Conference Session

Interdisciplinary and Multidisciplinary Laboratories

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Atin Sinha, Albany State University

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

AC 2009-514: INTEGRATING A REVERSE ENGINEERING PROJECT IN ALABORATORY-BASED INTRODUCTORY ENGINEERING COURSEAtin Sinha, Albany State University Atin Sinha is the Regents Engineering Professor and Coordinator of the Engineering Program at Albany State University. He received his Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Tennessee Space Institute in 1984. He had worked in Learjet and Honeywell before moving to academia in 1990. He is also a Registered Professional Engineer. Currently, he is engaged in motivating undergraduate students in inquiry based learning through laboratory experimentation

Conference Session

Experiments in Remote-access Laboratories

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

M. Reza Emami, University of Toronto; Michael G. Helander, University of Toronto

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

AC 2009-160: THE EFFECTS OF COMPUTER INTERFACE ON LEARNINGOUTCOMES IN REMOTE-ACCESS LABORATORIESM. Reza Emami, University of TorontoMichael G. Helander, University of Toronto Page 14.1209.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2009 THE EFFECTS OF COMPUTER INTERFACE ON LEARNING OUTCOMES IN REMOTE ACCESS LABORATORIESAbstractRemote access laboratories are increasingly being integrated into undergraduate engineeringcurricula on a global scale. Despite the vast body of literature dealing with remotely-accessiblelaboratories, the majority of papers have focused on the technical merits of a particularimplementation, rather than on the implications of

Conference Session

Interdisciplinary and Multidisciplinary Laboratories

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Robert Edwards, Pennsylvania State University, Erie; Gerald Recktenwald, Portland State University; Brian Benini, Case Western Reserve University

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

AC 2009-251: A LABORATORY EXERCISE TO TEACH THE HYDROSTATICPRINCIPLE AS A CORE CONCEPT IN FLUID MECHANICSRobert Edwards, Pennsylvania State University, Erie Robert Edwards is currently a Lecturer in Engineering at The Penn State Erie, The Behrend College where he teaches Statics, Dynamics, and Fluid and Thermal Science courses. He earned a BS degree in Mechanical Engineering from Rochester Institute of Technology and an MS degree in Mechanical Engineering from Gannon University.Gerald Recktenwald, Portland State University Gerald Recktenwald is an Associate Professor in the Mechanical and Materials Engineering Department at Portland State University. He is a member of ASEE, ASME, IEEE and SIAM. His

Conference Session

Unique Laboratory Experiments and Programs

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kendrick Aung, Lamar University

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

they provide hands-onexperiences and demonstrate applications of theoretical principles to the real-world engineeringproblems. There are two required laboratory classes in the curricula of mechanical engineering atLamar University: MEEN 3311 Measurements Lab and MEEN 4313 Materials Lab. These labcourses were the principal courses designed to meet the ABET EC 2000 outcome (b) related toexperimentation: an ability to design and conduct experiments as well as to analyze and interpretdata. This paper will discuss the Measurements Lab, a core junior level course for mechanicalengineering majors in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Lamar University. Thecourse is a two-credit hour class with one 1-hour lecture and one 3-hour lab session per

Conference Session

Unique Laboratory Experiments and Programs

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Michael Koplow, Northeastern University; Francis Di Bella, Northeastern University

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

precise moment and opportunity when the engineeringtechnology lesson can be enlivened and saved from failure and when the instructor canprovide the greater lesson to the student which, in the words of the non-engineer WinstonChurchill is: never give up, never give up, never give up! This paper explores thestrategy of turning a lab experiment failure into an engineering technology learninglesson that will not soon be forgotten by the engineering technology student.Background and IntroductionAny Instructor or Teaching Assistant has likely had the experience of starting anengineering laboratory experiment only to find that the experiment does not workcompletely. This can be true even when the experiment “…worked a minute ago” duringthe trial test

Conference Session

Unique Laboratory Experiments and Programs

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Yulian Kin, Purdue University-Calumet; Krasimir Zahariev, Purdue University-Calumet

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

Conference Session

Unique Laboratory Experiments and Programs

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Charles Neuman, Queensborough Community College; David Lieberman, Queensborough Community College; Don Engelberg, Queensborough Community College; Alex Flamholz, Queensborough Community College; Paul Marchese, Queensborough Community College; George Tremberger, Queensborough Community College; Tak Cheung, Queensborough Community College

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

is currently serving as PI on a NSF grant on designing remote laser laboratory for teaching techniciansDon Engelberg, Queensborough Community College Don Engelberg is a Professor of Physics at Queensborough Community College of the City University of New York. His research interests include nuclear physics, laser physics, and education. He was awarded several NSF grants and is currently serving as PI on a NSF grant in laser physics education.Alex Flamholz, Queensborough Community College Alex Flamholz is an Assistant Professor of Physics at Queensborough Community College of the City University of New York. His research interests include bio-physics, electronics, and education. He

Conference Session

Design of Laboratory Experiments

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ahmed Rubaai, Howard University; James Johnson, Howard University

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

2006-391: DSP-BASED REAL-TIME CONTROL SYSTEMS DESIGN, ANALYSIS,AND IMPLEMENTATION FOR REINFORCEMENT OF CONTROLS EDUCATIONAhmed Rubaai, Howard University Ahmed Rubaai received the M.S.E.E degree from Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, in 1983, and the Dr. Eng. degree from Cleveland State University, Cleveland, Ohio, in 1988. In the same year, he joined Howard University, Washington, D.C., as a faculty member, where he is presently a Professor of Electrical Engineering. His research interests include high performance motor drives, research and development of intelligent applications for manufacturing systems, engineering hardware testing in laboratory, and computer-aided design for

Conference Session

Unique Laboratory Experiments and Programs

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jed Marquart, Ohio Northern University; David Sawyers, Ohio Northern University

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

-generated lab plans,and identify areas where progress does (and does not) occur as the sequence progresses.Second, a series of self-assessment surveys are given to the students several times during thethree-quarter sequence.IntroductionThe Mechanical Engineering Department at Ohio Northern University currently requiresstudents to take a sequence of five quarter-long courses in the thermal sciences. Three ofthese courses include laboratory components. These laboratories are designed to: 1. Reinforce and apply theoretical concepts developed in lecture 2. Introduce equipment, instrumentation, and techniques related to thermal and flow measurement 3. Apply knowledge of data acquisition systems, including LabVIEW 4. Develop

Conference Session

Design of Laboratory Experiments

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Bradley Burchett, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

-loop unstable model of the plant ininverted pendulum mode. They then apply Ackermann's formula to obtain the state feedbackgains to place the closed loop poles at locations suggested by the professor. Third, we present astate feedback control experiment based on a two degree of freedom mass-spring system withrigid body mode. Control of this device is analogous to control through a flexible manipulator,except that the system is simplified to one-dimensional motion. Fourth, we show a proposedmodeling and parameter identification laboratory for a graduate level dynamics course. Studentsare required to develop the system non-linear kinematic equations, then apply LaGrange'sformulae to obtain two degree of freedom kinetic equations. They are then

Conference Session

Design of Laboratory Experiments

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Lisa Huettel, Duke University

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

2006-1246: INTEGRATION OF A DSP HARDWARE-BASED LABORATORY INTOAN INTRODUCTORY SIGNALS AND SYSTEMS COURSELisa Huettel, Duke University LISA G. HUETTEL, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of the Practice and Director of Undergraduate Laboratories in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Duke University. Her research interests include the application of statistical signal processing to remote sensing and engineering education. She received her M.S. and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Duke University. Page 11.797.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2006

Conference Session

Design of Laboratory Experiments

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Glen Thorncroft, California Polytechnic State University; James Patton, California Polytechnic State University

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

experimental data in the turbulent regime, and the data predictablydeviates during transition. The Reynolds number of transition was demonstrated to vary fromthe accepted value of 2300, depending on tube inlet geometry. Finally, experimentallydetermined values of pipe friction factor were plotted against Reynolds number, and found toclosely match the classic Moody Diagram. A pedagogical approach is developed along with theexperiment facility, and is also described in detail.Introduction The development of an undergraduate engineering laboratory is challenging, because alaboratory serves two sometimes distinct sets of goals. The first are generally classroom-specificgoals: to demonstrate physical phenomena developed in the classroom, to compare

Conference Session

Unique Laboratory Experiments and Programs

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jason Yao, East Carolina University; Philip Lunsford, East Carolina University

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

2006-565: LABORATORY FROM THE FIRST DAY: AN EFFICIENT METHOD TOCONVEY ELECTRICAL CONCEPTS TO ENGINEERING STUDENTSJason Yao, East Carolina University Jianchu Yao received his Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering from Kansas State University in 2005. Dr. Yao joined East Carolina University as an Assistant Professor in August, 2005. Prior to this appointment, he served as a Research Engineer in China from 1995 to 2001. His research interests include wearable medical devices, telehealthcare, bioinstrumentation, control systems, and biosignal processing. Dr. Yao is a member of the American Society of Engineering Education.Philip Lunsford, East Carolina University Phil Lunsford received a B.S

Conference Session

Design of Laboratory Experiments

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Peter Avitabile, University of Massachusetts-Lowell; Tracy Van Zandt, University of Massachusetts-Lowell; Nels Wirkkala, University of Massachusetts-Lowell; Jeffrey Hodgkins, University of Massachusetts-Lowell

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

2006-738: SECOND ORDER MECHANICAL ONLINE ACQUISITION SYSTEM(RUBE)Peter Avitabile, University of Massachusetts-Lowell Peter Avitabile is an Associate Professor in the Mechanical Engineering Department and the Director of the Modal Analysis and Controls Laboratory at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. He is a Registered Professional Engineer with a BS, MS and Doctorate in Mechanical Engineering and a member of ASEE, ASME and SEM.Tracy Van Zandt, University of Massachusetts-Lowell Tracy is a graduate student in the Mechanical Engineering Department at the University of Massachusetts. She is currently working on her Master’s Degrees in the Modal Analysis and Controls Laboratory while

Conference Session

Innovations in Laboratory Studies

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Steven Walk, Old Dominion University

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

he was a University Scholar. Page 13.856.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2008 Long On Students and Short On Equipment: An Effective and Well Received Method to Improve Laboratory Outcomes Given Laboratory Equipment ConstraintsAbstractColleges and universities experience temporary increases in student populations for manyreasons, such as changes in local population demographics or the popularity of specific majors.These periods of high enrollment do not always justify expansion of laboratory assets such asconstruction of new workstations, purchase of new test equipment, or the addition

Conference Session

Inter- and Multidisciplinary Laboratories

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Roger Beardsley, Central Washington University

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

Gerpen, J., Shanks, B., Pruszko, R., Clements, D., & Knothe, G. ( 2004, July). Biodiesel productiontechnology. (NREL/SR Publication No. 510-36244). National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Boulder CO. p. 56(4) Local B100 Website, http://www.localb100.com, accessed Dec 29,2007(5) Journey to Forever website, http://journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_vehicle.html, accessed Dec 29, 2007(6) Van Gerpen, J., Shanks, B., Pruszko, R., Clements, D., & Knothe, G. ( 2004, July).Biodiesel productiontechnology. (NREL/SR Publication No. 510-36244). National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Boulder CO. p. 1(7) CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, CRC Publications(8) Canakci, M. & Van Gerpen, J. (2003). A pilot plant to produce biodiesel from high free fatty

Conference Session

Innovations in Laboratory Studies

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ali Al-Bahi, King Abdulaziz University

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

ArabiaAbstractEngineering is a practical discipline. It is a hands-on profession where doing is a key element.Practicing engineers use research laboratories and development laboratories to obtainexperimental data to guide them in designing and developing a product and/or to determine if adesigned product performs as intended. Engineering students, on the other hand, need to go tolaboratories to build up essential skills and abilities required for the engineering profession ingeneral, and particularly those required to deal with industrial research and developmentlaboratories.In January 2002, ABET, with support from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, held a 3-daycolloquy to explore the issues related to the true goals of students’ undergraduate lab experience.The aim

Conference Session

Electrical and Computer Engineering Laboratories

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Chiu Choi, University of North Florida

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

Conference Session

Instrumentation and Controls Laboratories

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Harry Franz, University of Houston-Downtown

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

few students thatwork in the electrical power sector of industry do have prior knowledge of electrical powerindustrial software.A virtual electrical power systems laboratory is used in the EET-3334 course in conjunction withthe theory and application of the lecture. This virtual electrical power systems laboratory allowsa variety of electrical power systems to be designed effectively with minimum cost. In addition,the lab use of industrial software allows the students to practice using a tool that typically isrequired later when they work in industry. The students in the virtual electrical power systemslab first learn basic theory power theory using the Electronics Workbench / Multisim software.The students then learn to program some small

Conference Session

Unique Laboratory Experiments and Programs

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

John Williams, University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

early 1970’s, state budget cuts forced the elimination of funding for instructionalequipment and laboratories. Rapid changes in technology, particularly the growing application ofcomputing, presented challenges to maintain quality in the instructional laboratories in theCollege of Engineering. A funding program in the 1980’s helped to revitalize some of the engineering lab facilities;however, many objectives were unfulfilled. The realization of the importance of computertechnologies by industry prompted significant contributions by technology companies. TheIllinois Society of Professional Engineers promoted the establishment of the Illinois EngineeringEquipment Grant Program for the purchase of lab equipment and other resources. The need

Conference Session

Design of Laboratory Experiments

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Afshin Goharzadeh, The Petroleum Institute; Arman Molki, The Petroleum Institute; Michael Ohadi, The Petroleum Institute

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

2006-1293: A PROPOSED PARTICLE IMAGE VELOCIMETRY (PIV) SYSTEMFOR INSTRUCTIONAL PURPOSES IN A MODERN MECHANICALENGINEERING UNDERGRADUATE LABORATORY PROGRAMAfshin Goharzadeh, The Petroleum Institute AFSHIN GOHARZADEH, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at the petroleum Institute. An expert in experimental fluid mechanics, Dr. Goharzadeh obtained his Ph.D. at the University of Le Havre in France (2001). After his Ph.D. he joined the prestigious Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology in Bremen (Germany) as scientific researcher. He characterized experimentally the flow at water-sediment interface. Using the Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) and Refractive Index

Conference Session

Unique Laboratory Experiments and Programs

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jorge Tito-Izquierdo, University of Houston-Downtown; Alberto Gomez-Rivas, University of Houston-Downtown; Weining Feng, University of Houston; George Pincus, University of Houston-Downtown

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

, University of Strathclyde, Scotland, in 1990. She is in charge developing UHD’s Control and Instrumentation laboratories and serves as coordinator of the Control and Instrumentation program.George Pincus, University of Houston-Downtown George Pincus is Dean of the College of Sciences and Technology, and Professor at the University of Houston-Downtown (1986-date). Prior service includes Dean of the Newark College of Engineering and Professor, New Jersey Institute of Technology (1986-1994). Dean Pincus received the Ph.D. degree from Cornell University and the M.B.A degree from the University of Houston. Dr. Pincus has published over 40 journal articles, 2 books and is a Registered

Conference Session

Design of Laboratory Experiments

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Nebojsa Jaksic, Colorado State University-Pueblo

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

. Page 11.76.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2006 A Nanotechnology Experiment: Design of Low Cost Scanning Tunneling MicroscopesABSTRACTThis paper describes a set of laboratory exercises where upper-level undergraduateengineering students constructed and tested low-cost scanning tunneling microscopes(STM) of their own designs as an assignment for a nanotechnology course taught duringSpring 2005. Before attempting the design task, students were exposed tonanotechnology instrumentation principles, commercial-grade scanning probemicroscopes, current design methods and a number of design examples from literature.Three design objectives were met: each instrument cost below $500, a sustainabletunneling

Conference Session

Remote and Network-based Laboratories

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Samuel Bogan Daniels, University of New Haven; Cheryl Q Li, University of New Haven; W. David Harding P.E., University of New Haven

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

AC 2012-4629: NETWORK-BASED DATA COLLECTION FOR A PROJECT-BASED FRESHMAN CLASSDr. Samuel Bogan Daniels, University of New Haven Dr. Daniels is an associate professor of mechanical engineering with more than 20 years of experience teaching laboratory classes. He also teaches in the multidisciplinary engineering foundation spiral cur- riculum at the University of New Haven. Research interests are in engineering education and renewable energy systems.Dr. Cheryl Q Li, University of New Haven Dr. Cheryl Qing Li joined University of New Haven in the fall of 2011, where she is a senior lecturer of the Industrial, System & Multidisciplinary Engineering Department. Dr. Li earned her first Ph.D. in Mechan- ical

Conference Session

Mechanical and Architectural Engineering Laboratories

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Gerald Recktenwald, Portland State University; Jenna Faulkner, Portland State University; Robert Edwards, Penn State Erie, The Behrend College; Douglas Howe, Portland State University

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

AC 2010-1174: AN INQUIRY-BASED EXERCISE INVOLVING A TANK OFWATER WITH A HOLE IN ITS SIDEGerald Recktenwald, Portland State UniversityRobert Edwards, Penn State Erie, The Behrend CollegeJenna Faulkner, Portland State UniversityDouglas Howe, Portland State University Page 15.161.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2010 An Inquiry-Based Exercise Involving a Tank of Water with a Hole in its SideIntroduction The tank draining exercise is part of a larger study on inquiry-based laboratory exercisesfor undergraduate engineering courses in the fluid and thermal sciences. Our research involvesthe development of the

Conference Session

Pedagogical Innovations in Laboratory Education

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Glen Archer, Michigan Technological University; Kedmon Hungwe, Michigan Technological University; Luke Mounsey, Michigan Technological University

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

Instrumentation for non-electrical engineering majors, manages the electrical engineering undergraduate laboratories, and is working on his PhD in Electrical Engineering. He is the faculty advisor for Blue Marble Security Enterprise. In his off-duty time, he pursues cross-country skiing and helps to maintain the Maasto Hiito/Churning Rapids trail system.Kedmon Hungwe, Michigan Technological University Kedmon Hungwe serves as an associate professor of Cognitive and Learning Sciences at Michigan Technological University.Luke Mounsey, Michigan Technological University Luke Mounsey is a native of Gladstone, MI, and has earned M Eng and BSEE. He is currently pursuing an advanced theology degree from Grace

Conference Session

Electrical and Computer Engineering Laboratories

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Yu-Wei Huang, National Changhua University of Education; Jieh-Shian Young, National Changhua University of Education; Chih-Hung Wu, Chienkuo Technology University; Hsing-Jung Li, National Chung Cheng University

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

requirement, (2) a plan for their procedure, and (3) diagramsof system architecture. Students are encouraged to discuss to each other, and the teamsactively discuss the procedure in use. Based on the course design, students are asked tocomplete their own OBD implementation step by step. The students are expected tounderstand the practical aspect of an OBD, and have comprehensive exercises on OBDimplementation based on embedded system. This paper presents the course and hands-onOBD implementation designs, and the teaching experiences and student responses.LEARNING THEORYIn the process of experiments development, we reviewed the recent literature of engineeringeducation about laboratory courses. We found that some universities have stand-alonecourses

Conference Session

Pedagogical Innovations in Laboratory Education

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Arif Sirinterlikci, Robert Morris University; Sushil Acharya, Robert Morris University

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

brings Goldberg's inanimate cartoons to life in a way that movesstudents away from traditional ways of looking at problems and sends them deep intoimagination. The resulting inventions are collections of bits and pieces, parts of useless machinesscraped together to achieve an innovative and imaginative contraption to resolve the problem athand. The contest began as a rivalry between two Purdue engineering fraternities and waspopular at Purdue in the 1940s and 1950s. Since it’s revival in 1983, winners have appeared onvarious TV shows including Jimmy Kimmel Live, Late Night with David Letterman, NBC'sToday, CBS's This Morning, CBS News, Beyond 2000, CNN and ABC's Good MorningAmerica6.Argonne National Laboratory defines a successful Rube Goldberg

Conference Session

Electrical and Computer Engineering Laboratories

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Chiu Choi, University of North Florida

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

simulation skillsare covered. Emphasis is on the design and simulation of proportional, derivative, and integralcontrollers for improving the dynamic responses of feedback control systems.There is a laboratory component for this course. The lab experiments include characteristics ofDC motors, tachometers, brake loading, signal conditioning circuits, implementation ofproportional, integral, and derivative controllers as C programs running on microcontrollers withapplications to position and speed controls.The students are also required to complete embedded control projects in this course. The projectsgive the students the opportunities to solve practical control problems and to be creativeindependently

Conference Session

Electrical and Computer Engineering Laboratories

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Thomas Schubert, University of San Diego; Ernest Kim, University of San Diego; Frank Jacobitz, University of San Diego

Tagged Divisions

Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies

several levels and for studentsin all engineering majors. During the development of a three-phase system and synchronousmotor laboratory experience for sophomore-level engineering students, budgetary and safetyconcerns led to the decision to work with three-phase systems at voltage levels less than 25V andpower levels less than 5W. A three-phase 5V generator used in a commercially available low-cost “mini dynamo massager” served as the motor for this project.The development of a three-phase low-voltage source became the primary challenge presentedby the decision to work at low voltages. Since the study of three-phase systems was a significantportion of the exercise, PWM sources, appropriate if only motor characteristics were of interest,were