In order to understand testing and conditions found in an electric motor, generator and related systems, a basic understanding of electricity and motor theory is required. In this short presentation, basic electricity for electric systems, motor theory and insulation system theory will be presented in a way that personnel with no electrical background will understand. This will set the baseline for the remaining presentations during the day.

Howard W Penrose, Ph.D., CMRP is the President of MotorDoc® LLC and the 2018 Chair of SMRP.  He has over 35 years of electric motor testing, repair and design experience starting with a US Navy motor repair journeymanship to advanced electric machinery design.  Dr. Penrose and the MotorDoc team perform practical research, development and performance analysis on electric motors, generators, testing methods, forensics and repair.  He is a 5-time UAW-GM People Make Quality Happen Award winner (2005-2009), Axiom and Forward book of the year award winner, and a Certified Maintenance and Reliability Professional (CMRP).  Within SMRP he started the Government Relations program with a focus on Smart Grid and Cybersecurity for IoT, as well as overseeing future workforce, safety and infrastructure working groups.  He is a past adjunct professor of industrial engineering at UIC and the utility/industrial senior research engineer for the University of Illinois’ Energy Resources Center.  Dr. Penrose is also the past Web Editor-in-Chief of the IEEE Dielectric and Electrical Insulation Society and is the present Webmaster for the IEEE PES Materials Standards Subcommittee, which oversees electric machine testing standards, including sitting on most of the standards committees.   Several of his machine design achievements include the 2000F environment motor, vacuum environment motor insulation systems, the blood-cooled LEV-VAD heart pump (support), the Hybrid Tahoe and Volt design team insulation system consultant, and the John Deere 644 and 944 hybrid construction loaders insulation and motor design consultant and on-going factory trainer.  In his spare time he is a 6-time Team USA WPC/AWPC world powerlifting champion and the managing partner of 2XL Powerlifting LLC, the largest USA powerlifting gym, and a WPC World judge.