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Experimentation is important for learning and research in the field of power electronics and drives. However, a great deal of equipment is required to study the various topologies, controllers, and functionalities. Thus, the cost of establishing good laboratories and research centers is high. To address this problem, the authors have developed a “Power Electronics and Drives Experimental Bench” (PEDEB), whose details are given in this paper. This unique kit includes reconfigurable hardware modules, which can be interconnected to achieve more than 14 different circuit topologies. Moreover, the software (controller) is accessible to users, thereby facilitating quick verification and testing of new ideas. A 2-kVA prototype of the PEDEB was developed and tested for various possible modes of operation. The kit is being used for a first-semester post-graduate laboratory course on “Power Electronics and Drives.” This paper includes observations and learning from experiments on dc-dc buck converter, an induction motor drive, and a grid feeding inverter conducted using the PEDEB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper suggests a pedagogical approach to teaching the subject of average modeling of PWM switch-mode power electronics systems through simulation by general-purpose electronic circuit simulators. The paper discusses the derivation of PSPICE/ORCAD-compatible average models of the switch-mode power stages, their software implementation, and fast time-domain, frequency-domain, and stability analysis simulation techniques suitable for virtual study of complex switch-mode feedback systems. The proposed approach is demonstrated by a simulation example. The methodology is oriented toward Electrical Engineering students at the undergraduate level, enrolled in courses such as “Power Electronics,” “Industrial Electronics,” or the like. The paper can be helpful to instructors of a “Virtual Power Electronics Laboratory” course wanting to conduct a software experiment on dynamics of switch-mode power converter systems. Engineers and scientists approaching the task of simulation of switch-mode systems can also find the suggested technique useful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The static design of ac/dc and dc/dc switching-mode power supplies (SMPS) relies on a simple but repetitive process. Although specific spreadsheets, available in various computer-aided design (CAD) programs, are widely used, they are difficult to use in educational applications. In this paper, a graphic tool programmed in MATLAB is presented, which allows students to apply and to reflect upon the knowledge acquired in theoretical classes. This tool has been successfully employed in the course “Sistemas Electrónicos de Alimentación” in the Telecommunications Engineering degree as part of a project in new education methods (University of Oviedo project PB-08–019). During practical sessions, the students used the tool to design a SMPS, achieving better learning results than was the case without the tool. In addition, the tool was successfully used to improve the students' theoretical knowledge of the subject. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An interactive computer-based learning tool with multiple sessions is proposed in this paper, which teaches students to think and helps them recognize the merits and limitations of simulation tools so as to improve their practical abilities in electrical circuit simulation based on the case of a power converter with progressive problems. The common problem of fast simulation and differential equation solver convergence are discussed in detail for the simulation of nonlinear power electronic circuits. Another special ratio for ripple restriction is proposed, taking practical work into consideration. Some design and simulation tradeoffs for corresponding problems are also presented. Such a learning tool can improve students' programming skills and inspire their interest in practical work as well. The practical tests—carried out at the Aichi Institute of Technology, Toyota, Japan, and Southeast University, Nanjing, China— validate the effectiveness of the learning tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contribution: A didactic methodology, based on analytical expressions and experimental validation, to describe the process of abrupt current interruption in a series RL circuit, that considers real passive components and uses a toggle switch as disconnecting device. Background: In undergraduate courses, circuits adopted in transient analysis usually assume electrical switches in their ideal form, disregarding electrical impedance and its variation over time. Texts and instructors rarely point out these simplifications, so students can become confused. There is thus a need for a suitable switch model that yields a behavior consistent with real devices, while permitting a mathematical formulation of the inductor current. Intended Outcomes: That students should understand electrical component modeling, and how models can represent the physical phenomena that occur in electrical circuits. Application Design: An experiment, designed to evaluate students’ perceptions of switch modeling, modeled a switch by using three different equivalent circuits of increasing complexity, to allow a more realistic simulation. Electrical switch modeling is described, with the models being based on measurements performed on a real circuit. Findings: Student performance was evaluated qualitatively through test scores, and quantitatively through a post-class questionnaire. The results indicate that 96.15% of the students were able to propose an accurate model of the electrical switch. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]