Learning More about Electricity

milehigh

So...I'm currently employed at a company that builds power plants as an electrical designer. Despite the title, the position mostly involves CAD work, database management and being able to comprehend electrical wiring drawings we get from vendors. I came into this position two years ago (I was 22) because they needed someone competent to manage their Excel and Access files and helping the existing staff (mostly older computer illiterate people) and I had a lot of experience with this stuff. They eventually let me do some drafting (despite no formal training) and eventually I got bumped up to the designer position and now play connect the dots creating wiring diagrams for our construction guys. This isn't the worst scenario by any means and I am well compensated, but I know so little about actual electricity it's not even funny.

Obviously I've learned a ton since I got here, and now have a good grasp of how the power industry works and what we're involved with, but I really feel like I'm missing a fundamental knowledge of how electricity works, both on the power and control/instrumentation sides.

I'm enrolled right now to become an electrical engineer, but am still in a lot of the prereqs for this stuff (I just finished calc I), so I still have a few semesters of this stuff before I actually get to the real meat and potatoes courses for my major (and this may be awhile since I am working full time while going to school)

Long story short, I want to learn more about this, get some real knowledge on not just power, but electrical stuff in general, as well as some hands on experience. I was hoping there were some fairly basic project kits or parts I could pick up to start physically making some things, and get more advanced from there. So I guess I'm looking for recommendations on any books as well as hands on stuff anyone here could recommend. Thanks in advance.

ProPatriaMori

I think I picked up the link for this on Slashdot. I haven't actually used it much, but it seems...complete, if nothing else.

Lessons in Electric Circuits

I too am interested in project kits and will hang out in your thread.

Big Dookie

That's a pretty good link, I've never seen that before. It should certainly keep you busy.

If you have any specific questions though (or even just general questions), go ahead and ask them here. I just graduated in May with a BSEE degree, so I might could answer some questions that come up. I also know that there are several EEs on this board who could probably chime in as well, so just ask away and I know you'll get some responses.

Unknown

This content has been removed.

Big Dookie

mcdermott wrote: »

Hey, I just got my BSEE in May too...hi5! Just started work this past week! Woo hoo!

hi5! Feels pretty dang good, I must say. Unfortunately, my job doesn't start until late August, so I have a couple months to dawdle around before getting the big bucks. I shouldn't complain though, several guys in my class still haven't even found work yet, so I should be thankful I at least have something waiting for me.

Diomedes240z

milehigh wrote: »

So...I'm currently employed at a company that builds power plants as an electrical designer. Despite the title, the position mostly involves CAD work, database management and being able to comprehend electrical wiring drawings we get from vendors. I came into this position two years ago (I was 22) because they needed someone competent to manage their Excel and Access files and helping the existing staff (mostly older computer illiterate people) and I had a lot of experience with this stuff. They eventually let me do some drafting (despite no formal training) and eventually I got bumped up to the designer position and now play connect the dots creating wiring diagrams for our construction guys. This isn't the worst scenario by any means and I am well compensated, but I know so little about actual electricity it's not even funny.

Obviously I've learned a ton since I got here, and now have a good grasp of how the power industry works and what we're involved with, but I really feel like I'm missing a fundamental knowledge of how electricity works, both on the power and control/instrumentation sides.

I'm enrolled right now to become an electrical engineer, but am still in a lot of the prereqs for this stuff (I just finished calc I), so I still have a few semesters of this stuff before I actually get to the real meat and potatoes courses for my major (and this may be awhile since I am working full time while going to school)

Long story short, I want to learn more about this, get some real knowledge on not just power, but electrical stuff in general, as well as some hands on experience. I was hoping there were some fairly basic project kits or parts I could pick up to start physically making some things, and get more advanced from there. So I guess I'm looking for recommendations on any books as well as hands on stuff anyone here could recommend. Thanks in advance.

Maybe your university is a lot better than mine, but the main thing I took away from university is that it doesn't really teach you much practical knowledge at all. Like, you can graduate with an electrical engineering degree and still not even know what voltage/frequency mains power in your country is, how to read an electrical schematic, and so on.

If you really do want to learn to be a *good* electrical engineer, join the Formula-SAE team, if there is one, and spend as much time there as you possibly can.