Application of industrial frequency converters for project-oriented education of controlled electrical drives

In the perspective of current trends in engineering education, aiming at meeting industry requirements, especially in the field of power electronics and motion control, the article presents a way of teaching electric drive control in undergraduate engineering programmes using experimental setups with AC motors equipped with industrial frequency converters. The setups consist of two motors: induction and PMSM (each one can act as a motor or a load machine) and a number of other elements necessary in contemporary drive systems: speed sensors, temperature sensors and braking resistors. While using such setups students can learn about various issues related to AC motor control, both in terms of scalar and field-oriented control methods in all three drive operating modes: torque, velocity and position control. The laboratory setups allow students to familiarize themselves with such detailed issues as: vector control without a speed sensor, various ways of voltage control in a DC input circuit of the voltage inverter during motor braking or the influence of the type and value of load torque on drive system operation. Classes can have a classical form or they can be taught in the open-laboratory system.