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Module

EEE3028 : Electrical Machines and Drives

  • Offered for Year: 2024/25
  • Module Leader(s): Dr Glynn Atkinson
  • Lecturer: Dr Shafiq Odhano
  • Owning School: Engineering
  • Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters

Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.

Semester 1 Credit Value: 10
Semester 2 Credit Value: 10
ECTS Credits: 10.0
European Credit Transfer System

Aims

To provide a thorough basis for electrical machines study at advanced level.
To be able to analyse electrical machines in numerical and 2D finite element simulation systems.
To have an overview of Electrical Machines in the modern world and in the context of the Electrification Revolution.
To understand the fundamentals of electric drives and their applications.
Apply the knowledge gained on electrical machines and drives to novel situations/problems independently.
Analyse and implement the control of a basic electric drive and apply various control concepts.

Outline Of Syllabus

System Modelling and losses: Modelling and understanding the mechanical model of the machine and load.
Understand that energy flow is bi-directional and Create Free Body Diagram (FBD) of a machine and load with losses and inertias.
Create an ordinary differential equation representing the system (and simulate using Matlab)
Understand the influence of mechanical parameters on transient and steady state performance
Understand how to model different types of loads
Interpret more complex loads in a mathematical model and find steady state characteristics
Understand the sources and characteristics of various losses and the thermal implications of loss.
Understand loss measurement methods and interpret experimental data to ascertain loss
Understand and analyse first order thermal characteristics and factors affecting thermal time constant behaviour
DC Machines: Modelling and understanding the DC machine leading onto an understanding of the brushless DC machine.
Understand brushed DC machine topologies and equivalent circuit
Derive from equivalent circuit the transient and steady state characteristic equations and
Torque-speed characteristics
Brushless DC machine topology
BLDC position sensing, Drive, operating modes, voltage and current control modes.
Synchronous machines: Modelling and understanding Highly efficient synchronous machines used for generation and propulsion.
Synchronous machine topologies: rotor and stator
Operating principles
Load and current angle effect on torque production
Equivalent circuit and phasor representation
Operating conditions
D and Q axis representation
Saliency and maximum power condition
The concept of field weakening
Asynchronous machines: Modelling and understanding the induction machine and its load.
Revision on the IM Topology, Characteristics, Operating principle and Equivalent circuit
Deriving the Induction Machine parameters from a series of standard tests
Modelling the IM performance and interaction with loads.

Interspersed throughout the course, research into automotive and aerospace applications of electrical machines and modern manufacturing methods and materials in electrical machines. To include industrial guest lecturers.

Basic drive configurations and load characteristics:
two and four quadrant operation
dynamic braking and regeneration
constant torque and field weakening strategies
high bandwidth torque control
control basics applied to drives – performance metrics

DC drives
dc motor modelling: state space models and transfer functions
use of H-bridge for variable supply voltage
armature current and rotor speed control: cascade control structures
digital control basics
position measuring devices
tuning methods for proportional-integral controllers for drives
additive disturbance rejection and steady-state error

AC drives
three-phase power electronic converter
space vector theory
three-phase to two-phase transformation
Permanent magnet synchronous machine dynamic equations
reference frame transformation
vector control of permanent magnet synchronous motor
dynamic model of an induction motor
rotor flux-oriented vector control of induction motor drives
decoupled flux and torque control: torque control at high dynamics
voltage space vector generation through a three-phase power electronic converter
mathematical basis for space vector modulation
centre aligned PWM modulation strategy: phase duty cycle calculations

Case Study: Study of a 24V digitally controlled drive system. Electronics design and control software issues.

Teaching Methods

Teaching Activities
Category Activity Number Length Student Hours Comment
Guided Independent StudyAssessment preparation and completion110:0010:00Preparation and completion of formative and summative assignments
Structured Guided LearningLecture materials200:155:00Twenty Non-synchronous pre-recorded solutions of worked examples.
Structured Guided LearningLecture materials160:308:00Sixteen Non-synchronous pre-recorded lectures covering course material and worked examples.
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesLecture82:0016:00A 2hr lecture per week over 8 weeks
Guided Independent StudyAssessment preparation and completion110:0010:00Revision for assessment
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesLecture21:002:00GUEST LECTURE (ZOOM). Two synchronous guest lectures from industry
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesLecture61:006:00SEMINAR ROOM. Timetabled seminars covering analytical methods and theory
Guided Independent StudyAssessment preparation and completion12:302:30Completion of summative individual assessment during normal assessment period
Structured Guided LearningLecture materials240:208:0024 non-synchronous pre-recorded lectures covering course material
Guided Independent StudyAssessment preparation and completion43:0012:00Revision for final exam
Structured Guided LearningStructured research and reading activities41:004:00Reading activity to supplement knowledge of material taught in each unit
Structured Guided LearningStructured research and reading activities112:0022:00Reading activity to supplement knowledge of material taught in each week
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesWorkshops22:004:00In computer lab for modelling and simulation of electric drive systems
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesWorkshops62:0012:00COMPUTING LAB Timetabled computing lab sessions covering simulation methods, analysis and interpretation of results
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesWorkshops12:002:00COMPUTING LAB. Introduction and 2-hour software training session
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesDrop-in/surgery41:004:00zoom. One one-hour zoom surgery session per unit (online)
Scheduled Learning And Teaching ActivitiesDrop-in/surgery61:006:001hr synchronous online for tutorials and general Q&A, starting from week 3
Guided Independent StudyIndependent study201:3030:00Student study time of non-synchronous pre-recorded material
Guided Independent StudyIndependent study126:3026:30Reviewing lecture notes, tutorial questions, simulation results: General reading.
Guided Independent StudyIndependent study200:3010:00Student led study and completion of set activities.
Total200:00
Teaching Rationale And Relationship

Lectures provide core material and guidance for further study with complementary recorded videos provided to expand on the core material (explainers) an allow students to practice simulations and tutorials in their self-study time.

Simulation and worked examples will be covered in mix of computing labs and seminar rooms – where worked examples, application simulations, case studies and tutorials can be covered in detail.

Additional individual support will be offered in a surgery slot timed toward the end of each unit. Software training and problem solving is introduced and practiced through lectures in computing labs.

Assessment Methods

The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners

Exams
Description Length Semester When Set Percentage Comment
Written Examination1502A75Closed-book exam via online platform
Other Assessment
Description Semester When Set Percentage Comment
Design/Creative proj1M25Design and simulation project 3000 words - Analytical design and simulation of a brushless DC machine and drive. Task to be set in week 8 – submission of report in assessment period.
Formative Assessments

Formative Assessment is an assessment which develops your skills in being assessed, allows for you to receive feedback, and prepares you for being assessed. However, it does not count to your final mark.

Description Semester When Set Comment
Design/Creative proj2MAnalytical design and simulation of a 3-phase AC machine and drive for an automotive application.
Assessment Rationale And Relationship

The semester one coursework allows the students to demonstrate an understanding of the semester 1 material covering BLDC machines and drives in a problem-based setting where they will demonstrate their knowledge using analytical skills, simulation methods, the interpretation of results.

The semester two formative assessment allows the students to demonstrate an understanding of the semester 2 material covering AC machines and drives in a problem-based setting where they will demonstrate their knowledge using analytical skills, simulation methods, the interpretation of results.

The final examination provides the opportunity for the students to demonstrate their understanding of the full course material and its application to the real world.

Reading Lists

Timetable