- Positions: Sr Electrical Engineer / Power Electronics Specialist
- Business: NRG Global Power / GE Prolec
- Division: Rotating Machinery / Transformer Engineering
- Location: 5 Allnut Ct. – Bunbury, WA / Apodaca Nuevo León, México
- Office: Engineering / Prolec Centre for Applied Research
- Phone: +61 08 9721 4399 / +52 81 8030 2110
- Mobile: +61 04 6648 5122 / +52 181 8080 2397
- E-mail: israel@nrgglobalpower.com.au / juanangel.barrientos@prolecge.com
- E-mail: jbarrien@gmail.com (Personal)
Israel Barrientos has worked on Power Systems throughout his career. After receiving his B.Sc.M.E.E from the Universidad del Norte in 1992, he joined CFE, the largest Electric Utility in México, where he trained and later worked as a Power System Operator, in charge of Generator dispatch and operation of a substantial part of the Mexican High Voltage National Interconnected System, during a 2 year period.
He then gained access to a National Science Council Scholarship, and joined the Research Program of Engineering which resulted in him receiving his M.Sc.E.E. from the Nuevo Leon State University in 1996.
He then continued to acquire substantial experience with Distribution, Commercial and Industrial Transformers while employed at GE Prolec, the largest transformer manufacturer in North America at the time. During his 10 year tenure he progressed thru Lead Design Engineer, Testing Specialist, Technical Support Engineer, Advance Engineering, and Senior Product Development Engineer.
After moving to Australia, he became involved in the Design and Analysis of Large Rotating Machinery, while continuing to provide support to the Transformer businesses, he continued to do so until GE decided to close it’s Australian Service Shop Operations.
After a brief period of Independent Consultant experience, he joined NRG Global Power as Sr. Electrical Engineer, and since late 2014 he has been instrumental in the growth and development of increased technical capabilities of this business, where he continues to provide Engineering support and Consulting services.
Temporarily relocating back to México in 2017, he re-joined GE Prolec, where he has been tasked with the multinational standardization effort of this +3000 employee technology, design and manufacturing facility, and spearheading the research support efforts with two teams of Research Engineer, charged with development of novel power delivery strategies.
He has been a University Lecturer, and his interests include the Protection of Power Systems, the Testing and Manufacturing of Electrical Apparatus, the use of novel technologies in Power Systems (microcontrollers, wireless, power electronics) and novel static and rotating machines.
He has been an editor for the Australian Journal of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, a current member of the IEEE, and is a current member of the IEEE C57 Committee (Power Transformers), and he is a very active member of a few ANSI/IEEE standards committees.
He has a pending patent application covering the use of COTS microcontrolled SCR’s as a fast online tap changer for distribution transformers.
Among his latest accomplishments are:
The calculation, design, integration, commissioning and operation of a large power test bay for Power Transformers and Large Motors and Generators, with high precision low-power factor measurement rated for up to 2000 Amps and 75 kV. This test bay made use of a specially modified 1.25 MVA Diesel Generator, Zero-Flux current comparators (CT’s) and Precision Gas Filled CVDs, and 2.4 MVAR of Capacitive Compensation. This test bay has proved not only suitable for energizing and measuring large transformers losses, but also flexible enough to run Large Motors up to 8.0 MW .
The redesign and manufacture (including the manufacturing tooling) of Skewed Stator Bars for a Synchronous Condenser for a large NZ Utility.
The design of an 3D-model based, fully integrated rapid tooling method for the manufacture of turbogenerator endwindings, which requires only sheet metal cutting facilities as opposed to 4-axis machining.
The complete redesign, and technical management of the rewind/restack/re-pole of a large Hydro Generator in New Zealand.
More information on these or others projects is available upon request.
Last updated: October 2021