Electric power

Mohammed Safiuddin

Electric power is foremost on the mind of Dr. Safiuddin. Realizing the archaic state of rural power delivery, Dr. Safiuddin uses his expertise to develop a new system that would meet the increasingly energy-intensive demands of modern agriculture. Dr. Safiuddin teams with Niagara Mohawk's Technology Transfer and Consumer Relation departments to find an economical, environmentally friendly way to operate the extensive irrigation system of upstate New York's My-T Acres Farm, which spans 8,000 acres in three counties as shown in the following picture:

 

Dr. Safiuddin and his collaborators develop a system that converts three-phase AC power, available far from the farm to DC power using variable frequency drivers that satisfy the power requirements of farm irrigation pumps. As a result the existing diesel-powered pumps are converted to more efficient, quieter, non-polluting electric pumps. This advancement promises to help farmers and other rural industries-from sawmills to stone quarries to ski areas that require three-phase power not readily available.