Sponsor: Coastal Los Angeles Chapter,AP03, California State Univ-Long Beach,C16, Coastal Los Angeles Section Chapter, SYS45
Speaker: Dr. Kalyan K. Sen

Date: 18 May 2026
Time: 11:00 AM PDT to 12:00 PM PDT
Cost:
Location:
Reservations: IEEE
Summary:
Electric power sources are frequently located away from population centers. Therefore, the electricity must be transported from the power sources to consumers through transmission and distribution lines. The voltage changes its magnitude and phase angle at any point along a line due to the voltage drop across the line impedance, which is caused by the flow of current in the line. However, the voltage at a point-of-common-coupling with a load must be maintained within the regulatory limits. Voltage regulation techniques have been practiced in power grid applications with the use of inductors, capacitors, transformers and load tap changers (LTCs) since the earlier days of electrical engineering. However, the latest trend is to use more and more power electronics-based solutions. Even though the costs of the available solutions vary widely, the basic underlying theory of voltage regulation is still the same as it has always been. The voltage control techniques are applicable in electric transmission lines as well as various other applications, such as motor drives, flicker control, harmonic mitigation, and so on. In examining the various solutions for voltage regulation, the presenter discusses how these solutions address both functional needs and cost demands.
Bio: Dr. Kalyan K. Sen is the President & Chief Technology Officer of Sen Engineering Solutions, Inc. (www.sentransformer.com) that specializes in developing SMART power flow controllers—a functional requirements-based and cost-effective solution. Kalyan was an Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering at Prairie View A&M University during 1987-90 and spent the next 30 years in industry, starting at Westinghouse Science & Technology Center (STC) in 1990 and retiring from Fluor (formerly Westinghouse) in 2020. He was a key member of the Flexible Alternating Current Transmission Systems (FACTS) development team at the Westinghouse-STC for which he became a Westinghouse Fellow Engineer. He contributed to concept development, simulation, design, and commissioning of FACTS projects at Westinghouse. He conceived some of the basic concepts in power flow control technology for which he was elevated to the IEEE Fellow grade with the citation: for the development and application of power flow control technology. He is the Co-inventor of the Sen Transformer, which is commercially available to regulate ±6.5 MVA line power in a 33 kV line. Kalyan holds BEE (1982), MSEE (1983), and PhD (1987) degrees, all in Electrical Engineering, from Jadavpur University, Tuskegee University and Worcester Polytechnic Institute, respectively, and an MBA (2012) from Robert Morris University.