A Flexible Laboratory Platform for Multi-disciplinary Electrical Engineering Courses

As power and mechatronics systems become increasingly more complex, graduating engineers are required to have a deeper understanding of various electrical engineering topics such as: electronics, controls, electro-magnetism, electrical power, electric machines, communications, software, data acquisition and signal processing. To train electrical engineers of the future, conversant in these multi-disciplinary and often diverse fields, it is necessary to have a flexible laboratory platform that supports multidisciplinary areas of electrical engineering. This research project focuses on the practical hands-on integration of different multi-disciplinary fields using a unique development platform. Furthermore, the project enabled to validate, test and extend its operating limits in order to improve the quality of the product. In addition, a set of laboratory manuals to complement this platform is being developed. For future research enhancements, the platform is now being utilized for incorporating renewable energy capabilities.