This project is developing a real-time computer controlled Power Electronics and Drives Laboratory that consists of object-oriented software based experiments, modular based hardware experiments, and state-of-the-art industrial drives from Allen-Bradley. Specific practices and products that are being adapted are the use of object-oriented modeling of components from RPI and Virginia Tech, and hardware implementation through power electronic building blocks from Technical University of Munich.
The main features of the laboratory include PC software, DSP-based control hardware, signal conditioning units and device drives and opto-isolation for power electronic converters. Object-oriented modeling and visual programming employ computer tools such as Saber and PEMag.
Students are learning through "hands-on" experience in graphical modeling and simulation, design, analysis, and prototyping of power electronics experiments, the operation of industrial grade drives, and through web-based and CD-ROM modular materials.
