Dr. Thomas Overbye, professor and O'Donnell Foundation Chair III, and Dr. Adam Birchfield, assistant professor, both in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Texas A&M University, co-authored a new edition of the widely used book titled "Power System Analysis and Design.”
The book, which has been in print since 1987, introduces the basic concepts behind today's power systems and presents real-world application tools for students. This new edition, which was published in December 2021, covers fundamental theory and design techniques, providing a blend of theory and practical results.
"The seventh edition of this book is updated with the latest case studies, fresh problems and examples, and an entirely new chapter on power system economics and optimization,” Birchfield said. “We hope these updates will help this book continue to be a great resource for those teaching and learning power engineering."
As a junior faculty member, Birchfield offers a unique perspective that is not often shared in books of this kind. Prior to his appointment as assistant professor, Birchfield was a research engineer at the Electric Power Research Institute. He received his bachelor’s degree from Auburn University in 2014, master’s degree in electrical and computer engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2016 and doctoral degree in electrical engineering from Texas A&M in 2018. Birchfield’s research is in power system modeling, large system transient dynamics, applications of synthetic power grid datasets and the resilience of power systems to high-impact, low-frequency events.
The seventh edition of this book is updated with the latest case studies, fresh problems and examples, and an entirely new chapter on power system economics and optimization.
Prior to joining Texas A&M in 2017, Overbye was a professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He received his bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in electrical engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Before starting his academic career, he was employed with Madison Gas and Electric Company. He is the original developer of PowerWorld Simulator and a co-founder of PowerWorld Corporation. He was also the recipient of a University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Engineering Distinguished Achievement Award, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Power and Energy Society Outstanding Power Engineering Educator Award and is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering. Overbye has extensive experience in many aspects of electric power systems, including participating in or leading numerous large-scale electric grid studies. He is also the director of the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station Smart Grid Center.
The book includes educational examples of the PowerWorld Simulator and the use of interactive computer simulations to help students understand how engineering concepts are used in actual electric grid analysis and design.
“We’re delighted to have Adam join as an additional author with the seventh edition of the book,” Overbye said. “He adds great new expertise in this rapidly changing field, and I hope he can continue to share his insights with the book readers for many years to come.”