BEng Mechatronic Engineering / Course details

Year of entry: 2024

Course unit details:
Machines, Drives & Power Electronics

Course unit fact file
Unit code EEEN20212
Credit rating 10
Unit level Level 2
Teaching period(s) Semester 2
Available as a free choice unit? No

Overview

This unit will cover the following:

(1) Single-Phase Transformers. Principles of operation. Equivalent circuit. Load calculations. Open- and short-circuit. Tests. Regulation. Loss mechanisms. Uses of transformers. Construction (including high-frequency). Basic design principles and examples.

(2) Induction Machines. Production of a rotating field. Induced emf in the rotor, the concept of slip. Equivalent circuit. Performance calculations. Loss mechanisms. Efficiency. Torque/speed characteristics. Load curves and speed of operation. Speed control by classical means. The need for variable frequency.

(3) Synchronous Machines. Machine topologies and construction. Equivalent circuit. Performance. Phasor diagrams. Permanent-magnet machines, BLDC motor equivalent circuit and torque/speed characteristics.

(4) DC-DC Converters. Principle of switched-mode power conversion. Power MOSFET and IGBT devices. Step-up and step-down chopper circuits. Inductive switching waveforms and switching losses.

(5) AC-DC Converters. Single-phase, half and full-wave rectifier circuits with inductive DC filter. Thyristor characteristics. Single-phase, phase-controlled operation - rectification and inversion modes - applications. Power transfer to non-linear loads, harmonics, power factor, input displacement factor and distortion factor.

Pre/co-requisites

Unit title Unit code Requirement type Description
Circuit Analysis EEEN10121 Pre-Requisite Compulsory
Energy Transport and Conversion EEEN10212 Pre-Requisite Compulsory
Electromagnetic Fields EEEN10222 Pre-Requisite Compulsory

Aims

The course unit aims to:

Introduce the methods by which electrical energy is converted from one voltage level to another using transformers or solid-state techniques, and converted to mechanical energy, using electrical machines and appropriate control techniques.

Learning outcomes

On the successful completion of the course, students will be able to:

Developed

Assessed

ILO 1

Describe with the aid of sketched waveforms the operation of DC-DC converters and single-phase rectifiers.

x

x

ILO 2

Formulate the equivalent circuit representations of transformers, induction, synchronous and BLDC machines

x

x

ILO 3

Model the behaviour of transformers and machines using the per-phase equivalent circuits

x

x

ILO 4

Analyse the waveforms of DC-DC and AC-DC converters, and calculate operating conditions, component values and switching losses.

x

x

ILO 5

Measure the waveforms and characteristics of transformers and DC-DC converters and critically evaluate the results.

x

x

ILO 6

Evaluate the technical and environmental impact of electrical drive and power electronic technologies

x

x

 

Teaching and learning methods

Lectures supported by laboratories, tutorials and Bb assessments and quizzes. Revision classes provided for examination support. All lecture notes and overheads are provided on Bb and all lectures are podcasted with camera.

 

Assessment methods

Method Weight
Other 20%
Written exam 80%

Coursework:

Assessment: Lab 1, satisfactory completion of laboratory (4%) and associated on-line Blackboard Quiz (6%)

Assessment: Lab 2, on-line report (10%)

The coursework forms 20% of the unit assessment

Feedback methods

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Recommended reading

  • D. O’Kelly:’Performance and control of electrical drives’, McGraw-Hill
  • G.R. Slemon: ‘Electrical Machines and Drives’, Addison Wesley
  • Mohan, Undeland and Robbins, ‘Power Electronics: Converters, Applications and Design’, Wiley.

 

Study hours

Scheduled activity hours
Lectures 20
Practical classes & workshops 6
Tutorials 4
Independent study hours
Independent study 70

Teaching staff

Staff member Role
Andrew Forsyth Unit coordinator
Theodor Heath Unit coordinator

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