ECE Labs
The Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering has a number of laboratories in different specializations to enhance students understanding of the theoretical concepts giving in the lectures. There are 9
main labs, as follows:
- Computers having the most up-to-date professional software packages installed.
- Training consoles over which students can understand and practice operating high voltage equipment such as AC/DC generators, transformers, motors, impulse generators, power transmission simulators, surge arrestors, switch gears etc.
- Digital and Analogue communication related training modules which enable students to understand the basic and advanced communication and computer concepts
- Microwave, optical fiber, Radar, Transmission line, Television and Telephone Exchange demonstration equipment
- Wide range of Resistors, Capacitors, diodes, oscilloscopes, function generators, power supplies, transistors, integrated circuits etc. are available for design and research purposes.
- Computer networking switches, routers and hubs from CISCO to clarify computer-networking concepts and perform hands on training over these state of the art networking equipments.
- High performance computer aided tools Printed Circuit Board Laboratory, where students and faculty members can design electronic circuits using Mentor Graphics and finally implementing these designs using the PCB machine.
Electronic, Electrical technology and Circuit lab
The Electronics, Electrical technology and Circuit laboratory facility which supports five to six undergraduate courses per semester, two of which are core courses and as such must be taken by all ECE students. Supported courses include Circuits I (core) and II, Electronics I (core) and II, Electronics Training Workshop, Final-Year Design Project, and Electrical Technology for Petroleum and Mechanical engineering students. The laboratory also supports special projects. The laboratory has fifteen benches and test equipment. Each bench is allocated a DC power supply, a waveform generator, an audio function generator, a digital multi-meter, and a digital oscilloscope. The laboratory also has a few fast oscilloscopes, frequency meters, transfer function analyzers, sweep function generators, power electronic trainers, programmable controllers, and x-y recorders. The equipment is of relatively recent vintage and is in working order. Also, a stockroom supplies pre-made laboratory kits, commonly used components, and access to an up-to-date component database and electronics catalogs so that students and project teams can easily find or order unavailable parts. The laboratory is available to students during working hours. The laboratory, through well-designed experiments, allows the students to:
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Develop basics of AC ad DC analog circuits measurements and analyses.
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Study the characteristics of diodes, bipolar junction transistors (BJTs), metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs), and their applications
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Design, simulate, and implement basic electronic circuits for particular applications (e.g. amplifiers, filters, oscillators, modulation and demodulation, op-amp applications).
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Develop the skills required to implement projects. This includes learning bare minimum rules on how to plan for implementing projects in an efficient manner and how to handle the necessary tools and equipment.
More specifically, through building and testing process and CAD tools simulation, the students develop understanding on the design and operation of:
BJT- and MOSFET-based amplifiers, which constitute an integral part of most electronic systems.
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Cascade and feedback configurations of BJT- and MOSFET-based amplifiers, which improve the amplifier bandwidth in order to meet high-frequency applications.
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Active filters and sinusoidal oscillators based on operational amplifiers.
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Amplitude modulation (AM) and amplitude modulation detection (demodulation).
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A couple of op-amp based applications, like, voltage level detection, summing amplifiers, integrators, one-pole and two-pole low-pass filters, and analog differential equation solver. Also, the laboratory is equipped with advanced simulation software tools such as Pspice/OrCAD, MultiSim, and other CAD tools. These software packages allow DC, AC, and transient simulations of electronic circuits.
Communication Lab
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The Communications Laboratory at College of Engineering, Sultan Qaboos University was established in 1986 when the university was founded.
This laboratory is equipped with:
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Computers having the most up-to-date communication software packages installed for simulation of various communications systems.
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Training consoles over which students can understand and practice operating various communications systems.
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Digital and Analogue communication related training modules which enable students to understand the basic and advanced communication concepts
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Microwave, Optical fiber systems, Radar, Transmission line, Television and Telephone Exchange demonstration equipment.
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Computer Lab
The Department’s Computer Laboratory is primarily dedicated for Final year students during the whole academic year. The students use this Laboratory either to implement software programs or applications related to their final year projects or mini-projects (for various other courses). Not final year students are not allowed to access to this laboratory. The Lab is open six days a week (Saturday to Thursday) from 8:00 AM to 22:00 AM.
The Laboratory comprises the following hardware resources:
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Computers
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Acer
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Dell
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Processor
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Pentium IV
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Pentium III
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RAM
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523 MBytes
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64 MBytes
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CPU Speed
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1.5 GHZ
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800 MHz
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Hard Disk
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40 GBytes
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16 GBytes
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Total No.
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28
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6
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All the above 34 computers are Interconnected to the Internet through 100 Mbps Network Interface Card using RJ45 cables to share more than 26 Mbps Internet Connection. In addition to these computers, The Laboratory also comprises an LCD Projector and a shared networked printer (HP Laser 4200 N series). All computer are based on Windows XP operating System and have a similar Software Image Disk comprising the following software packages:
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Matlab (Version 6) for Digital Signal Processing Artificial Intelligence and control Application
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PSpice, for hardware modeling and simulation
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Eagle PC for Printed Circuit Board Design and Implementation
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Microsoft Office (Power point, Microsoft Word, etc…).
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Internet Explorer,…
In addition to the above usage, the Lab. is also used for the following purposes:
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External Short courses (IT Essentials, Power, etc… )
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M. Sc. and Final Year Projects Presentations
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Department Seminars
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On-line CISCO CCNA Exams
Digital Lab
The Digital Design Laboratory at College of Engineering, Sultan Qaboos University, Sultanate of Oman was established in 1987 just one year after the university was founded. But the actual practical work in the laboratory has started since 1988. This laboratory caters and supplements the following courses of department’s degree programs:
The Digital Design Laboratory is sufficiently equipped with range of the discrete components, ICs, modules, boards and kits which serve the needs of the courses. The laboratory also has a quite large number of PCs hooked with the server network. The software used in this laboratory are as below:
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Max-Plus and Verilog
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Logic Work
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Win LV - Programmer
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CUPL
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PSpice
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PFE - Ed
The High Voltage Laboratory at College of Engineering, Sultan Qaboos University was established in 1988 just one year after the university was founded. But the actual work in the laboratory has started since 1991. The total cost of the laboratory’s equipment, installation and infrastructures was about 400,000 RO. In 2002, all laboratory’s equipment were tested and calibrated by the supplier “Haefely”.
INDUSTRIAL SERVICES AVAILABLE
I) TESTS & EXPERIMENTS
a) Surge/Lightning Arresters and Transient Voltage Surge Suppressors (TVSS)
1- Power-frequency parkover test.
2- Pollution test.
3- Residual voltage test.
4- Direct current reference test.
5- High current impulse test: short and long duration impulse current test, and
operating duty cycle test.
b) Power Cables
1- Dielectric power factor test.
2- Partial discharge test.
3- Power-frequency withstand test.
4- Impulse withstand voltage test.
c) Transformers and Rotating Machines
1- Induced overvoltage test.
2- Partial discharge test.
3- Impulse voltage test.
d) High-Voltage Insulators
1- Power-frequency test:
(i) dry and wet flashover test, and
(ii) wet and dry withstand tests (one minute).
2- Impulse tests:
(i) impulse withstand voltage test
(ii) impulse flashover test
(iii) pollution test.
e) Bushings
1- Power factor voltage test.
2- Internal or partial discharge test.
3- One-minute wet withstand test at power frequency.
4- Visible discharge test at power frequency.
5- Impulse voltage tests:
(i) full-wave withstand test,
(ii) chopped wave withstand test, and
(iii) switching surge test.
f) Isolators and Circuit Breakers
1- Impulse voltage dry withstand test.
2- One-minute power-frequency voltage dry withstand test.
3- One-minute power-frequency voltage wet withstand test.
g) Measuring of the Earth Resistivity and the Earthing/Grounding System Resistance.
h) Testing of Dielectric Liquids (Transformers’, Switchgears’ and Capacitors’ Oils)
i) Power Systems Harmonic Measurements and Analysis (Power Quality)
II) THEORETICAL SIMULATIONS
a) Electrostatic Modeling
Electrostatic modeling of insulators, bushings, surge arresters and any electrode
system can be done using the Charge Simulation Method.
b) Transient Overvoltages
Evaluation and mitigation of transient overvoltages in any power system can be
achieved using PSCAD and EDSA packages. Also, the optimum location of
overvoltage protectors (surge arresters) can be simulated.
c) Electromagnetic Field Calculation
1- Electromagnetic fields under overhead power lines in two and three dimensions
(2D and 3D) can be calculated using the CONCEPT software to solve the whole
Maxwell’s equations.
2- Electromagnetic coupling between overhead lines and nearby objects, e.g.
pipelines, buildings, using the CDEGS software.
d) Design of the Earthing/Grounding Systems
Design of the earthing/grounding system for station, substations, buildings, and
utilities can be also done using the CDEGS software.
e) Lightning Transient Study of a Communication Tower
Transient electromagnetic fields response near a communication tower struck by a
lightning can be calculated using the CDEGS software.
Network Lab
The Computer Networks Laboratory is engaged in research, education, and industry training in the areas of computer networks, quality of service, wireless communication, security, simulation, multimedia and more. The Network lab has about thirty networked PC's connected via 10MB Ethernet. The lab contains many of the Cisco routers and switches that were donated by Cisco Systems as part of the Cisco Networking Academy Program (CNAP) to be used in delivering CCNA curriculum. The ECE Department, representing SQU, joined the CNAP in 2001. Since then, the Department offered many CCNA training to our undergraduate students as well as to the industry. The lab also contains some 3-Com switches and hups. All computers access laser printers for hardcopy output. The Net lab contains many network simulators that allow students to practice network design and configuration. Examples of the available simulation packages are eSIM for router configuration, eLab for CCNA Semester 2, and Packet Tracer for identifying fault locations. It also contains many of the Opnet IT Guru Student Editions licensees. IT Guru is unique because ot its ability to model the entire network, including its routers, switches, protocols, servers, and the individual applications they support. The lab allows student access to the Cisco CCNA Academy Curriculum. The Cisco Networking Academy Program offers more than a curriculum. It also provides an e-learning system offering Internet-enabled learning that encompasses training, education, just-in-time information, and communication.
The Lab offers the following benefits to our students:
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Online testing
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Classroom management through a web interface
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Interactive multimedia curricula
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Performance-based skills assessment
Using the online curriculum, hands-on labs, state-of-the-art equipment, real-world projects, and optional text products, our students receive the very best education available whenever they need it. A variety of software (including programming languages) is available for student use in the Net lab. Word processors, databases, spreadsheets, desktop publishing, and tutorials are some of the applications also available. Internet access on campus is available to all currently enrolled students in most computer labs. Access to the Internet in the academic computing labs is for course-related assignments and c ourse related research only. Priority to use the Net lab is given to students currently enrolled in Computer Network courses, Other courses with assignments requiring the use of computers, are welcome to use the lab. The lab is used also in graduate project presentations and many seminars offered by the ECE Department. The Lab is open during posted times, which may vary by semester. Posted times are conveniently located by the front entrance. It may be necessary to close the lab at various times for scheduled maintenance. There are also times when the lab may be reserved for a class demonstration. Any change in hours will be posted 24 hours in advance if possible. In addition to undergraduate teaching facilities, the Network laboratory allows advanced research in various areas such as QoS, TCP/IP, Network Modeling, and Network Security. The facilities allow you:
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Importing and analyzing network traffic.
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Object-oriented modeling.
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Testing QoS.
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Firewall implementation.
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Network Planning.
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Wireless balanced load distribution.
Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Lab
The Printed Circuit Board (PCB) laboratory is intended specifically to satisfy demands from both the educational and industrial sectors. It covers all the steps of a modern hardware technology design from architectural and detailed design to layout verification and PCB fabrication. The laboratory allows the fabrication of PCB boards with high Precision and high integration. Therefore, it would offer useful services to both the private and public sectors (PDO, Omantel, Muscat municipality, Universities) for the fabrication of embedded and well-dedicated hardware. The PCB Laboratory can be used for Undergraduate course to provide the basic information and experience necessary to layout printed circuit boards using both manual techniques and a Computer Aided Design software. The PCB laboratory can cover the following topics:
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Schematic capture and drawing generation
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Timing verification and architectural verification
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Porting netlists to PCB layout software, and layout and routing of boards and generation of artwork.
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PCB artwork and manufacturing techniques
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Manufacturing and fabrication processes associated with the electronics industry
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Hardware design of digital and analog circuits
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Fast prototyping using verilog and VHDL-based hardware modules.
The laboratory comprises an advanced Software Computer Aided Design (CAD) tool from Mentor Graphics and a PCB processing kit from Mega Electronics Ltd. The CAD tool is powerful and allows six (6 simultaneous users to use it. A single Pentium-IV server machine is used to store the original software. It can generate to up to eight (8) layers with several vias. The other features of the CAD tool are:
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Schematic entry and Design Partitioning.
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Capability to provide large number of nets.
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Long traces.
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Include ball grid array and column grid array.
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Architectural and PCB verification.
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Analog and digital simulation.
The PCB processing kit allows to the fabrication of single and double-sided boards. The sequences are:
In addition to undergraduate teaching facilities, the PCB laboratory allows advanced research in various areas such as hardware and VLSI design, embedded systems, real-time systems, and reconfigurable systems. The system allows:
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Full model simulation of various discrete components such as microprocessors, DSP processors, etc…
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Hardware design with behavioral and structural verilog/VHDL programming.
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PCB Design flow of very high speed boards with the capability to overcome classical problems met in high speed design such as crosstalks, EM interference, etc…
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Allows BGA, CSP, COB, or DCA packaging and automatic routing of tracks with 450.
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Ringing impedance mismatch by reducing the interconnect mismatch.
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Full model simulation of various discrete components such as microprocessors, DSP processors, etc… - Hardware design with behavioral and structural verilog/VHDL programming. - PCB Design flow of very high speed boards with the capability to overcome classical problems met in high speed design such as crosstalks, EM interference, etc… - Allows BGA, CSP, COB, or DCA packaging and automatic routing of tracks with 450. - Ringing impedance mismatch by reducing the interconnect mismatch. - Design reuse capability for complex design integration.Design reuse capability for complex design integration.
Power Electronics, Machine and Electric Drives Lab
Power Electronics
The power electronics laboratory is intended specifically to meet the needs of modern courses in power electronics. It covers the following topics:
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Thyristor and Power transistor
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Thyristor as a Controlled Rectifier
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Triac
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AC Voltage Regulator
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Half Controlled AC-DC Converter Bridge
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Fully Controlled full-wave Rectifier
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DC Chopper
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Single phase DC-AC Invertere
It is used at undergraduate level for studying the voltage and current characteristics of thyristors and power transistors, demonstrating the use of the thyristor as a half wave controlled rectifier, investigating the voltage and current waveforms for different loads and the effect of the freewheeling diode on the load and current and voltage waveforms. It presents the Triac as an electronic switch which is turned ON by a gate pulse and turned OFF by zero current crossing in both positive and negative cycles. It introduces the rms. ac voltage regulation based on simple back-toback thyristors and illustrates the principle of synchrocontrol. It examines and illustrates the principle of single phase half- and fully-controlled rectifier bridges under resistive and inductive loads. It teaches how to build a simple DC to DC converter using SCRs, how to analyze the triggering of main and auxiliary SCRs, how to study the voltage waveforms at the output terminals and commutation capacitor. It also teaches how to construct and examine the principle of a simple DC-AC inverter and to study the output waveforms. The main teaching units employed in this lab are as follows:
Electrical Machines:
The electrical machine laboratory is intended for electrical machine courses. It is used at undergraduate level for studying the characteristics and operation of direct current (dc), induction, synchronous and special machines using state of the art teaching modules. The subjects that are covered include: torque/speed curves and back-to-back tests for dc machines, characteristics of dc motors and dc generators (separate, series, shunt and compound), determining the parameters, the starting methods, speed control and performance of 3-phase induction motors, dynamic braking of induction motors, load tests, voltage regulation, power factor control and parameters of synchronous machines, load angle curves and pullout torque of synchronous machines etc. The main teaching units employed in this lab are as follows:
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TERCO : 3 Teaching units
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Nickerson : 4 Teaching units
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Scan Drive : 3 Teaching units
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LabVolt : 1 teaching unit
Electrical Drives:
Modern electrical drive systems consist of three main parts:
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The prime mover which is a DC or AC motor
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The power semiconductor converter, which is AC/DC, DC/DC or AC/AC type.
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The control unit (i.e. brain of the drive), based on digital, analog or hybrid components.
The advent of such modern adjustable speed drives has completely revolutionized the electric machinery industry. With the decreasing cost and increasing reliability of power electronics, the trend toward adjustable speed motors continues to accelerate. The use of these devices to control the speed of DC and AC motors constitutes the main objective of this laboratory. The experiments included in this lab were designed to introduce variable speed electrical AC and DC drives in a simple and fairly complete fashion, to senior students. The power converters used in DC drive experiments are based on SCRs, in natural commutation, for single and multi-quadrant operation. In AC drive experiments, the power converters are based on fast Bipolar Transistors, Power MOSFETs as well as SCRs in forced commutation. The main teaching units employed in this lab are as follows:
In addition to undergraduate teaching facilities, the lab comprises also high performance equipment for conducting high performance speed and position control of AC and DC drives. However, because of the evident mechanical ruggedness of the AC motors as compared with their DC counterparts, speed and position control of AC motors for high performance applications are predominant. Low and high performance drive of induction motors and permanent magnet synchronous motors based on the Volts/Hertz (V/f) and vector control strategies can be investigated, simulated and tested using the Technosoft DSP Motion Control Kits MCK240 and MCK2407 that can be used to drive DC brush, brushless DC and AC motors. These facilities allow to:
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Develop and test Algorithms for open-loop and closed loop V/f and PWM control of induction motor drives.
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Develop and test algorithms for vector control of induction motor and PMSM drives.
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Implement DSP based vector controllers.
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Develop a systematic approach to controller design for vector control AC motor drives.
In addition to this equipment for research, the lab has advanced simulation software tools such as Pspice/OrCAD, Matlab/Simulink, EMTP/PSCAD and COSMOS/EMS. These software packages allow steady-state, dynamic, and transient analysis of power electronics, machines, and drives circuits and systems.
Power Systems Lab
The Power Systems Laboratory currently in room 0048 supports ECCE 4312 and ECCE 4316 Power Systems Analysis I and II and ELEC 5302 Power Systems Protection. It is 39 square meters and comprises modules for transmission line, variable static loads (resistors, Inductor, and capacitors) and dynamic load (motor), power simulator with transmission lines, loads, double bus, protection relays, power station simulator, and Modeq100 comprises a simulated power system that includes generation, synchronization to grid, static and dynamic loads and protective features such as reverse power protection.. Additional hardware includes variable transformers (0- 110%) and laboratory instrumentation like a digital-storage oscilloscope (HM 205-2), a digital multi-meter and a plotter system (HP7475). The lab will move to room 0006 of the new ECE building with almost double area of 61 square meters by end of spring 2005. This is expected to improve operating conditions, accommodate more students in the future, and procure new equipment or upgrade existing one.
The equipment in the laboratory comprises the following:
The core teaching topics in this Laboratory are:
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The Power Station.
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Synchronizing and parallel running.
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Transmission/Distribution.
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Protection – relays and circuit breakers
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Power and Power Factor improvement
The very nature and complexity of modern electrical power systems do not allow them to be used as a practical and unrestricted training ground for Engineers. As a result, it follows that a great deal of experience must be gained “second hand”. The Systems in the Laboratory are designed so that they can be used for demonstration purposes, experimentation, assignments, projects and practical role play. Apart from the educational benefits of such a laboratory, it also improves the confidence of potential and practicing Engineers to deal with on – site operational and associated problems. The objective therefore of the Power Systems Laboratory is to provide a first hand experience in the many operational areas of a real electrical power system.
The Fallowing experiments can be done in this lab:
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Introduction to Modeq – 100
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Synchronization of a Synchronous Generator with an Existing Power Supply
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Paralleling Alternators - Real/Reactive Power Control and Power Angle
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Transmission Line Representation and Reactive Power Compensation.
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Power Factor Improvement by Capacitive VAR Compensation.
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Sequential Switching of a Duplicate Busbar scheme.
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Inverse Definite Minimum Time Overcurrent Relay.
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Generator Differential Protection.
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Busbar Protection using Differential Relays.
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Definite Time Reverse Power Relay.
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Negative Phase Sequence over current Relay.
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Impedance Relay.
ECE labs powered by
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