Electrical Machines Curriculum

Electrical machines level 3 - BTEC unit 15

This learning resource – when used with the Matrix Modern Electrical Machines system – teaches students the basics of electrical machine operation, their speed / torque characteristics, relevant mathematical relationships including torque, power, and slip, and details of the circuits and power supplies needed to drive them. Machines include Dynamometer, DC motor, Dynamo, single and three phase induction motor, shunt motor and series motor, Three phase generator, and Brushless DC motor.

Understand each type of motor and how it is constructed - paper exercise
Understand each type of motor and how it is connected in circuit and what the circuits need to be
Understand single phase induction motors and the use of start/run capacitors
Understand torque and the use of a balance to measure torque
Understand speed torque curves for each motor and make a quick manual plot or a spreadsheet plot from taking manual readings
Understand why different motors are used in different applications and how the speed torque graph dictates this.
Understand the AC signals and how the motors in modern electrical machines are driven with square waves rather than sine waves.
Understand RMS and what it means and how to calculate it
Understand power in and power out and efficiency - measure the power using RMS V and I meters
Understand back emf and how this limits motor speed in Series motors
Get automatic motor speed torque characteristics using software. Plot families of curves on Excel.
Understand synchronous speed and slip in induction motors
Understand three phase generation from Brushless DC and how voltage out varies with speed.

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Electrical Machines for Installation cover

Electrical installation level 3

This learning resource – when used with the Matrix Modern Electrical Machines system – teaches Electrical Installation students the basics of electrical machine operation, their speed / torque characteristics and the circuits and power supplies needed to drive them. Machines include Dynamometer, DC motor, single and three phase induction motor, shunt motor and series motor.

Understand each type of motor and how it is constructed - paper exercise
Understand each type of motor and how it is connected in circuit and what the circuits need to be
Understand single phase induction motors and the use of start/run capacitors
Understand torque and the use of the balance to measure torque
Understand rough speed torque curves for each motor and make a quick manual plot or a spreadsheet plot
Understand why different motors are used in different applications.
Understand RMS and what it means
Understand power in and power out and efficiency - measure the power using RMS V and I meters

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MATLAB and electrical machines level 5 – university undergraduate year 2

This learning resource – when used with the Matrix Modern Electrical Machines system – teaches students how to use MATLAB to measure the characteristics of electrical machines, how to define the characteristics using a mathematical model and to verify that model using test results. A full MATLAB compatible Application Programming Interface for the control unit is supplied. Machines include Dynamometer, DC motor, Dynamo, single and three phase induction motor, shunt motor and series motor, Three phase generator, and Brushless DC motor.

Generate a programme that gathers speed torque data for any machine
Use MATLAB to derive a mathematical model for a motor.
Test this model against real data.
Create a new mathematical model for a different machine. Test this model against real data.
Alter the Dynamometer resistance and predict the test results.

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Electrical machines level 5 – university undergraduate year 2

This learning resource – when used with the Matrix Modern Electrical Machines system – introduces students to more advanced concepts and models of electrical machines and focuses particularly on building equivalent circuits of machines. Machines include Dynamometer, DC motor, Dynamo, single and three phase induction motor, shunt motor and series motor, Three phase generator, and Brushless DC motor.

Derive the equivalent electrical circuit for a DC machine
Use MATLAB to estimate the equivalent circuit for the induction motor. Test and iterate until the mathematical model works.
Use a transformer to make a filtered three phase power supply. Carry out tests on the induction motor for delta and star connections. Understand efficiency.
Understand digital drive circuit options: six step with open or short, square wave versus pseudo sine wave.
Examine different drive algorithms of the three phase induction motor and investigate the efficiency of each.

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