Classes in Power Electronics
We are committed to developing a world-class Power Electronics program for both Graduate and Undergraduate students. This program will help students to develop a strong theoretical understanding of core principles and a design-oriented intuition. With access to the lab's state-of-the-art equipment, students will augment their knowledge with hands-on laboratory experience. At the end of the Power Electronics course sequence, our students are equipped with core analytic tools in power electronics, energy conversion and power systems, digital control, and analog circuit design. These skills combined with lab experience give our students an understanding of the "big picture" and a drive to apply their skills in new and exciting application areas such as electric vehicles, computing systems, and micro-grids.
The undergraduate course sequence builds on the foundation of Linear Systems & Signals (ECE 3620 & 3640), Microelectronics (ECE 3410) and Microcontroller Hardware and Software (ECE 3710) to introduce the core principles of Power Electronics. Students interested in Power Electronics should consider taking these classes alongside the Power Electronics course sequence:
- ECE 5310 - Control Systems
- ECE 5420 - Microelectronics II
The graduate program leverages the strong focus areas at USU in control systems, EM / Microwave, and IC design, and will add courses in power electronics, energy conversion, and power systems. Graduate students are able to take courses on the electric vehicle drive train, culminating in a group-based electric bicycle design and competition.
ECE 5930/6930 - Introduction to Power Electronics
This course serves as an introduction to power electronics and the control and conditioning of electric power. Power Converter topologies are discussed, modeled and analyzed with emphasis on application. Transfer functions are derived for common power converter topologies and control methods are discussed. Magnetic design is introduced. A final project requires the complete analysis of a commonly used power converter with realistic design requirements.
Prerequisite:ECE 3410 - Microelectronics
Semester:Fall
ECE 5930/6930 - Power Electronics for Electric Drive Vehicles
This is the first of two courses in the new Electric Vehicle Design sequence at USU. This course considers the design and control of power converters in electric drive vehicles. The course includes an overview of system architectures and covers system-level dynamic modeling and control using MATLAB/Simulink at levels appropriate to determine requirements and validate the performance of switched-mode power converters in the vehicle system. Analysis, modeling and design of switched-mode power converters in electric-drive vehicle systems are then covered, including battery DC-DC converters, battery management electronics, motor drive inverters and battery chargers.
Prerequisite:Electrical Engineering degree (for grad section), or ECE 3620 (Cont Sys), 3410 (Elect 1), and 3870 (E&M I)
Semester:Fall
ECE 5930/6930 Fundamentals of Electric Power Sys
Structure of power systems, power system components, three-phase circuits and power flow, analysis of magnetic circuits, single- and three- phase transformers - modeling and analysis, transmission lines modeling, principles of energy conversion; characteristics of sychronous generators, modeling and analysis of AC synchronous and induction motors.
Prerequisite:ECE 2250: Electrical Circuits(or equivalent)
Semester:Spring
ECE 6930 - Electric Vehicles Lab
This is the second in the two-course sequence in Electric Vehicle Design. This course is a design-oriented introduction to the analysis, design, modeling, and testing of power electronics systems in the context of a real electric vehicle system. Through practical laboratory experiments, students are guided through the fabrication of the multiple switched-mode power converters as well as associated analog and digital control systems necessary to realize a functioning, sub-kW electric vehicle. Specific systems include a bidirectional DC-DC converter and motor drive inverter which are designed using standard power electronics analysis techniques. The course culminates with a design exposition/competition of the constructed vehicles.
Students with an undergraduate degree in other engineering disciplines or physics must have completed the equivalent of core undergraduate sequence of courses in circuit analysis and design.
Tarak Saha & Christopher Herman show their electric bicycle in a video found here.
Prerequisite:ECE 5930 - Power Electronics for Electric Drive Vehicles
Semester:Spring
Course Webpage:ECE 5160