Technical Service Center

Electrical & Mechanical Engineering Division (8400)

Division Chief:  Patrick Dawson (pdawson@usbr.gov; 303-445-2846)

The Electrical & Mechanical Engineering Division has approximately 107 staff that provide integrated technical expertise in:
1) Mechanical Piping & Systems, 2) Mechanical Structures, 3) Electrical Controls, 4) Power Systems Analysis & Controls, 5) Hydropower Diagnostics & SCADA, 6) Electrical Equipment, and 7) Turbines and Pumps.

Mechanical Piping & Systems (8410)

Group Manager:  Meghan DiUbaldo (mdiubaldo@usbr.gov; 303-445-2893)

The Mechanical Piping & Systems Group provides mechanical engineering services to produce final designs, appraisal studies, feasibility studies, and inspections for steel pipes, valves, and associated mechanical systems including building mechanical systems. The group also provides condition assessments, design and operations reviews, value planning, and construction support, as well as technical investigations-related work associated with a wide variety of mechanical piping features to Reclamation and non-Reclamation stakeholders. Services include:

• Compressed air, cooling water, and oil lubrication
• Water treatment process piping
• Large steel pipes and valves
• Building mechanical systems including heating, ventilation, and air conditioning

Mechanical Structures (8420)

Group Manager:  Ryan Stephen (rstephen@usbr.gov; 303-445-2867)

The Mechanical Structures Group provides mechanical engineering services to produce final designs, appraisal studies, feasibility studies, and inspections for mechanical structures and fire protection systems. The group also provide condition assessments, design and operations reviews, value planning, and construction support, as well as technical investigations-related work associated with a wide variety of mechanical structures to Reclamation and non-Reclamation stakeholders. Services include:

• Large gates and stoplogs
• Fish and moss screens and fish handling equipment
• Cranes, hoists, and elevators
• Trash rakes, conveyors, and traveling water screens
• Water temperature control devices and selective withdrawal systems
• Fire suppression systems

Electrical Controls (8430)

Group Manager:  Liz Morley (emorley@usbr.gov, 303-445-4183)

The Electrical Controls Group provides designs, drawings, technical specifications, and construction/installation support for electrical controls and systems. The group’s electrical engineering services include:

• Excitation (voltage regulator) and governor systems
• Switchyard control and protection systems
• Unit start/stop controls (PLC or hard-wired) and protection systems
• PLC systems including SCADA
• Battery systems
• Fish screen electrical design
• Fire detection, fire prevention and life safety
• Low voltage (<600 VAC) power equipment
• Network and communication systems
• Cybersecurity
• Instrumentation
• Motor control centers, adjustable speed drives, and reduced voltage starters
• Factory inspection of electrical equipment

Power Systems Analysis & Controls (8440)

Group Manager:  Jill Holmes (jrholmes@usbr.gov; 303-445-2307)

The Power Systems Analysis & Controls Group provides specialized electrical technical services to Reclamation’s Power Facilities. The group also coordinates with Reclamation’s Power Resources Office and hydropower research efforts to focus on innovative solutions for power facilities. Services include:

• Generator Voltage Regulators and Excitation Systems (Testing, troubleshooting, and research)
• Electronic and Digital Speed Governors (Testing, troubleshooting, and research)
• Power System Stabilizers
• Powerplant Feedback Control Systems modeling and analysis
• Commissioning, Periodic Review, Maintenance, and Realignments
• Reclamation/WAPA/BPA Power System Stability Analysis
• Protective Relay Review & Application
• Electrical Equipment Recommendation Analysis
• Power System Arc Flash Studies
• Power System Studies

Hydropower Diagnostics & SCADA (8450)

Group Manager:  Nathan E. Myers (nmyers@usbr.gov; 303-445-2643)

The Hydropower Diagnostics & SCADA Group performs a wide range of electrical hydropower technical services including onsite technical assistance, diagnostics, troubleshooting, failure investigation, and inspection. The group also offers program consultation, training, unique in-house support services, and design and installation support for plant Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems, including:

• Protective relay system calibration, functional testing, and commissioning
• SCADA system and Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) system design
• SCADA system evaluation, analysis, software support, and security accreditation
• Plant automation, embedded systems, and efficiency-based water/power control and modeling software
• Technical support for Reclamation’s Western Electricity Coordinating Council power reliability requirements
• Machine startup, acceptance, and diagnostic testing
• System staged-fault testing
• Equipment and personal protective safety grounding evaluation
• Plant control battery system diagnostics
• Generator & Transformer Insulation System Diagnostics
• Machine Condition Monitoring Systems
• Electrical O&M

Electrical Equipment (8460)

Group Manager:  Eric Mendlin (emendlin@usbr.gov; 303-445-2801)

The Electrical Equipment Group provides designs, drawings, technical specifications, and construction/installation support for electrical equipment. The group’s electrical engineering services include:

• Generator rewind/uprates
• Generator step-up transformers
• Metal enclosed bus and PT and surge arresters on bus
• Unit circuit breakers
• Station service transformers
• Switchgear – medium and low voltage
• High and medium voltage cable and bus
• Pumping plant electrical design
• Motor control centers, adjustable speed drives, and reduced voltage starters
• Factory inspection of electrical equipment

Turbines & Pumps (8470)

Group Manager:  Nathan N. Myers (nnmyers@usbr.gov; 303-445-2862)

The Turbines & Pumps Group provides mechanical engineering services to produce final designs, appraisal studies, feasibility studies, and inspections for hydropower turbines and large water pumps. The group also provides condition assessments, design and operations reviews, value planning, and construction support, as well as technical investigations-related work associated with a wide variety of turbines and pumps to Reclamation and non-Reclamation stakeholders. Services include:

• Hydraulic transients in power system waterways including stress analysis
• Onsite testing for pumps and turbines during new equipment startups
• Performance testing for pumps and turbines to confirm warranted characteristics
• Turbine uprate replacement
• Pump selection