7 ECTS credits
180 h study time
Offer 1 with catalog number 1004491BNR for all students in the 2nd semester at a (B) Bachelor - advanced level.
The developements in electronic semiconductor devices technology, which started in the years 1950, have quickly lead to devices which were able to handle high currents and high voltages in so called switching technology. Power diodes and power thyristors were the first two components in power electronics. Later other power semiconductor devices came up : bipolar power transistors (GTR), MOSFET, high performance thyristors, GTO, IGBT, IGCT. This evolution is still going on. Switching frequencies going from a few tens of Hertz to more than hundred kilo Hertz are now possible and opened opportunities in industrial energy technology. Different types of converters are developed which allow to control different types of industrial processes, from satellites to ultra fast trains, with precisions according to the requirements. A particularly important industrial application is the electric drive system with three phase AC motors and power electronic pulse width modulation converter. So the course starts with the operation of the three phase induction and synchronous motors followed by the operation of the pulse width modulation power electronic converters. Next, the control circuits for these drives are discussed.
After completion of the teaching on the previous AC electric drive, the course is complemented with a selection of other power electronic converters: DC/DC choppers, snubber networks and switched mode power supplies. During the laboratory practical session the students must evaluate the principles discussed during the lecture sessions. During these practical sessions they have opportunities to acquire skills in measurement techniques, the organization of test sessions, teamwork, reporting in writing and oral sessions.
The Bachelor in Engineering Sciences has a broad fundamental knowledge and understanding of scientific principles and methodology of exact sciences with the specificity of their application to engineering.
The students must have acquired knowledge and understanding in the structure, the operation and the characteristics of electric drives with induction motor and power electronic pulse width modulation converters. They must have acquired knowledge and understanding in measuring the electrical and mechanical quantities (voltage, current, power, phase shift, harmonic content, harmonic distortion, wave shapes, torque and speed) which are relevant to the drives mentioned before. They must have acquired knowledge and understanding in the structure and the functions of power electronic circuits of typ chopper, snubber networks and switched mode power supply.
The Bachelor in Engineering Sciences can work in team, shows creativity and entrepreneurship, and has intellectual mobility.
The students should acquire this skill during the practical lab sessions, for which they must organize themselves in teams. They must further sharpen this skill within the exam, which is constructed as a case study to be treated in groups and individually evaluated in all its aspects.
The Bachelor in Engineering Sciences has consciousness of the ethical, social, environmental and economic context of the work and strives for sustainable solutions to engineering problems including safety aspects.
The contribution that power electronics and electric drive technology delivers to sustainable use of energy is imparted in detail in the lectures. Students must take this possibility into practice during the laboratory exercises. They must have acquired knowledge and understanding in safety procedures related to measuring on these power electronic equipment operating at low voltage level.
The Bachelor in Engineering Sciences has a creative, problem-solving, result-driven and evidence-based attitude, aiming at innovation.
The creative, problem-solving, results-oriented attitude is imparted into the challenges that are presented to the students in the practical laboratory exercises.
The Bachelor in Engineering Sciences has a critical attitude towards one's own results and those of others
This attitude, the students must adopt in the exam, which is constructed as a case study to be treated in groups and individually evaluated in all its aspects.
The Bachelor in Engineering Sciences has acquired the tools for knowledge collection towards life-long learning.
Students must be able by self-learning to acquire knowledge about the structure, operation, characteristics and application of power eletronic circuits that were not addressed explicitly in the lectures. This aspect is tested in he exam.
The Bachelor in Engineering Sciences has a more fundamental knowledge and understanding of Electromechanical Engineering and can apply this knowledge to solve elementary engineering problems.
This knowledge relates specifically to Power Electronics and Electrical Drive.
The Bachelor in Engineering Sciences has a broad fundamental knowledge and understanding of engineering principles and the ability to apply them to analyse key engineering processes and to investigate new an emerging technologies.
This broad knowledge base is sharpened by testing the basic knowledge about power electronics and electric drivein laboratory practicals.
The Bachelor in Engineering Sciences has a broad fundamental knowledge and understanding of fundamental, basic methods and theories to schematize and model problems or processes
This broad knowledge base is sharpened by modeling a numbe of situations of electric drive for simulation using the MATLAB Simulink package.
The Bachelor in Engineering Sciences can define, classify, formulate and solve engineering problems, identify the constraints and is able to delimit and formulate the tasks in order to submit these to a critical examination and to check the solutions for their sustainability and social relevance.
The students must be able to apply the knowledge and understanding to set up a measurement procedure to determine the characteristics of an existing asynchronous motor. They must be able to select a standard motor and converter function of characteristics of an industrial application. To a limited extent they should be able to size a chopper and a switched mode power supply of its industrial application.
The Bachelor in Engineering Sciences can monitor, interpret and apply the results of analysis and Bachelor Learning Outcome modelling in order to bring about continuous improvement.
This skill is sharpened by simulating a number of situations of electric drive using the Matlab Simulink package.
The Bachelor in Engineering Sciences can apply qantitative methods and computer software relevant to the engineering discipline in order to solve engineering problems.
This skill is sharpened by simulating a number of situations of electric drive using the Matlab Simulink package. The students must be able to model the operation of electrical drives.
The Bachelor in Engineering Sciences can use and evaluate information of technical literature and other information sources.
The students should especially use the specified reference work for the analysis they do in the context of the practical work on electrical drives and electrical machinery.
The Bachelor in Engineering Sciences can correctly report on design results in the form of a technical report or in the form of a paper.
Students must be able to communicate the results of the previous in the form of a written report. They should be able to present results and their organization of the measuring procedures orally and justify the way they do.
The Bachelor in Engineering Sciences can present and defend results in a scientifically sound way, using contemporary communication tools.
The students should sharpen this skill in the exam, which is organized as a case study to be treated in group. The students are evaluated individually in all aspects of the case.
The final grade is composed based on the following categories:
Oral Exam determines 100% of the final mark.
Within the Oral Exam category, the following assignments need to be completed:
This offer is part of the following study plans:
Bachelor of Engineering: Mechanical and Electrotechnical Engineering (only offered in Dutch)
Bachelor of Engineering: verkort traject werktuigkunde-elektrotechniek na vooropleiding industriële wetenschappen (only offered in Dutch)
Bachelor of Engineering: verkort traject werktuigkunde-elektrotechniek na vooropleiding fysica (only offered in Dutch)
Master of Teaching in Science and Technology: ingenieurswetenschappen (120 ECTS, Etterbeek) (only offered in Dutch)
Preparatory Programme Master of Science in Electromechanical Engineering: Standaard traject (only offered in Dutch)