Glenn A. Pritchard, PE

With the advent of the Internet of Things and ever prevalent communications networks, urban communities are now exploring how they can best use these technologies and the data they generate to create Smart Cities. This presentation will explore the many facets that are being integrated to deliver smart solutions with will improve day-to-day life in our cities.

Biography:

Glenn Pritchard is currently the Manager of Advanced Grid Operations and Technology for PECO’s Smart Grid/Smart Meter system.

PECO’s Smart Grid consists of 2.3M electric and gas meters and over 2,000 Distribution Automation devices. Pritchard graduated from Clemson University in 1990 with a B.S. Degree in Electrical Engineering. He is a registered professional engineer in Pennsylvania. He has been with Exelon/PECO in Philadelphia for 27 years where he is responsible for developing new applications that leverage the Smart Grid, AMI Systems and metering data.

Other areas of experience include distribution & transmission engineering, substation automation and communications.. Pritchard specializes in finding new applications of existing and emerging technologies.

Beyond his work at PECO, Pritchard has taught numerous classes and frequently presents at   the   key   industry   venues,   including

Distributech, EEI and IEEE. He has authored numerous papers on Smart Grids, AMI systems and the use of the data generated by such platforms.

Pritchard received EPRI Technology Transfer Awards in 2017 and 2014, the 2010 IEC Grid Vision and the 2008 Utilimetrics’ Utility Best Practices Awards for his work in the Smart Grid and AMI fields.

Bob Swayne

The recently released movie “The Current Wars” is based on events surrounding the introduction of competing electric A.C. and D.C. power systems in the late 1800s. Let’s dig into the history and technical aspects of these two systems and see what drove a battle of emerging technologies. A.C. versus D.C.: Alternating Current versus Direct Current. What are they, what are their differences, and how are they applied? This presentation will cover a brief history of electricity discoveries starting with Franklin, Volta and Faraday, and focus on the time of Edison, Tesla, and Westinghouse and their “battle of currents”. And with hindsight, we will review Edison’s D.C. system’s fundamental voltage drop limitations and why A.C. became the obvious technological winner. Once A.C. was established, long distance power distribution developed along with motor technology, both which accelerated the industrial revolution. A.C. and D.C. systems will be technically presented and described along with their applications. Single-phase, two-phase and three-phase motor and generator types will also be discussed and demonstrated. Yes, two-phase. Philadelphia holds a distinction as one of very few cities still using two-phase distribution. Join us for this historical and technical engineering treatise.

Biography:

Bob retired in 2017 after an electrical engineering and consulting career in a variety of industries including steel,  aerospace, educational, commercial, industrial, and transportation. Project types included low and medium voltage power distribution systems, substations, power studies, emergency/standby generator systems, life safety systems, lighting systems, power monitoring and SCADA systems. In his early career, Bob worked in the steel industry designing and applying D.C. systems to large rolling mill motors and overhead traveling cranes. He went on doing same in utility and commercial environments with A.C. synchronous and induction motor controls and drives, which included Philadelphia’s legacy two-phase distribution systems.

Bob is a graduate of Drexel University with BS and MS in Electrical Power Engineering and is a licensed professional engineer in Pennsylvania. He has served positions on IEEE local and national societies including the Philadelphia Power & Energy - Industry Applications Joint Chapter, National Electrical Code panels, and IEEE standards committees. He was 2013 Delaware Valley IEEE Electrical Engineer of the Year and now a Senior Life IEEE member.