_Materials
Thur 23 Apr	Class 25: High-Impact, Low Frequency Events (pdf)
Tue 28 Apr		No class, redefined to be a Friday
Tue 5 May		Final Exam, 1-3 PM