SEL Inc.
Tdworld 7101 Amanvir Sudan Class Sel 1 0
Tdworld 7101 Amanvir Sudan Class Sel 1 0
Tdworld 7101 Amanvir Sudan Class Sel 1 0
Tdworld 7101 Amanvir Sudan Class Sel 1 0
Tdworld 7101 Amanvir Sudan Class Sel 1 0

Amanvir Sudan: Best Way to Learn Is to Teach

March 2, 2017
T&D World spoke with Sudan about his perspective of power systems education and how much he loves his job.

Teaching courses has helped Amanvir Sudan “get better” in his role as associate application engineer in protection at Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories Inc. (SEL). Sudan supports SEL customers in the southwest region of the United States.

“Being an application engineer is all about supporting customers and their applications," Sudan said in an interview with T&D World. “An application engineer needs to have a solid understanding of the power system and how our products and the system’s peripherals are applied to protect and control it.”

Sudan teaches several courses at SEL University. He said the best course to take is PROT 401, Protecting Power Systems for Engineers, which he will present in August in Phoenix.

Amanvir Sudan received his bachelor of engineering degree in electrical and electronics engineering in 2011 from Panjab University in India. He then received his masters of science degree in electrical engineering, with a power system emphasis, in 2013 from Washington State University in the United States. Amanvir joined SEL in 2012 as an electrical engineering intern for the engineering services division of SEL where his focus was automation.

T&D World spoke with Sudan about his perspective of power systems education and how much he loves his job.

Q: When and why did you decide to go into power systems?

Choosing a career in power systems was a natural choice after encountering Faraday’s law and its applications in high school. The affinity was further strengthened after taking electric machines and power systems courses as an undergraduate. Choosing power system protection as the final career choice was all a matter of chance. Ever since then, the admiration toward power system protection keeps on growing.    

Q: Best thing about your job right now?

Helping our customers. 

Q: What courses/sessions have you presented in the past, and what’s coming up?

To name a few:

  • APP 351: SEL-351 Protection System
  • APP 451: SEL-451 Protection, Automation, and Bay Control System
  • APP 411L: 87L Functions in the SEL-411L Relay
  • APP 311L: SEL-311L Line Current Differential Relay
  • APP 735: SEL-735 Power Quality and Revenue Meter
  • TST 107: SEL Transmission Substation Relay Testing
  • PROT 300: Symmetrical Components Theory and Application
  • PROT 301: Protecting Power Systems for Technicians
  • PROT 401: Protecting Power Systems for Engineers

I am scheduled to teach a few courses again this year. One of the courses I am really looking forward to is the PROT 401 course in August this year in Phoenix. It is a fun, long (five full days), and challenging course that I have always enjoyed teaching. 

Q: What’s the most important thing you’ve learned that you want to communicate to other engineers?

Dig in deep! Don’t be afraid to ask questions to fully understand. Then, always document.

Q: Why do you think power systems training important to the industry? How will it help your students?

Hands down, PROT 401 is the best course one could take. Especially for newcomers to the utility industry. This course covers a lot of ground, from topics ranging from protection coordination to generator protection. And the knowledge that the students walk away with is priceless. The same knowledge the students will go on to deploy in developing protection settings and schemes.

Q: What do you like to do in your spare time?

Completely shut down my power systems engine and spend time with family and friends.

Q: Anything else you would like to add about your teaching philosophy?

The more you do it, the better you will get.

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