Power Electronics Lab

The branch of electronics, which deals with the control of power at supply frequency (50 Hz or 60 Hz), is known as power electronics and it is one of the contemporary subjects of electrical engineering that has seen many advancements in recent times and has affected human life in almost all spheres. It is a hybrid of power engineering, analogue electronics, semiconductor devices and control systems. One major field of semiconductor devices has been to control large blocks of power flow in a system that has led to the development of power electronics. Such devices act as controlled switches and can perform the duties of controlled rectification, inversion and regulation of power in a load and the most important switching devices are thyristors or SCR (Silicon Controlled Rectifier), Triac (Triode for alternating current), Diac (Diode for alternating current), IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor), MOSFET (Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor) and BJT (Bipolar Junction Transistor). Lastly, the electric energy in itself is not usable until it is converted into a tangible form of energy such as motion, sound, heat, light, etc. Technosys has designed a complete laboratory, with industrial components mounted on didactic panels, that covers the main configurations of power electronic circuits such as AC to DC conversion (Rectifiers), AC to AC conversion (fixed AC to variable AC at same input frequency or to AC with variable frequency), DC to DC conversion (Choppers), DC to AC conversion (Inverters) and applications as DC and AC motor driving.

AC-DC conversion - Diodes and SCR

AC-AC conversion - TRIAC and phase control

DC-DC conversion - Chopper and switching supplies

DC-AC conversion - Inverter and frequency converters

DC and AC motor driving

Software

To make some topics, covered in the various laboratories of power electronics, easier and more attractive, De Lorenzo has developed a software that allows studying in automatic mode the subjects concerning diodes and uncontrolled rectifiers, SCR and controlled rectifiers, thyristors and controlled AC/DC converters and induction motor drives. The software is divided in two parts one for power semiconductor devices (diode, SCR and thyristor) and one for variable frequency converter by means of the method of U/F characteristic curve. It is a Windows application that allows user to communicate with Power Electronics configuration through three main devices such as Isolation amplifier unit, PC interface unit and PWM control unit. It allows to work comfortably through a friendly interface, which makes possible to analyze the current configuration, and includes different graphs to monitor performance. It shows up with a very accurate graphic presentation and it is developed in LabVIEW environment.