Power System Studies Engineer

Overview Every protection scope we deliver starts with studies — arc‑flash, short‑circuit, coordination — that establish the design basis for relay settings, trip coordination, and safety boundaries. This role exists because the studies define what the protection system must do before anyone writes a settings file. You produce the analytical foundation: fault current calculations, coordination curves, arc‑flash incident energy levels, and mode transition power flow analysis for 2(N+1) data center power systems with parallel generation, UPS, and priority‑based load shedding. Responsibilities Short‑circuit analysis per IEEE C37 for 2(N+1) medium‑voltage distribution with multiple parallel fault sources Protection coordination studies per IEEE 242 — time‑current curves, relay‑to‑relay and fuse‑to‑relay coordination Arc‑flash hazard analysis per IEEE 1584 across all operating modes (normal, maintenance, islanded, degraded) Mode transition power flow analysis — load/generation balance during automatic transitions between operating modes Load shedding/restoration sequence specifications with UV/OV/UF/OF trigger thresholds and deadband logic UPS sizing calculations and controls power resiliency analysis Settings recommendations fed to relay settings engineers — pickup levels, time dial values, instantaneous thresholds Success Outcomes First 90 Days Completed a short‑circuit or arc‑flash study for an active project — model built, calculations validated Produced protection coordination curves for at least one medium‑voltage feeder/generator zone Reviewed an existing mode transition analysis and identified improvement areas or validation gaps First 180 Days Independently delivering full study packages (short‑circuit + coordination + arc‑flash) for data center power systems Mode transition power flow analysis delivered and used as design basis for RTAC sequence logic Settings recommendations accepted by relay settings engineers and validated through secondary injection Systems & Tools Software Tools: ETAP, SKM Power*Tools Vendor Platforms: SEL, Woodward Standards: IEEE 242, IEEE 399, IEEE 1584, NFPA 70 (NEC), NFPA 70E Site Activities: Automatic mode transitions, priority‑based load shedding, sequenced load restoration, N+1 generator management Field Expectations Travel: 10–20% for site measurements, model validation walks, and commissioning support Site Hours: Standard office hours for study work; occasional site visits for as‑built verification and field measurements Customer‑Facing Interface: Prime contractor electrical engineers for one‑line review and study assumptions; occasional study result presentations Documentation: Study reports, coordination curves, arc‑flash labels, incident energy tables, settings recommendation packages Field Safety: Minimal field exposure; NFPA 70E awareness required for site measurement visits Qualifications 5+ years power system studies for medium‑voltage critical infrastructure (data centers, substations, industrial) ETAP or SKM Power*Tools modeling experience — short‑circuit, coordination, arc‑flash Protection coordination per IEEE 242 — relay‑to‑relay, fuse‑to‑relay, time‑current curve development Arc‑flash analysis per IEEE 1584 — incident energy calculations, PPE category assignments Short‑circuit analysis per IEEE C37 — symmetrical and asymmetrical fault currents Understanding of generator parallel operation and transfer switch configurations in critical power systems Preferred Background Harmonics analysis per IEEE 519 for VFD‑heavy or UPS‑heavy distribution systems Grounding studies per IEEE 80 or IEEE 142 Load flow analysis for multi‑source critical power with automatic mode transitions FMEA/FMECA analysis for protection and controls systems PE license (any state) #J-18808-Ljbffr