The Energy Systems Group at the University of Puerto Rico in Mayagüez (UPRM) proposes the acquisition of instrumentation to upgrade energy research infrastructure to 15 kVA. Equipment includes power electronics converters, transformers and motors for testing, power quality analyzers, computers and data acquisition cards, a surge generator, and measuring devices. The Group is requesting instruments to improve existing computational and experimental facilities at the Electric Energy Processing Systems Laboratory (EEPSL). Improving this research facility is vital in order to carry out research projects and meaningful industry collaborations in energy systems, especially in power electronics and power quality. Tools are requested to develop design projects and laboratory experiments that will improve research training activities, both at the graduate and undergraduate levels. These tools will bring research to the classroom through undergraduate research projects, seminars, special topics courses and demonstrations.

The proposed instrumentation will provide resources needed to expand the scope of re-search and education in power systems, power electronics applications, alternate energy sources, and power quality. EEPSL will be better equipped to integrate UPRM work to mainstream re-search of the Center for Power Electronics Systems (CPES). UPRM is a core academic partner in CPES, an NSF ERC led by Virginia Tech. Current capabilities at EEPSL only allow testing of models and equipment below 500 Watts. The equipment will provide tools for the validation of models using scaled-versions of a power system at higher power levels. The laboratory will also serve as a testing facility for devices such as motors, drives and other industrial-size loads. A facility such as EEPSL, its personnel and improved resources, does not exist in the Caribbean.

EEPSL will be the leading facility in UPRM and Puerto Rico for the education of re-searchers and professionals in the energy field. UPRM has a strong power engineering program, which is divided into power systems and power electronics. Ten professors teach energy courses to an average of 200 students each semester. More than 100 students specialize in either power systems or power electronics. EEPSL will be a key component in keeping such a strong enroll-ment in undergraduate energy courses and in improving the energy systems graduate program. The requested instrumentation will increase the number of students engaged in energy systems research and provide improved research experiences. Students will gain extensive research and experimental training at EEPSL. This experience will allow them to make significant contribu-tions either at graduate school or industry. EEPSL would also be an important milestone for the creation of a doctoral program in systems at the Electrical and Computer Engineering Depart-ment.