Events

Please join the IEEE Seattle EXCOM and seminar Tuesday March 10th 6PM - 7pm Seminar and 7-8 pm EXCOM Speach by Mr. Clint Solomon Mathialagan , Winner of the Speaker award at the IEEE New Era AI Wold leaders Summit . Title: Reinventing Reverse Logistics Sub-Title: How AI is Turning Niche Processes into Scalable Circular Systems Abstract As intelligent commerce evolves, reverse logistics is undergoing a fundamental transformation driven by artificial intelligence. Once viewed as a specialized, low-ROI process, it is now emerging as a data-rich domain where AI enables predictive, adaptive, and scalable decision-making. Each return triggers a chain of interrelated decisions: identifying return intent, efficiently routing items, detecting fraud, ensuring safety, and determining the optimal recovery path through resale, refurbishment, or recycling. Advances in multimodal perception, forecasting, and optimization are making what was once operationally niche, economically scalable across industries. This talk explores how AI transforms reverse logistics into a self-learning, circular system that unites sustainability, safety, and profitability. By turning reactive operations into proactive intelligence networks, organizations can unlock new forms of value and participation across specialized industries, general-purpose retail and e-commerce. We examine how recent advances in foundation models, multimodal AI, and state-of-the-art predictive systems enable new capabilities across the reverse logistics lifecycle. These include models for demand and return-inflow forecasting, intelligent routing and recovery optimization, multimodal inspection and defect detection, and reasoning systems that interpret policies and operational constraints across complex workflows. Together, these technologies enable hybrid, agentic architectures that combine general-purpose reasoning with specialized predictive and optimization models. Attendees will learn how scalable AI systems can transform reverse logistics into an adaptive intelligence layer that improves operational efficiency while supporting trust, transparency, and measurable circular impact across industries. Bio Clint Solomon Mathialagan is a Senior Principal Applied Scientist at Oracle, where he leads applied research and development across large-scale AI systems in language, vision, and graph domains for Pharmacovigilance. His work focuses on building adaptive, responsible, and high-impact AI solutions that connect scientific rigor with operational performance in real-world high-stakes environments. Over his career, Clint has contributed to foundational advances in multimodal learning, conversational AI, and privacy-preserving machine learning. His patented innovations and published research span topics including transformer-based architectures, self-learning models, and knowledge-graph reasoning, with work featured in leading AI venues such as NAACL, SIGIR, and CVPR. Before joining Oracle, he held research and engineering roles at Meta, Protopia AI, and Amazon. At Amazon, he led several large-scale machine learning initiatives, including projects in ReCommerce and Reverse Logistics that improved automation, safety, and value recovery across global fulfillment operations. His earlier contributions to Alexa AI helped advance personalized and context-aware conversational systems at production scale. Clint’s broader interests lie in bridging the gap between academic research and applied AI practice, particularly in building systems that are interpretable, secure, and aligned with human and organizational goals. Parking Lin k To reserve parking, click on the following link: https://www.offstreet.io/events/RKLSDC5K and enter your vehicle license plate. Co-sponsored by: Priyank Desai , Mike Stiber, Neha Shetty, Shiny Abraham Agenda: Tuesday March 10th 2026 6pm- 8:30 pm 6PM-6:50pmPM Speech, Reinventing Reverse Logistics 7pm - 8:30pm EXCOM meeting 1) Approve of Feb 10th 2026 meeting minutes 2) Treasure report, 3) election 4) Session Business. Concur reimbursemnet 5) Chapter, affinity Group, and Student Branch report. 6) Other Business. Paeking Link To reserve parking, click on the following link: https://www.offstreet.io/events/RKLSDC5K and enter your vehicle license plate. Room: 143, Bldg: Harding Building, 1215 E Columbia St (Central District) Seattle, WA 98122Read more, Seattle , Washington, United States, 98122, Virtual: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/543912

Please join the IEEE Seattle EXCOM and seminar Tuesday March 10th 6PM - 7pm Seminar and 7-8 pm EXCOM Speach by Mr. Clint Solomon Mathialagan , Winner of the Speaker award at the IEEE New Era AI Wold leaders Summit . Title: Reinventing Reverse Logistics Sub-Title: How AI is Turning Niche Processes into Scalable Circular Systems Abstract As intelligent commerce evolves, reverse logistics is undergoing a fundamental transformation driven by artificial intelligence. Once viewed as a specialized, low-ROI process, it is now emerging as a data-rich domain where AI enables predictive, adaptive, and scalable decision-making. Each return triggers a chain of interrelated decisions: identifying return intent, efficiently routing items, detecting fraud, ensuring safety, and determining the optimal recovery path through resale, refurbishment, or recycling. Advances in multimodal perception, forecasting, and optimization are making what was once operationally niche, economically scalable across industries. This talk explores how AI transforms reverse logistics into a self-learning, circular system that unites sustainability, safety, and profitability. By turning reactive operations into proactive intelligence networks, organizations can unlock new forms of value and participation across specialized industries, general-purpose retail and e-commerce. We examine how recent advances in foundation models, multimodal AI, and state-of-the-art predictive systems enable new capabilities across the reverse logistics lifecycle. These include models for demand and return-inflow forecasting, intelligent routing and recovery optimization, multimodal inspection and defect detection, and reasoning systems that interpret policies and operational constraints across complex workflows. Together, these technologies enable hybrid, agentic architectures that combine general-purpose reasoning with specialized predictive and optimization models. Attendees will learn how scalable AI systems can transform reverse logistics into an adaptive intelligence layer that improves operational efficiency while supporting trust, transparency, and measurable circular impact across industries. Bio Clint Solomon Mathialagan is a Senior Principal Applied Scientist at Oracle, where he leads applied research and development across large-scale AI systems in language, vision, and graph domains for Pharmacovigilance. His work focuses on building adaptive, responsible, and high-impact AI solutions that connect scientific rigor with operational performance in real-world high-stakes environments. Over his career, Clint has contributed to foundational advances in multimodal learning, conversational AI, and privacy-preserving machine learning. His patented innovations and published research span topics including transformer-based architectures, self-learning models, and knowledge-graph reasoning, with work featured in leading AI venues such as NAACL, SIGIR, and CVPR. Before joining Oracle, he held research and engineering roles at Meta, Protopia AI, and Amazon. At Amazon, he led several large-scale machine learning initiatives, including projects in ReCommerce and Reverse Logistics that improved automation, safety, and value recovery across global fulfillment operations. His earlier contributions to Alexa AI helped advance personalized and context-aware conversational systems at production scale. Clint’s broader interests lie in bridging the gap between academic research and applied AI practice, particularly in building systems that are interpretable, secure, and aligned with human and organizational goals. Parking Link: To reserve parking, click on the following link: https://www.offstreet.io/events/RKLSDC5K and enter your vehicle license plate. Parking lot is two blocks away on E, Marion and 12th olr on the street . Co-sponsored by: Priyank Desai , Mike Stiber, Neha Shetty, Shiny Abraham Agenda: Tuesday March 10th 2026 6pm- 8:30 pm 6PM-6:50pmPM Speech, Reinventing Reverse Logistics 7pm - 8:30pm EXCOM meeting 1) Approve of Feb 10th 2026 meeting minutes 2) Treasure report, 3) election 4) Session Business. Concur reimbursement Newsletter 5) Chapter, affinity Group, and Student Branch report. 6) Other Business. Paeking Link To reserve parking, click on the following link: https://www.offstreet.io/events/RKLSDC5K and enter your vehicle license plate. Room: 143, Bldg: Harding Building, 1215 E Columbia St (Central District) Seattle, WA 98122Read more, Seattle , Washington, United States, 98122, Virtual: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/544684

Celebrate International Women's Day 2026 with our virtual panel "Give to Gain: Investing in Women to Strengthen Leadership and Innovation." This engaging international dialogue brings together leaders from higher education, engineering, and IEEE WIE to explore how investing in women creates stronger leadership pipelines and accelerates innovation in STEM and beyond. Virtual: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/543770

[] TECHNICAL PROGRAM This program is dedicated to the memory of Omar Zubi, Boeing's longtime EMC Lab Manager, who passed away suddenly on January 31, 2026. EMC Challenges for ‘New Space’ Small Satellite Development By Russell Carroll, EMI/EMC Consulting Engineer, EMI Sleuth, El Segundo, CA, USA Abstract: This presentation discusses EMC challenges seen by engineers in the ‘new space’ world of small satellite development. These challenges include non-standardized launch vehicle and host interface requirements, unspecified lightning protection requirements, and schedule constraints on EMC testing and development. Technical challenges include power and signal isolation, crosstalk from long pigtails in wire harnesses, limited physical space for filters and shielding, and large apertures in the vehicle faraday cage. Speaker Biography: Russell Carroll is a consulting engineer with extensive experience in the analysis, design, and testing of electromagnetic effects on units and systems including space satellites and industrial electronics. His research is focused on developing useful analysis tools and methods for unit and system level EMC analysis. Mr. Carroll is a registered Professional Engineer and an iNARTE certified EMC Engineer. He received the B.S. and M.S. degrees in electrical engineering from the University of Alaska Fairbanks in 2013 and 2014. He may be reached at russell@emisleuth.com. CISPR and ANSC C63® Overview on Site Validation Measurements from 18 GHz to 40 GHz - Latest Advances in EMC Test Site Evaluation Using Advanced Antenna Measurement Techniques By Zhong Chen, Chief Engineer, ETS-Lindgren, Cedar Park, Texas, USA Abstract: This presentation introduces a novel approach for EMC chamber validation beyond 18 GHz, currently under consideration in ANSI C63 and CISPR standards. By integrating Cylindrical Mode Filtered Site Voltage Standing Wave Ratio (CMF SVSWR) with Compressed Sensing (CS), we address inherent challenges in traditional SVSWR methods, such as inconsistency and slow data acquisition. CMF SVSWR utilizes circular path measurements and mode domain post-processing to discern antenna and chamber reflections, crucial for comprehensive VSWR analysis. Compressed Sensing, a data-driven machine learning technique, exploits signal sparsity to reconstruct data from fewer randomly sampled measurement points, thereby reducing test times and eliminating the need for precise turntable positioning. Speaker Biography: Zhong Chen is Chief Engineer at ETS-Lindgren, located in Cedar Park, Texas. He has more than 25 years of experience in RF testing, anechoic chamber design, as well as EMC antenna and field probe design and measurements. He is an active member of the ANSC C63® committee currently serving as Vice-Chair and is the immediate past Chair of Subcommittee 1 which is responsible for the antenna calibration (ANSI C63.5) and chamber/test site validation standards (ANSI C63.4 and the ANSI C63.25 series). Mr. Chen is chair of the IEEE Standard 1309 committee responsible for developing calibration standards for field probes, and IEEE Standard 1128 for absorber evaluation. He is a former member of the IEEE EMC Society Board of Governors and the Antenna Measurement Techniques Association (AMTA) Board of Directors. He is a past Distinguished Lecturer for the EMC Society and is recognized as an AMTA Fellow. His research interests include measurement uncertainty, time domain measurements for site validation and antenna calibration, and development of novel RF absorber materials. Several papers authored and co-authored by Mr. Chen have received best paper recognition at global conferences. Zhong Chen received his M.S.E.E. degree in Electromagnetics from the Ohio State University at Columbus. He may be reached at zhong.chen@ets-lindgren.com. EMC Lab Tour and Demo Overview ​By Dennis Lewis, Technical Fellow, The Boeing Company, and Zhong Chen, ETS-Lindgren Abstract: We will demonstrate how data post-processing can be used to extract antenna and chamber parameters. The first demo highlights time-domain techniques for evaluating absorber performance in anechoic chambers. In aerospace EMC testing, measurements are typically performed per MIL-STD 461, which requires only 10 dB attenuation above 250 MHz—allowing chambers to remain relatively reflective and without system-level validation. Using time-gated antenna reflection measurements, we show a practical method to verify and quantify actual chamber performance. If time permits, we will also demonstrate the Cylindrical Mode Filtered (CMF) technique. This method measures the antenna pattern with an intentional offset (e.g., placing the antenna at the edge of the turntable). The complex S21 versus angle at each frequency is transformed into the spectral domain, where filtering removes chamber contributions mathematically, producing a “clean” antenna pattern even in a nonideal environment. For site validation, standing-wave ripples are obtained by comparing the original chamber pattern to the filtered result. The demo will cover the full measurement workflow, including real-time post-processing. The CMF SVSWR technique is under consideration in the draft ANSI C63.25.3 by ANSC C63 and in CISPR 16 site validation standards for EMC test sites from 18 GHz to 40 GHz. MANY THANKS TO OUR LUNCH SPONSOR ROHDE & SCHWARZ!! Agenda: 1:00 pm - Registration Check-In and Complimentary Lunch Courtesy of Rohde & Schwarz 1:40 pm - Welcome from Seattle EMC Chapter Chair, Janet O'Neil with ETS-Lindgren and Seattle AP/ED/MTT Chapter Chair, Dennis Lewis with Boeing 1:45 pm - EMC Challenges for ‘New Space’ Small Satellite Development By Russell Carroll, EMI/EMC Consulting Engineer, EMI Sleuth, El Segundo, CA, USA 2:30 pm - CISPR and ANSC C63® Overview on Site Validation Measurements from 18 GHz to 40 GHz - Latest Advances in EMC Test Site Evaluation Using Advanced Antenna Measurement Techniques By Zhong Chen, Chief Engineer, ETS-Lindgren, Cedar Park, Texas, USA 3:30 pm - Refreshment Break 3:50 pm - Overview of Boeing EMC Lab and Demo Set Up by Dennis Lewis, Technical Fellow with Boeing and Zhong Chen with ETS-Lindgren 4:20 pm - Technical tour of the Boeing EMC Lab with LIVE demo 5:00 pm - Adjourn Bldg: 2-122, Boeing, 7701 14th Ave Soutn, Seattle, Washington, United States, 98108

Eaton is one of the world's leading manufacturers of electrical distribution equipment, with a presence in over 160 countries. Eaton's Seattle satellite facility is one of 16 nationwide facilities dedicated to producing custom-made equipment for regional customers. The Seattle satellite facility produces panelboards, switchboards, and enclosed circuit breakers. This tour will take attendees onto the shop floor during business hours, where they will have the opportunity to see equipment during production, learn about Eaton's custom solutions, and speak with plant personnel. Note: The tour will take place at an operational manufacturing facility. All attendees are asked to bring hard toe boots and safety glasses. Lunch will be provided after the tour. Please indicate any dietary restrictions during registration. For more info on Eaton: (https://www.eaton.com/content/eaton/us/en-us/company/about-us.html) For more info on Eaton's Seattle satellite facility: (https://www.eaton.com/content/dam/eaton/products/low-voltage-power-distribution-controls-systems/panelboards/SA143006EN.pdf) Room: Suite 114, 1604 15th St SW, Auburn, Washington, United States, 98001

Join us for a talk on how SmartNICs and RDMA Power AI in the Cloud, check out an Embodied AI demo and get insights into the state of the Chapter. Training modern Large Language Models (LLMs) requires tens of thousands of GPUs acting as a single "AI Supercomputer." To build this "AI Hypercomputer," we must first address the CPU bottlenecks of traditional general-purpose networking. This talk begins by analyzing why standard TCP/IP processing limits Model Training performance and introduces the concept of "Kernel Bypass" and the role of SmartNICs in offloading network processing from the host CPU. We will explore why modern AI clusters have moved toward hardware offloads (like RDMA) to achieve the high throughput and low latency required for GPU-to-GPU communication. We will also discuss the specific challenges of running lossless transport protocols over lossy Ethernet, where congestion and packet drops can cause severe performance degradation ("tail latency") in large-scale training jobs. The session concludes by analyzing the architectural design patterns required to optimize flow control and ensure reliable delivery in massive AI infrastructure environments. Demo: Comparing Reinforcement Learning with Imitation Learning for Autonomous Warehouse Pick-and-Place using a Robotic Arm This demo simulates a last-meter warehouse picking task, inspired by Amazon/Kiva-style systems but using general-purpose robotics. The experiments explicitly contrast policy-gradient reinforcement learning methods such as PPO with imitation learning inside a physically realistic embodied-AI task built with Isaac Sim. The demo has been designed to expose where each algorithm struggles or excels due to action spaces, partial observability, contact dynamics, and reward structure. These are core issues in embodied AI. This event features a leading industry expert from Google addressing this important topic, followed by a demo on Embodied AI using Isaac Sim / Lab updates on the state of our chapter from the IEEE CIS SCV Chair. 🎤 Talk 1 The Infrastructure of AI: How SmartNICs and RDMA Power the Cloud Speaker: Sujithra Periasamy, Google 🎤 Demo and Talk Comparing Model-Free RL Algorithms for Autonomous Warehouse Pick-and-Place with Mobile Manipulation Speakers: Mayank Kapadia and Dr. Vishnu S. Pendyala, Department of Applied Data Science, College of Information, Data, and Society, San Jose State University 🎤 Talk 2 State of the Chapter Speaker: Dr. Vishnu S. Pendyala, Chair, IEEE CIS Santa Clara Valley Chapter Co-sponsored by: Vishnu S. Pendyala, San Jose State University Speaker(s): Sujithra Periasamy, Dr. Vishnu S Pendyala Room: MLK Room 225, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library (SJSU), 150 E San Fernando St San Jose, California 95112, San Jose, California, United States, Virtual: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/537154

[] The theme of the NWESS 2026 conference is Powering Progress “Navigating a Transforming Utility Landscape”. NWESS 2026 is a 2 day symposium that focuses on a wide range of topics and provides information on how to best address some of the most pressing energy issues facing our region. The symposium is an industry driven conference; the topics are suggested and voted on by the Industry. The symposium is a combination of presentations and discussions. Key Note Speakers to open the conference - Michel Vargo, Puget Sound Energy Topics to be presented at NWESS 2026 include: - Risk Based Management (wildfire mitigation) - Seismic Transformer Study - Transformer Loading - AI for Power Utilities by NVIDIA & NEETRAC - Preparing for Middle Housing and EPRI Tool for Secondary Design - Load Seer - Top Down and Bottom Up and how you plan for electrification and climate change - Data Center Load Growth -The Opportunity, The Risk and the Reality - Integrated Load Planning Study - EPRI E-Roadmap Tool / NEVI - The Grid Center for Reliable Electricity Delivery (GridCRED) NWESS is sponsored by the electric energy industry in the Pacific Northwest, the IEEE and the Electrical Energy program at the University of Washington. University of Washington, Dept. of Electrical & Computer Engineering Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Bonneville Power Administration Electric Power Systems Inc Snohomish County PUD Puget Sound Energy Seattle City Light Peninsula Light Tacoma Power Agenda: The NWESS 2026 full program and agenda with speaker biographies and abstacts are available at www.nwess.org Parking: The closest option is the (https://www.washington.edu/maps/#!/central-plaza-garage-c01-c02-c03-c04-c05-c06), entrance on 15th Ave NE and NE 41st. Public transportation: Consider using the link light rail to the (https://www.soundtransit.org/ride-with-us/stops-stations/u-district-station). 1315 NE Campus Parkway, Seattle, Washington, United States, 98105

EXCOM Meeting for IEEE PES Seattle Officers Virtual: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/521446

Synopsis: Please feel free to check out the work and thoughts of Prof. Ethem Alpaydın, Ph.D., https://mitpress.mit.edu/author/ethem-alpaydn-10375/ on Google Scholar at https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=lXYKgiYAAAAJ&hl=tr and generally on the Internet. Then, please feel free to submit your questions to Prof. Ethem Alpaydın - via Twitter by using the hashtag #ProfAlpaydinAMA and tagging @vishnupendyala - emailing vspendyala(at)hotmail(dot)com with #ProfAlpaydinAMA in the subject Selected questions will be answered by Prof. Alpaydin during the session. The audience may be able to ask follow-up questions during the session, using the Chat feature. --------------------------------------------------------------- By registering for this event, you agree that IEEE and the organizers are not liable to you for any loss, damage, injury, or any incidental, indirect, special, consequential, or economic loss or damage (including loss of opportunity, exemplary or punitive damages). The event will be recorded and will be made available for public viewing. Co-sponsored by: Vishnu S. Pendyala, SJSU Speaker(s): Dr. Vishnu S. Pendyala, Prof. Alpaydın Virtual: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/537179

High Voltage DC Transmission has seen rapid technology advances in the last 20 years driven by the implementation of VSC (Voltage Source Converters) at GW powers and in particular introduction of MMC (Modular Multilevel Converters). The development of interconnected DC transmission grids requires significant further advance from the existing point-to-point HVDC links. It is widely believed that complex DC power grids can be built with comparable performance, reliability, flexibility and losses as traditional AC grids. The primary motivation for DC grid development is the need for power flow and trading between many DC terminals, as an example in the proposed (350 GW) North Sea DC grid, or EU-wide overlay DC grid. AC transmission is not feasible with long subsea cables, and it is inferior to DC systems in many other conditions. This presentation addresses the options and challenges with DC grid development, referring also to state-of-art technology status. Zhangbei 4-terminal DC system (China, 2020) represents the first implemented GW-scale meshed DC transmission grid, which employs bipolar ring topology with overhead lines and 16 DC Circuit Breakers. However, multiple studies illustrate advantages of some radial, hub-based or segmented topologies, because of component costs, and challenges with interoperability, ownership, DC markets, operation, security and reliability. MMC concepts, including half-bridge and full-bridge modules, will underpin DC grid converters and further advances like hybrid LCC/MMC converters have been implemented recently. DC/DC converters at hundreds of MW are not yet commercially available but there is lot of research world-wide, and some lower-power prototypes have been demonstrated. DC/DC converters may take multiple functions including: DC voltage stepping (transformer role), DC fault interruption (DC CB role) and power flow control. Multiport DC hubs can be viewed as electronic DC substations, capable of interconnecting multiple DC lines. Very fast DC CB circuit breakers (2 ms) have become commercially available recently, but the cost is considerably higher than AC CBs. Slightly slower mechanical DC CBs (5-8 ms) are also available from multiple vendors, while new technical solutions are emerging worldwide for achieving faster operation with lower size/weight/costs. DC grid modelling will face the new challenge of numerous converters dynamically coupled through low-impedance DC cables/lines. A compromise between simulation speed and accuracy is required, leading to some average-value modelling, commonly in rotating DQ frame, but capturing very fast dynamics and variable structure to represent fault conditions. The principles of control of DC grids have been developed. DC systems have no system-wide common frequency to indicate power unbalance, and voltage responds to local and global loading rather than reactive power flow. DC grid dynamics are 2 orders of magnitude faster than traditional AC systems and most components will be controllable implying numerous, fast control loop interactions. Because of lack of inertia, and minimal overload capability for semiconductors, DC grid primary and secondary control should be feedback-based (man-made), fast, and distributed. International standardization efforts have begun. The protection of DC grids is a significant technical challenge, both in terms of components and protection logic. The selectivity has been demonstrated within 0.5 ms timeframe using commercial and open-source DC relays. Nevertheless, grid operators have expressed concerns with self-protection on various components, back-up grid-wide protection, interoperability, and in general if we can achieve power transfer security levels comparable with AC grids and acceptable to stakeholders. Speaker(s): Dragan Jovcic, Agenda: • 5:30 – 5:45 PM: Welcome & Introduction • 5:45 – 6:45 PM: Distinguished Lecturer Technical Talk • 6:45 – 7:15 PM: Q&A Session • 7:15 – 7:30 PM: Closing Remarks & Acknowledgements 1825 Schweitzer Drive, Pullman, Washington, United States, 99163

High Voltage DC Transmission has seen rapid technology advances in the last 20 years driven by the implementation of VSC (Voltage Source Converters) at GW powers and in particular introduction of MMC (Modular Multilevel Converters). The development of interconnected DC transmission grids requires significant further advance from the existing point-to-point HVDC links. It is widely believed that complex DC power grids can be built with comparable performance, reliability, flexibility and losses as traditional AC grids. The primary motivation for DC grid development is the need for power flow and trading between many DC terminals, as an example in the proposed (350 GW) North Sea DC grid, or EU-wide overlay DC grid. AC transmission is not feasible with long subsea cables, and it is inferior to DC systems in many other conditions. This presentation addresses the options and challenges with DC grid development, referring also to state-of-art technology status. Zhangbei 4-terminal DC system (China, 2020) represents the first implemented GW-scale meshed DC transmission grid, which employs bipolar ring topology with overhead lines and 16 DC Circuit Breakers. However, multiple studies illustrate advantages of some radial, hub-based or segmented topologies, because of component costs, and challenges with interoperability, ownership, DC markets, operation, security and reliability. MMC concepts, including half-bridge and full-bridge modules, will underpin DC grid converters and further advances like hybrid LCC/MMC converters have been implemented recently. DC/DC converters at hundreds of MW are not yet commercially available but there is lot of research world-wide, and some lower-power prototypes have been demonstrated. DC/DC converters may take multiple functions including: DC voltage stepping (transformer role), DC fault interruption (DC CB role) and power flow control. Multiport DC hubs can be viewed as electronic DC substations, capable of interconnecting multiple DC lines. Very fast DC CB circuit breakers (2 ms) have become commercially available recently, but the cost is considerably higher than AC CBs. Slightly slower mechanical DC CBs (5-8 ms) are also available from multiple vendors, while new technical solutions are emerging worldwide for achieving faster operation with lower size/weight/costs. DC grid modelling will face the new challenge of numerous converters dynamically coupled through low-impedance DC cables/lines. A compromise between simulation speed and accuracy is required, leading to some average-value modelling, commonly in rotating DQ frame, but capturing very fast dynamics and variable structure to represent fault conditions. The principles of control of DC grids have been developed. DC systems have no system-wide common frequency to indicate power unbalance, and voltage responds to local and global loading rather than reactive power flow. DC grid dynamics are 2 orders of magnitude faster than traditional AC systems and most components will be controllable implying numerous, fast control loop interactions. Because of lack of inertia, and minimal overload capability for semiconductors, DC grid primary and secondary control should be feedback-based (man-made), fast, and distributed. International standardization efforts have begun. The protection of DC grids is a significant technical challenge, both in terms of components and protection logic. The selectivity has been demonstrated within 0.5 ms timeframe using commercial and open-source DC relays. Nevertheless, grid operators have expressed concerns with self-protection on various components, back-up grid-wide protection, interoperability, and in general if we can achieve power transfer security levels comparable with AC grids and acceptable to stakeholders. Speaker(s): , Dragan Jovcic Agenda: • 5:00 – 5:15 PM: Welcome & Introduction • 5:15 – 6:15 PM: Distinguished Lecturer Technical Talk • 6:15 – 6:45 PM: Q&A Session • 6:45 – 7:00 PM: Closing Remarks & Acknowledgements Room: 303, Bldg: Electrical and Computer Engineering, 185 W Stevens Wy NE, Seattle, Washington, United States

EXCOM Meeting for IEEE PES Seattle Officers Virtual: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/521447