IIT BSCPE Self Study 2008 - Illinois Institute of Technology

ECE 411 (Power Electronics) – The major design project concerns the design of a
switched-mode power supply (SMPS) according to specifications provided to the
students. At the beginning of this project, each student selects and studies an application
environment for the power supply to define the market potential, load requirements, and
necessary system ratings. A basic SMPS conversion configuration is selected and must
be justified based on the application requirements and cost competitiveness. The
designed system is then modeled using one of a variety of software packages available
in the laboratory. Comprehensive simulations with different practical load conditions
defined by the selected application are conducted, and based on the simulation results
the design may be modified. In the next stage, a gate driver circuit for each power
electronic switch must be designed, and students must use available components and
datasheets from companies and vendors to provide the practical design for the SMPS
system. Here, students comprehensively address realistic constraints and
implementation issues such as cost, packaging, manufacturability, reliability, thermal
management, sustainability, and safety. Advantages of the final design are be presented
in the final report.
ECE 412 (Electric Motor Drives) – In the design project, an electric motor drive is
designed. At the beginning of this project, each student must select a motion control
application together with an appropriate electric motor technology for the selected
application. The students investigate the market potential for the selected application,
define the load requirements for the motor drive, select appropriate ratings of the system
in keeping with commercially available practical models, and choose parameters and
equivalent circuits conforming to constraints in the selected application. The students
then design the system based on the application requirements and cost competitiveness,
with the design including a power electronic driver for the machine. Using software
packages available in the lab, students model the entire system (including the electrical
source and mechanical load) and conduct comprehensive simulations that test the
designed systems under different practical load conditions defined by the selected
application. Based on the simulation results, the design may be modified. At this stage,
students look at the available components and datasheets from companies and vendors
and provide the practical design of the system, comprehensively addressing realistic
constraints and implementation issues such as cost, packaging, manufacturability,
reliability, thermal management, sustainability, and safety. A final report includes
selected application parameters, simulation results, design steps, and advantages of the
final design.
ECE 419 (Power Systems Analysis) – Students complete two design projects in this
course. In the first, students are required to make an electrical design of a transmission
line considering such realistic constraints as transfer distance, available voltage levels,
conductor sizes, and transmission tower structures. In the second, students design of an
over-current protection system considering such realistic constraints as CT ratio choice,
relay settings, coordination, and evaluation.
ECE 423 (Microwave Circuits and Systems with Laboratory) – In the major design
project, students design and fabricate a microstrip circuit to meet a set of specifications.
Consideration is given to selecting a design that can be fabricated within the tolerance
of the printed circuit machining equipment and that reasonable repeatability of both the
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