Events

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

This is a social event for our students and members to engage with each other and learn more about our goals. Room: Student Lounge, Bldg: Kaiser Borsari Hall, 516 High St, Bellingham, Washington, United States, 98225

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

Please Join Us: IEEE Seattle EXCOM & Distinguished Talk Tuesday, April 14 6:00–7:00 PM — Featured Speech 7:00–8:00 PM — IEEE Seattle EXCOM Meeting Featured Speaker: Dr. Sheree Wen Title: How Can AI Data Centers Benefit Both the Environment and Society? Abstract: AI data centers are rapidly expanding and are among the most energy-intensive infrastructures of our time—consuming power comparable to entire cities such as Seattle or Silicon Valley. Their water usage is also approaching that of large urban regions. In some areas of the United States, this unprecedented demand has already led to harmonic disturbances, power fluctuations, and, in extreme cases, risks of grid instability. This talk will explore and analyze the environmental and energy challenges posed by AI data centers. Dr. Wen will present both near-term and long-term solutions, including innovative approaches to reducing energy consumption, minimizing environmental impact, and enabling sustainable, high-performance AI infrastructure for the future. Don’t miss this timely and impactful discussion on shaping a sustainable AI-powered world. Bio Dr. Sheree Wen served as the United States National Commissioner to UNESCO – the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization- and is currently the President of UNESCO Washington State. Dr. Wen earned her Ph.D. in Engineering, Solid State Physics, and Statistics from UC Berkeley. After her Ph.D., she joined IBM Research. Nominated and recognized by several international Academicians. She was awarded the Young Scientist of the Year award and a gold medal. She solved critical issues that hindered the rollout of the world's first MIP computer systems, making major contributions. She served in senior management at IBM, where she was responsible for corporate technical strategies, worldwide manufacturing, corporate quality, and university grants. Dr. Sheree Wen later built companies that researched and developed innovative products. She established factories in Asia and Yonkers, New York, producing leading-edge electronic products supplied to the Federal Government, including the DOD, DOA, NAVY, Chief of Staff, and state and local governments. Her factories made OEM products under the names of IBM, AT&T, Unisys, and the Wen brand. Her products were distributed worldwide through brand stores, wholesale, and chain stores, including Walmart, Sam's Club, OEM outlets, and major distributors. Her companies were recognized as 5-star quality suppliers by NASA and Boeing; She was awarded the United States Small Business Administration’s Award of Excellence. Dr. Wen was the Inventor of the first innovative hacker-free LCD display, awarded leadership certificates by the Department of Defense (DOD). At IEEE, Dr. Wen has served in multiple leadership roles, including Chair of the IEEE Humanitarian Partnership. Chair of the IEEE USA Communication Policy Committee and Cybersecurity Committee. Region 6 Chair of Women in Engineering. Region 6 Chair of the Government Relations Committee. Vice Chair of the IEEE USA R&D Policy Committee Region 6 Chair of the AI Initiative Chair of the IEEE Seattle Section. Dr. Wen also organized conferences and Chair of the 2024 IEEE 140th Anniversary, Innovation Renaissance across three centuries, 2024 IEEE World leaders AI Summit, AI enablement workshops, Best of AI online workshops, Sip and Inspire with AI receptions. The General Chair of the 2025 IEEE New Era AI World Leaders Summit: Uniting Satellite, Humanity, and the Smart World, a landmark conference that brought together global leaders, corporate executives, and academic experts. Event details are available at https://attend.ieee.org/neweraai25/ Vice Chair of the IEEE Global Humanitarian Technology Conference (GHTC 15) Throughout the years, Sheree has devoted herself to the public good. She serves on numerous non-profit boards and donates generously to support causes. The United States National Commissioner to UNESCO, United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. Deputy Mayor of the City of Medina, WA Chair of UNESCO Women Artists United States Committee on International Council on Monuments and Sites (US/ICOMOS) Washington State Emergency Management Committee. Washington State Art Commission Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) Board Pacific Northwest Ballet Board The University of Washington Library Board. Puget Sound Research Council (PSRC) Economic Development Board Westchester County, NY Economic Development Board. King County Emergency Management Advisory Committee Washington First Robotics UW Bothell Technology Advisory Board She contributes numerous technical white papers to the United States Senate, Congress, WA State, and local governments, and participates in many committees and boards. She holds many patents and has published multiple technical papers. Awards and Recognitions Young Scientist of the Year; the Robert Hardy Lansing Gold Medal, IBM Achievement Awards, and two IBM Invention Awards, Leadership Certificate by DOD, Top Women Supplier – NASA, Boeing. NASA 5 Star Quality Award The United States Small Business Administrator’s Award of Excellence. Featured as a top woman entrepreneur by The New York Times Featured as a 20th-century Asian Professional Woman by Japan's Asahi News YWCA in Westchester, NY, named its women's residence Dr. Sheree Wen Sisters’ Village. Parking Link: To reserve parking, click on the following link: https://www.offstreet.io/events/P7HVWR36 and enter your vehicle license plate. Co-sponsored by: Priyank Desai , Mike Stiber, Neha Shetty, Shiny Abraham Agenda: Tuesday, April 14th , 2026, 6 PM- 8:30 PM 6 PM-6:50 PM Speech- How Can AI Data Centers Benefit Both the Environment and Society? 7 PM - 8:30 PM EXCOM meeting 1) Approve of March 10th 2026, meeting minutes 2) Treasure report, 3) IEEE USA Congressional Vising Day CVD highlights. 4) Session Business. 5) Chapter, affinity Group, and Student Branch report. 6) Other Business. Parking Link To reserve parking, click on the following link: https://www.offstreet.io/events/RKLSDC5K Room: 142, 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/553204

Please Join Us: Distinguished Talk before Seattle Section EXCOM Tuesday, April 14 6:00–7:00 PM — Featured Speech This event is prior to the Seattle section EXCOM 7:00-8:30 PM Featured Speaker: Dr. Sheree Wen Title: How Can We Make the AI Data Centers' Infrastructure Sustainable and Benefit Both the Environment and Society? Abstract: AI data centers are rapidly expanding and are among the most energy-intensive infrastructure of our time, consuming power comparable to that of entire cities such as Seattle or Silicon Valley. Their water consumption is also close to, or even exceeds, that of an entire city. In some areas of the United States, this unprecedented demand has already led to harmonic disturbances, power fluctuations, and, in extreme cases, risks of grid instability. This talk will explore and analyze the environmental and energy challenges posed by AI data centers. Dr. Wen will present both near-term and long-term solutions, including innovative approaches to breakthroughs in power generation, innovative design to reduce energy consumption and minimize environmental impact, new developments in chip and system design, and the enabling of sustainable, high-performance AI infrastructure for the future. In addition, recommend potential solutions to address citizens’ concerns regarding the possible relocation of their homes or businesses due to eminent domain associated with new power transmission and related infrastructure projects. Don’t miss this timely and impactful discussion on shaping a sustainable AI-powered world. Bio Dr. Sheree Wen served as the United States National Commissioner to UNESCO – the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization- and is currently the President of UNESCO Washington State. Dr. Wen earned her Ph.D. in Engineering, Solid State Physics, and Statistics from UC Berkeley. After her Ph.D., she joined IBM Research. Nominated and recognized by several international Academicians. She was awarded the Young Scientist of the Year award and a gold medal. She solved critical issues that hindered the rollout of the world's first MIP computer systems, making major contributions. She served in senior management at IBM, where she was responsible for corporate technical strategies, worldwide manufacturing, corporate quality, and university grants. Dr. Sheree Wen later built companies that researched and developed innovative products. She established factories in Asia and Yonkers, New York, producing leading-edge electronic products supplied to the Federal Government, including the DOD, DOA, NAVY, Chief of Staff, and state and local governments. Her factories made OEM products under the names of IBM, AT&T, Unisys, and the Wen brand. Her products were distributed worldwide through brand stores, wholesale, and chain stores, including Walmart, Sam's Club, OEM outlets, and major distributors. Her companies were recognized as 5-star quality suppliers by NASA and Boeing; She was awarded the United States Small Business Administration’s Award of Excellence. Dr. Wen was the Inventor of the first innovative hacker-free LCD display, awarded leadership certificates by the Department of Defense (DOD). At IEEE, Dr. Wen has served in multiple leadership roles, including Chair of the IEEE Humanitarian Partnership. Chair of the IEEE USA Communication Policy Committee and Cybersecurity Committee. Region 6 Chair of Women in Engineering. Region 6 Chair of the Government Relations Committee. Vice Chair of the IEEE USA R&D Policy Committee Region 6 Chair of the AI Initiative Chair of the IEEE Seattle Section. Dr. Wen also organized conferences and Chair of the 2024 IEEE 140th Anniversary, Innovation Renaissance across three centuries, 2024 IEEE World leaders AI Summit, AI enablement workshops, Best of AI online workshops, Sip and Inspire with AI receptions. The General Chair of the 2025 IEEE New Era AI World Leaders Summit: Uniting Satellite, Humanity, and the Smart World, a landmark conference that brought together global leaders, corporate executives, and academic experts. Event details are available at https://attend.ieee.org/neweraai25/ Vice Chair of the IEEE Global Humanitarian Technology Conference (GHTC 15) Throughout the years, Sheree has devoted herself to the public good. She serves on numerous non-profit boards and donates generously to support causes. The United States National Commissioner to UNESCO, United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. Deputy Mayor of the City of Medina, WA Chair of UNESCO Women Artists United States Committee on International Council on Monuments and Sites (US/ICOMOS) Washington State Emergency Management Committee. Washington State Art Commission Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) Board Pacific Northwest Ballet Board The University of Washington Library Board. Puget Sound Research Council (PSRC) Economic Development Board Westchester County, NY Economic Development Board. King County Emergency Management Advisory Committee Washington First Robotics UW Bothell Technology Advisory Board Dr. Wen has contributed numerous technical white papers to the United States Senate, Congress, Washington State, and local governments, and has actively participated in many committees and boards. She holds multiple patents and has published numerous technical papers. She has served on commissions reviewing research programs at U.S. national laboratories, including nuclear reactors and related facilities. She also served on a Washington State committee that reviewed the Hanford nuclear site. Awards and Recognitions Young Scientist of the Year; the Robert Hardy Lansing Gold Medal, IBM Achievement Awards, and two IBM Invention Awards, Leadership Certificate by DOD, Top Women Supplier – NASA, Boeing. NASA 5 Star Quality Award The United States Small Business Administrator’s Award of Excellence. Featured as a top woman entrepreneur by The New York Times Featured as a 20th-century Asian Professional Woman by Japan's Asahi News YWCA in Westchester, NY, named its women's residence Dr. Sheree Wen Sisters’ Village. Parking Link: To reserve parking, click on the following link: https://www.offstreet.io/events/P7HVWR36 and enter your vehicle license plate. Co-sponsored by: Priyank Desai , Mike Stiber, Neha Shetty, Shiny Abraham Agenda: Tuesday, April 14th , 2026, 6 PM- 8:30 PM 6 PM-6:50 PM Speech- How Can AI Data Centers Benefit Both the Environment and Society? 7 PM - 8:30 PM EXCOM meeting Parking Link : To reserve parking, click on the following link: https://www.offstreet.io/events/RKLSDC5K Room: 142, 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/553633

A Look Beyond Massive MIMO – Working with a Huge Number of Antennas Future wireless systems are expected to provide huge growth in user bit rates and overall required bit rates, and the same might be expect for beyond 5G systems. This means a substantial spectral efficiency increase, which must be achieved while maintaining or even improving the power efficiency. To accomplish this one needs to employ new transmission techniques, with the most promising ones based on the use of a large number of antennas. For this reason, massive MIMO (Multiple-Input and Multiple-Output) schemes, involving tens or even hundreds of antennas, are a key component of 5G, since they allow high capacity gains, while enabling significant power savings. Clearly, the evolution beyond 5G will involve even more antennas. A new and revolutionary technique able to improve substantially the performance of wireless communication networks is to smartly changing the propagation characteristics of the wireless channel through the use of RIS (Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces), which are made of a large number of low cost passive reflecting elements able to independently change the amplitude and/or phase of the incident signal so as to achieve specific propagation effects. LIS (Large Intelligent Surfaces) are the natural evolution of massive MIMO schemes. They will employ many thousands of antenna elements, allowing huge capacity gains, as well accurate positioning and efficient energy harvesting techniques. However, the implementation of these techniques involves considerable challenges. In this talk we give an overview of potentialities and challenges of systems with a huge number of antennas. We start by making an overview on the evolution from MIMO to massive MIMO, and its extension to RIS and LIS and cell free systems. Then we present the main features of those systems, as well as the implementation constraints and challenges, as well as potential solutions. Room: 1300, 12920 SE 38th St, Bellevue, Washington, United States, 98006, Virtual: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/547028

Abstract: Nowadays, both digital and analog electronics are reaching fundamental limits that will require revolutionary approaches to satisfy the power/bandwidth requirements of the next generation of data-driven applications. In the first part of the talk, analog and digital signal processing will be compared in terms of power efficiency by highlighting the presence of a thermodynamic upper-bound which relates dynamic range, bandwidth and power dissipation. To circumvent this limit, in the second part of the talk, the quantized-analog signal processing will be introduced. In such approach, analog and digital domains are merged together in a more fluid scenario compared to traditional mixed-signal circuits avoiding the needs of rigid interfaces such as analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog converters. It will be shown that the quantized-analog signal processing leads to superior power efficiency and flexibility compared to its analog counterpart and it represents a good candidate for the development of a new generation of mixed signal integrated circuits. The effectiveness of the proposed solutions will be demonstrated through simulations and measurement results. Antonio Liscidini received the Laurea (summa cum laude) and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from the University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy, in 2002 and 2006, respectively. He was a summer Intern with National Semiconductors, Santa Clara, CA, USA, in 2003, studying poly phase filters and CMOS low-noise amplifiers. From 2008 to 2012, he was an Assistant Professor with the University of Pavia and a consultant with Marvell Semiconductors, Pavia, in the area of integrated circuit design. In 2012, he moved to the Edward S. Rogers Sr. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada, where he is currently Full Professor and Associate Chair Graduate. From 2019 to 2022 he was consultant for Huawei Technology Group in the area of RFIC for optical communication and SerDes. Since 2022 has been consultant for Marvell Technology group. His research interests are focused on analog mixed signal interfaces with particular emphasis on the implementations of transceivers and frequency synthesizers for wireless-wireline communication and ultra-low power applications. Dr. Liscidini was a recipient of the Best Student Paper Award at the IEEE 2005 Symposium on VLSI Circuits, co-recipient of the Best Invited Paper Award at the 2011 IEEE CICC and Best Student Paper Award at the 2018 IEEE ESSCIRC. He is currently Associate Editor in Chief for IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems II: Express Briefs. He has served as an Associate/Guest Editor for several IEEE Journal including: Open Journal of Solid-State Circuit Society, Transactions on Circuits and Systems II: Express Briefs and, Journal of Solid-State Circuits, RFIC Virtual Journal and Solid State Circuit Letters. He has been member for many TPC conferences including ISSCC, ESSCIRC, and CICC. Between 2016 and 2018, he has been a Distinguished Lecturer of the IEEE Solid-State Circuits Society. Since 2026, he is a IEEE Fellow. Speaker(s): Professor Antonio Liscidini, Room: Room 037, Bldg: Electrical and Computer Engineering Building, 185 W Stevens Wy NE , Seattle, Washington, United States, 98195

It is an introduction to GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) within the amateur radio environment, and particularly its usage for APRS (Automatic Packet Reporting System). The lecture provides lots of examples -sometimes funny, sometimes worrying. The speaker's experience with different types of inexpensive GNSS (GPS) receivers will be presented by talk & photos, as well as by displaying a few real devices in a simulated demo. An outdoor test also possible. Co-sponsored by: Instituto de Telecomunicações Speaker(s): Miroslav Skoric Agenda: 17:30 Miroslav Skoric, GPS games Room: Piso 11 - sala de reuniões, Bldg: Torre Norte, IT – Lisboa - Instituto Superior Técnico, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1, Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal, 1049-001, Virtual: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/551027