---
name: engineering-research
description: "Research workflow for engineering disciplines — energy systems, electrical engineering, power systems, smart grid, and interdisciplinary engineering projects. Covers literature, standards, and technical writing."
version: 1.0.0
author: Hermes Agent
license: MIT
platforms: [linux, macos, windows]
metadata:
  hermes:
    tags: [Engineering, Energy, Power Systems, Electrical Engineering, Smart Grid, Renewable Energy, IEEE, Technical Writing]
    category: research
    related_skills: [openalex, academic-writing, arxiv]
    requires_toolsets: [terminal, web]
---

# Engineering Research — Energy, Power, and Interdisciplinary Engineering

Research workflow for energy systems, electrical engineering, power electronics, smart grid, renewable energy, and interdisciplinary engineering. Complements `openalex` for literature and `academic-writing` for structure.

## When To Use

- Research on energy generation, transmission, distribution, or storage
- Electrical/power engineering papers (IEEE, Elsevier Energy journals)
- Interdisciplinary energy research (energy policy + engineering)
- Smart grid, demand response, microgrid studies
- Work combining engineering with environmental/social science

## Key Venues & Publishers

### Primary: IEEE
| Journal / Conference | Abbreviation | Focus |
|---------------------|-------------|-------|
| IEEE Transactions on Power Systems | TPS | Grid, dispatch, stability |
| IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid | TSG | Smart grid, DER integration |
| IEEE Transactions on Energy Conversion | TEC | Power electronics, renewables |
| IEEE Transactions on Sustainable Energy | TSE | Solar, wind, storage |
| IEEE Power & Energy Magazine | PEM | Industry-applied |
| IEEE PES General Meetings | PES GM | Broad power/energy |
| IEEE Industry Applications | TIA | Industrial applications |

### Secondary: Elsevier
| Journal | Focus |
|---------|-------|
| Applied Energy | Energy systems, renewables |
| Energy | Broad energy research |
| Journal of Energy Storage | Storage technology |
| Renewable Energy | Wind, solar, hydro |

### Policy + Economics
| Journal | Focus |
|---------|-------|
| Energy Policy | Policy, economics |
| Nature Energy | Broad energy research |
| Joule | Cell Press energy |

## Literature Sources

### Search Commands

```bash
# Power systems & smart grid (OpenAlex)
curl -s "https://api.openalex.org/works?search=smart+grid+demand+response&filter=primary_topic.domain.id:D4&per_page=10&sort=cited_by_count:desc"

# Renewable energy systems
curl -s "https://api.openalex.org/works?search=solar+photovoltaic+grid+integration&filter=primary_topic.domain.id:D4&per_page=10"

# Energy storage
curl -s "https://api.openalex.org/works?search=battery+energy+storage+grid&filter=primary_topic.domain.id:D4&per_page=10"

# IEEE Xplore requires browser — use for targeted IEEE papers
# Google Scholar for preprints and theses
```

### Key Preprint Servers
- arXiv: `eess.SY` (systems and control), `cs.SY` (systems)
- medRxiv / bioRxiv not relevant

## Key Concepts Reference

### Power Systems
| Concept | Plain English |
|---------|--------------|
| Load flow analysis | Steady-state power distribution |
| Unit commitment | Which generators to run when |
| Economic dispatch | Minimize cost of meeting demand |
| Power flow (DC/AC) | Power transfer through network |
| Stability (voltage/frequency) | Grid stays balanced under disturbance |
| Renewable integration | Connecting solar/wind to grid |

### Smart Grid & DER
| Concept | Plain English |
|---------|--------------|
| DER | Distributed Energy Resources (solar, storage, EVs) |
| Demand response | Changing load to match supply |
| V2G | Vehicle-to-grid (EV as storage) |
| Microgrid | Localized grid (can disconnect from main) |
| Transactive energy | Market-based coordination of DER |
| Flexibility resources | Storage, demand response, flexible generation |

### Energy Storage
| Technology | Application |
|-----------|-------------|
| Lithium-ion | Short-duration, mobile, daily cycling |
| Flow batteries | Long-duration, grid-scale |
| Pumped hydro | Large-scale, long-duration |
| Compressed air | Long-duration, geographic constraints |
| Green hydrogen | Seasonal storage, industrial |

## Research Patterns

### Pattern 1: Grid Integration Study
```
Research question: How does [renewable penetration] affect [grid stability/reliability/cost]?
Method: Simulation (MATLAB/Simulink, Python + PyPSA) or historical data analysis
Contribution: Quantify impact, propose mitigation
```

### Pattern 2: Optimization / Scheduling
```
Research question: How to optimally [schedule/dispatch] [resources] under [constraints]?
Method: Mathematical optimization (MILP, NLP), heuristic (GA, PSO)
Contribution: Better algorithm or model formulation
```

### Pattern 3: Policy + Engineering
```
Research question: How does [policy/ market design] affect [engineering outcome]?
Method: Engineering-economic model, scenario analysis
Contribution: Inform policy with technical analysis
```

### Pattern 4: Hardware / Experimental
```
Research question: Can [device/material/system] achieve [performance target]?
Method: Hardware testing, lab experiment, prototyping
Contribution: New device, validated performance
```

## Technical Writing Structure (IEEE Style)

### Research Article Structure

```
1. Abstract — problem, method, key result, significance (max 200 words)
2. Introduction
   - Problem statement with quantified motivation
   - Literature review (organized by approach, not by paper)
   - Gap: what existing methods don't adequately address
   - Contribution: list 3-5 specific contributions
   - Paper roadmap
3. Background / Preliminaries
   - Mathematical formulation of the problem
   - Assumptions clearly stated
   - Notation table if complex
4. Proposed Method
   - Detailed technical description
   - Algorithm or model
   - Theoretical analysis (if applicable)
5. Case Study / Results
   - Test system described (IEEE bus system, real data, etc.)
   - Comparison with baselines
   - Sensitivity analysis
   - Limitations discussed
6. Discussion
   - Practical implications
   - Scalability, generalizability
7. Conclusion
   - Summary of contributions
   - Future work
8. References — IEEE style (numbered, order of appearance)
```

### Key Writing Rules for Engineering

| Rule | Why |
|------|-----|
| Quantify claims | "improves by 15%" not "significantly improves" |
| State assumptions | Critical for reproducibility |
| Compare to SOTA baselines | Show you're aware of existing work |
| Include uncertainty | Confidence intervals, sensitivity analysis |
| Use standard notation | IEEE standard symbols where possible |

## Standards & Technical References

### IEEE Standards Relevant to Energy
| Standard | What It Covers |
|---------|---------------|
| IEEE 1547 | Interconnection of DER with grid |
| IEEE 2030 | Smart grid interoperability |
| IEEE 2800 | DER interconnection requirements |
| IEEE 519 | Harmonic control in power systems |

### Data Sources

| Source | What |
|--------|------|
| EIA (US) | Energy data, forecasts |
| IRENA | Renewable energy statistics |
| IEA | Global energy data, policies |
| ENTSO-E | European grid data |
| PJM / CAISO | US grid operator data |

## Interdisciplinary: Energy + Humanities

### Common Crossover Scenarios

| Engineering Side | Humanities Side | Research Question |
|-----------------|-----------------|-------------------|
| Renewable energy system | Environmental ethics | Is [tech] truly sustainable? |
| Energy access | Development studies | Who benefits from [policy]? |
| Smart grid | Privacy / surveillance | What data does [system] collect? |
| Energy transition | Political economy | Who wins/loses in [transition]? |

### Writing for Interdisciplinary Energy Papers

```
Structure:
  1. Frame the problem in human/social terms first (accessible hook)
  2. Introduce the technical system/method
  3. Analyze technical performance
  4. Discuss social/policy implications
  5. Conclude with integrated insight

Common mistakes:
  - Engineering-only (ignores social context)
  - Policy-only (technical details insufficient)
  - Two separate papers glued together
```

## Python Tools for Energy Research

```bash
# Grid modeling
pip install pypsa  # Python for Power System Analysis

# Optimization
pip install scipy.optimize  # Linear/NL optimization
pip install cvxpy  # Convex optimization

# Data
pip install pandas matplotlib seaborn

# Statistical
pip install statsmodels scikit-learn
```

## Tools Reference

| Tool | Purpose |
|------|---------|
| `openalex` skill | Literature search across engineering domains |
| `arxiv` skill | CS/AI papers (eess.SY for control/systems) |
| `academic-writing` skill | General academic structure |
| IEEE Xplore | IEEE papers (use browser for access) |
| PyPSA | Power system simulation |