MAE/ECE 535 Design of Electromechanical Systems

This course is a practical introduction to electromechanical systems, with emphasis on modeling, analysis and design. The primary objective is to provide students with modeling and analysis tools that can be used to design and control electrical machines (standard motors, linear actuators, magnetic bearings, etc). Course topics include fundamentals of electrical and magnetic fields, electromechanical energy conversion, dynamics of electrical and mechanical systems, and design considerations. This course involves some self-directed laboratory work to provide students with hands-on experience. The course culminates in an industry-sponsored design project. 3 credit hours.

FAQ: How can individual distance students participate in "hands-on" demonstrations and design projects?

Answer: Quite easily. Any student with access to wire, batteries, magnets, and a video camera can participate effectively in experimental demonstration projects. Of course, students with access to digital multimeters, oscilloscopes, function generators and similar technologies are encouraged to use them. The final design project utilizes computational tools (MATLAB, Simulink, FEMM, etc.) that are readily available to all students through NCSU's Virtual Computing Lab (VCM).

  
   
   
Prerequisite
  

Undergraduate courses in physics and differential equations or consent of instructor.

 
Course Objectives   The primary course objective is to provide students with modeling and analysis tools that can be used to design and control electrical machines (standard motors, linear actuators, magnetic bearings, railguns, etc). Students completing this course will:
  • Understand the fundamentals of electromagnetism (Maxwell's equations) and apply them to standard problems
  • Understand magnetic circuit analysis and use it to predict the electromagnetic characteristics of common systems
  • Understand finite element analysis for electromagnetic systems and use it to predict magnetic fluxes, forces, and torques in electric machine models
  • Understand the fundamentals of permanent magnetism and be able to specify permanent magnet materials for specific applications
  • Understand the principles of electromechanical energy conversion and use these principles to predict forces and torques in electric machine models
  • Be able to develop nonlinear dynamic models of electric machines, simulate these systems using Matlab and Simulink, and analyze their performance and response characteristics
  • Understand the fundamentals (machine topology, etc.) and basic operating characteristics (torque, speed, efficiency, etc.) of common electrical machines (induction motors, synchronous motors, DC motors, etc.)
  • Be able to design, model, and simulate common (standard motors, etc.) and unique (railguns, active magnetic bearings, etc.) electric machines

 
Textbook  

Buckner, G.D., Course Notes: MAE/ECE 535 Design of Electromechanical Systems. Available at the NCSU Bookstore.

 
Reference Texts (Not Required)  

Lonngren, K.E. and Savov, S.V., Fundamentals of Electromagnetics with MATLAB, Second Edition, SciTech, 2007.

Fitzgerald, A.E., C. Kingsley, and S.D. Ulmans, Electric Machinery, Sixth Edition, McGraw-Hill, 2003.

 

Course Requirements  

HOMEWORK: 20% of final grade.

EXAMINATIONS: A mid term exam (20%) and a final exam (30%).

SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS: MATLAB®, Simulink, FEMM

PROJECTS: This course culminates in an industry-sponsored design project. Recently, five groups of students (4 students per group) worked with Magnequench (an RTP manufacturer of rare-earth magnets) to improve an existing DC motor design. The motor was taken from Mercedes-Benz fuel pump, and the objective was to predict the performance benefits (and costs) associated with replacing ferrite magnets with rare-earth magnets. For this project, students used basic design techniques, Finite Element Analysis, and experimental data to develop their models and validate their designs (30%).

 
View Lecture  

Engineering Online uses Real Media software to distribute the course lectures. To view the following sample lecture, you will need to download RealOne Player and have a Cable, DSL, T1 or faster connection to the Internet. If you have problems viewing a lecture, please contact the Engineering Online office at 1-877-254-0058. Click the link below to download RealOne Player.

8.22 MB

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Click link to view lecture: MAE/ECE 535 - Lecture 1

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Download lecture: MAE/ECE 535 - Lecture 1
Computer and Internet Requirements  

NCSU has recommended minimum specifications for computers used for classes. Depending on your computer needs, we recommend your computer meet or exceed the following minimum specifications below.

PCs must have an Intel-compatible 800 MHz processor, 256 MB RAM, 8 GB hard drive with 1 GB free space available, 256 Color Display, CD-ROM drive, 800x600 (min.) video adapter, sound card, and speakers. The operating system should be Windows 2000 or XP. Real One Player Basic (available free online) and high speed Internet connection such as cable, DSL, T1 or LAN will be required for EOL courses.

MAC users must have a G3 processor with firewire and USB factory built-in, 256 MB RAM, 10 GB with 1GB free space available, 256 Color Display, CD-ROM drive, 800x600 (min) video adapter, sound card, and speakers. The operating system must be MacOS 10.3 (minimum) along with the above RealOne and Internet specifications above .

For more detailed information on computer specifications and recommendations, please refer to our website at: http://engineeringonline.ncsu.edu/currentstudents/computeraccess.htm

 

Instructor  

Dr. Gregory D. Buckner, Associate Professor
Dept. of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
North Carolina State University
2403 Broughton Hall
Campus Box 7910
Raleigh, NC 27695-7910

Phone: (919) 515-5270
Fax: (919) 515-7968
E-Mail: greg_buckner@ncsu.edu
Instructor Website: http://www.mae.ncsu.edu/homepages/buckner/index.html