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EE30123: Power electronics & drives

[Page last updated: 04 August 2021]

Academic Year: 2021/2
Owning Department/School: Department of Electronic & Electrical Engineering
Credits: 6 [equivalent to 12 CATS credits]
Notional Study Hours: 120
Level: Honours (FHEQ level 6)
Period:
Semester 1
Assessment Summary: EX 100%
Assessment Detail:
  • Exam (EX 100%)
Supplementary Assessment:
Like-for-like reassessment (where allowed by programme regulations)
Requisites:
Description: Aims:
To introduce and analyse electrical machines and switched-mode power-electronic converters which make up the low- to medium-power machine-drive systems that are widely used for motion control, automated manufacturing, and in aerospace and automotive applications.

Learning Outcomes:
After completing this unit, students should be able to: (i) explain the construction, action and operation of a number of types of dc and ac machines; model and analyse the machines to characterise steady-state and quasi steady-state performance; analyse the requirements of typical loads in terms of torque, speed and duty-cycle, and relate these requirements to the selection of a particular machine. (ii) recognise and explain the operation of a number of power converter topologies commonly used for machine and actuator control; model and analyse the power converters to characterise steady-state and dynamic performance; compare different control methods; and identify salient performance limitations imposed by such factors as power-semiconductor-device, power-source and machine characteristics.

Skills:
Application of the information, techniques and methods discussed in the lectures, to the proposal of and the carrying through of appropriate solutions to engineering problems in power electronics and drives. Taught, facilitated and tested.

Content:
Electrical machines: construction, action and variable speed operational characteristics of conventional and brushless dc machines, polyphase induction machines and dc and ac servomotors and transducers. Application of machines: analysis of load torque and speed requirements, gearing, regeneration and braking, duty-cycle and rating. Power converters: DC-to-DC choppers, single and three-phase inverters, basic design calculations, review of control methods, provisional controller design, and assessment of steady-state and dynamic performance. Power semiconductor devices: power MOSFET, IGBT, fast-recovery diode, salient device characteristics, basic sizing calculations, application at high switching-frequency.

Programme availability:

EE30123 is Compulsory on the following programmes:

Department of Electronic & Electrical Engineering
  • UEEE-AFB12 : BEng(Hons) Electrical Power Engineering (Year 3)
  • UEEE-AKB12 : BEng(Hons) Electrical Power Engineering with Year long work placement (Year 4)
  • UEXX-AFB02 : BEng(Hons) Integrated Mechanical and Electrical Engineering (Year 3)
  • UEXX-AKB02 : BEng(Hons) Integrated Mechanical and Electrical Engineering with Year long work placement (Year 4)
  • UEEE-AFM12 : MEng(Hons) Electrical Power Engineering (Year 3)
  • UEEE-AKM12 : MEng(Hons) Electrical Power Engineering with Year long work placement (Year 4)
  • UEXX-AFM02 : MEng(Hons) Integrated Mechanical and Electrical Engineering (Year 3)
  • UEXX-AKM02 : MEng(Hons) Integrated Mechanical and Electrical Engineering with Year long work placement (Year 4)

EE30123 is Optional on the following programmes:

Department of Electronic & Electrical Engineering
  • UEEE-AFB01 : BEng(Hons) Electrical and Electronic Engineering (Year 3)
  • UEEE-AKB01 : BEng(Hons) Electrical and Electronic Engineering with Year long work placement (Year 4)
  • UEEE-AFB14 : BEng(Hons) Electronic Engineering with Space Science & Technology (Year 3)
  • UEEE-AKB14 : BEng(Hons) Electronic Engineering with Space Science & Technology with Year long work placement (Year 4)
  • UEEE-AFB15 : BEng(Hons) Electronic Systems Engineering (Year 3)
  • UEEE-AKB15 : BEng(Hons) Electronic Systems Engineering with Year long work placement (Year 4)
  • UEEE-AFM01 : MEng(Hons) Electrical and Electronic Engineering (Year 3)
  • UEEE-AKM01 : MEng(Hons) Electrical and Electronic Engineering with Year long work placement (Year 4)
  • UEEE-AFM14 : MEng(Hons) Electronic Engineering with Space Science & Technology (Year 3)
  • UEEE-AKM14 : MEng(Hons) Electronic Engineering with Space Science & Technology with Year long work placement (Year 4)
  • UEEE-AFM15 : MEng(Hons) Electronic Systems Engineering (Year 3)
  • UEEE-AKM15 : MEng(Hons) Electronic Systems Engineering with Year long work placement (Year 4)
  • UEEE-AFM16 : MEng(Hons) Robotics Engineering (Year 3)
  • UEEE-AKM16 : MEng(Hons) Robotics Engineering with Year long work placement (Year 4)
  • UEEE-AFB16 : BEng(Hons) Robotics Engineering (Year 3)
  • UEEE-AKB16 : BEng(Hons) Robotics Engineering with Year long work placement (Year 4)
Department of Mechanical Engineering
  • UEME-AFB48 : BEng(Hons) Integrated Design Engineering (Year 3)
  • UEME-AKB48 : BEng(Hons) Integrated Design Engineering with Year long work placement (Year 4)
  • UEME-AFM48 : MEng(Hons) Integrated Design Engineering (Year 3)
  • UEME-AKM48 : MEng(Hons) Integrated Design Engineering with Year long work placement (Year 4)

Notes:

  • This unit catalogue is applicable for the 2021/22 academic year only. Students continuing their studies into 2022/23 and beyond should not assume that this unit will be available in future years in the format displayed here for 2021/22.
  • Programmes and units are subject to change in accordance with normal University procedures.
  • Availability of units will be subject to constraints such as staff availability, minimum and maximum group sizes, and timetabling factors as well as a student's ability to meet any pre-requisite rules.
  • Find out more about these and other important University terms and conditions here.