Announcements and Updates
- Lecture 14, 4/29/13: About the Expo. Grid-tied PV systems
- Final report for Exp. 5 is due in the D2L dropbox by 3:00 pm on Sunday May 5 (note change of due date). Grading rubric: the required modified sine wave inverter is worth 100 points. The optional extra-credit true sine wave inverter is worth 50 points. Your experimental true sine wave inverter must substantially work in order to receive extra credit. It is not necessary to get extra credit to earn an A on Exp. 5.
- This week in lab: finish Experiment 5: inverter
- Expo: This Thursday 5/2/13, 9 am to noon
- Tuesday section: 9 - 10 am
- Wednesday section: 10 - 11 am
- Thursday section: 11 am - noon
- Expo grading: 1% attendance, 10% performance (as fraction of semester grade).
- Datasheet: IR21094 half-bridge gate driver with dead time control
- Another way to connect your MSP430 to the computer: follow this diagram to use the TI launchpad (updated 4/30/13). We have 10 launchpads in the lab; ask your TA if you want one.
- Sun from a power supply: how to test your solar power electronics system indoors, or when the sun doesn't shine.
- Setup for the Solar Competition
Update: 5/1/13 rwe
This course is an introduction to analysis, modeling, design, and testing of electrical energy processing systems, in a practical laboratory setting. Included are power electronics converters for efficient utilization of available energy sources, and energy sources including solar panels and the utility. The semester experiments plus final design project involve design, modeling, fabrication, and testing of a solar power system.
The laboratory includes portable photovoltaic systems associated with every lab station, including 85 W PV panels, 56 A-hour batteries, 300 W inverters, and other supporting infrastructure. Associated with these systems, students design and build power conversion electronics, with analog and digital control circuitry.
The course begins with basic experiments in:
- Photovoltaic power systems and components
- Microcontrollers
The course will then proceed with design experiments in the following areas:
- A maximum power point tracker using a buck converter and microcontroller
- A dc-dc boost converter with analog feedback
- A single-phase inverter
We will participate in the ECEE Department Expo during the morning of May 2. We will have a competition to see which group has built the most efficient and effective system.
ECEN 5517 involves additional work in power converters requiring deeper knowledge and understanding of power electronics.
This course is offered every spring semester. The instructor for Spring 2013 is Prof. Robert Erickson.
Spring 2010 Competition Video
- You Tube video from the Boulder Daily Camera on our Expo and competition held on 4/29/10
It is recommended that this site be viewed using a browser other than Internet Explorer (because of its documented bugs). Note that Mozilla Firefox is installed on the lab computers.