The major objective of this project is to develop a modern electrical energy systems laboratory for undergraduate electrical engineering students. The laboratory provides students with both hands-on experience and a deeper understanding of theoretical concepts in the state-of-the-art power engineering technology. The experience should prepare them to meet the challenges of the industry by creating in them an awareness of various practical issues confronting an engineer. The innovative aspect of this project is the integration of the principles of modern power conversion devices (e.g., d.c./d.c. converters, solar generation) and practical applications (e.g., electric vehicles) in a laboratory environment. A single laboratory facility can provide the students with practical knowledge in areas significant to electrical power systems, such as power quality, power electronic conversion, associated electromagnetic fields, control and dynamics of motors, solar power conversion, and operation of electric vehicles at high efficiencies. The opportunity to work with recent high-technology equipment in these allied areas will attract more students to work in the laboratory. The laboratory experiments progress from fundamental concepts to basic applications and lead to advanced applications. The facility also provides opportunities for senior students to undertake purposeful capstone design projects in power engineering that are relevant in today's workplace. This project sets a new trend in educating the 21st century electrical power engineer and forms a model for other engineering schools in this context.
