MEng Mechatronic Engineering with Industrial Experience

Brief Description

This unit will build on the material covered in the level 2 programme unit 'Machines, Drives and Power Electronics' to cover the selection, configuration and control of electrical machines and their associated power converters for a range of applications. Energy recovery from the load to the power network will also be included.

The unit will cover the following:

• Reasons for using an electrical drive system, with examples across a range of applications. Drive system design for torque or speed control or control of other mechanical or electrical system variables.
• Drive specification and selection, based on the torque-speed characteristic of the load and the torque-speed envelope of the motor, including field weakening. Driving and braking torque requirements of accelerating and decelerating loads.
• Induction machines: comparison of energy use with direct-on-line operation, variable voltage control, scalar voltage/frequency control and variable resistance control; machine and drive system analysis; effect of terminal harmonics.
• Synchronous machines: steady-state analysis of wound field and permanent magnet brushless machines, two-axis theory (d-q) to introduce closed-loop vector control and advanced control philosophies.
• Elements of a typical electrical drive system and their configuration including: the power electronic interface; current and voltage control methods; 4-quadrant operation; energy recovery; dump resistor sizing; sensing; protection; switchgear and the controller platform.

The course unit aims to: Introduce the key components of electric drive systems; Show how to select an electrical drive based on the torque speed requirements of the driven load for a range of applications; Show how modern power electronics can be used for machine speed and torque control; Identify control strategies for improving the energy efficiency and controllability of driven systems and enabling kinetic or potential energy recovery.

ILO 1 - Evaluate different types of electrical drive systems for a given application, addressing the effective through-life use of resources for a sustainable society. [Developed] [Assessed]

ILO 2 - Evaluate different types of electrical drive systems for a given application. [Developed] [Assessed]

ILO 3 - Apply engineering principles to analyse the operation of electrical drive systems. [Developed] [Assessed]

ILO 4 - Identify energy-efficient operating strategies including energy recovery. [Developed] [Assessed]

ILO 5 - Perform tests, and take measurements on electrical drive systems. [Developed] [Assessed]

ILO 6 - Describe the principle of operation for different electrical drive system layouts and control techniques. [Developed] [Assessed]

Lectures with slides and lots of worked examples; two lab exercises; revision surgery.

Two laboratory sessions

Lab 1: Short report (7%)

Lab 2: Assessed in-lab (3%) and by Blackboard quiz (4%)

Blackboard mid-semester Quiz

A computer-based (Blackboard) quiz, including multiple choice and simple calculations, answer all questions

Calculators are permitted

The quiz forms 6% of the overall unit assessment

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1. Modern power electronics and AC drives by Bose, Bimal K. Prentice Hall PTR, 2002. ISBN: 0130167436
2. Electric drives and electromechanical systems by Crowder, Richard M. Butterworth-Heinemann, 2006. ISBN: 9780080492643
3. Electric motors and drives: fundamentals, types and applications by Hughes, Austin. author. Elsevier, 2013
4. Power electronic control of AC motors by Murphy, J. M. D. (John M. D.). Pergamon, 1988. ISBN: 0080226833
5. Electrical machines and drive systems by Hindmarsh, John. Butterworth-Heinemann, 1996. ISBN: 0750627247
6. Power electronics : converters, applications, and design by Mohan, Ned. Wiley, 2003. ISBN: 0471226939
7. Electrical control for machines by Giuliani, Peter R. Delmar, 2003. ISBN: 0766861988
8. Electrical machines, drives, and power systems by Wildi, Théodore. Prentice Hall, 2006. ISBN: 0131969188
9. Power electronics and motor drives: advances and trends by Bose, Bimal K. Academic, 2006. ISBN: 0120884054