Electrical Engineer a Generational Talent

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A summa cum laude result and the prize for the best final-year design project in Electrical Engineering are crowning achievements along Mr Jesheran Yengopal’s undergraduate degree path and provide a solid foundation for his entry into the power generation sector and future postgraduate studies.

Yengopan’s prize-winning project produced a wireless sensor network for electrical power plant equipment monitoring.

Originally from Port Shepstone, Yengopal chose to study at UKZN thanks to the reputation of its Engineering disciplines - particularly the High Voltage Lab - the many facilities on offer and dedicated staff available to students as well as its proximity to home.

From the age of five he wanted to be an engineer as he enjoyed building things and discovering how they worked. He grew to appreciate the importance of electricity and began exploring the field of power generation, realising this was the path he wanted to follow.

Yengopal’s studies were not without challenges. In his second-year, he contracted bronchitis and pneumonia which affected his performance on one of his modules and taught him the importance of rest and recovery. The heavy workload of his third and fourth years spurred him to develop a three-week work plan, using a desk calendar to manage his time efficiently.

His final-year design project, inspired by growing up in an area afflicted by power outages due to cable theft, involved the creation of a wireless sensor network for electrical power plant equipment monitoring. Copper control cables are used to monitor stations in real-time and are targeted by criminals due to their high resale value. When stolen, a lack of monitoring makes it unsafe to operate the substation, leading to a shutdown, particularly at distribution substations where security is lacking.

He created the Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) using long-range radio-frequency wireless communication as an alternative method for real-time monitoring of plant equipment. The network’s three Slave Nodes (SN) for a transformer, circuit breaker and surge arrester, allow for real-time condition monitoring of the respective pieces of the equipment while they are energised. The SNs wirelessly communicate sensor data or fault events to a Master Node (MN) in the substation switch room which uses the Internet of Things and is linked to a remote dashboard.

The dashboard displays alarms, trips and node data on graphs and gauges in real time - live condition monitoring could predict failures before they occur. Testing confirmed the system could detect, transmit and log a fault condition across 300m in about 40 milliseconds - Eskom’s protection standard is 400 milliseconds. Each node also has a self-diagnosis feature to ascertain if sensors or components are damaged and need replacement.

The WSN could be deployed at substations for advanced condition monitoring. While it will not outperform a copper cable connection, it could present a secondary method for condition monitoring in the substation if cables were stolen, preventing a shutdown.

His project was shared with Eskom staff on a global webinar that showcases Innovation in Engineering.

‘It was clear to us that Jesheran was a generational talent, and his achievements have confirmed this,’ said supervisor Dr Mohamed Fayaz Khan, who praised Yengopal’s humility and passion to improve the world through tackling serious societal problems.

His final-year project demanded most of his time, but Yengopal found time to play volleyball and prioritised visits home.

He is working on an Engineer in Training Programme at Eskom’s Research, Testing and Development department and plans to enrol for his master’s degree at UKZN next year.

Yengopal thanked his parents, sister and girlfriend for their vital belief and encouragement, as well as Khan for his mentorship through his degree and design projects.

Words: Christine Cuénod

Photograph: Sethu Dlamini