A Case Study of a Didactic Platform Experiments using Off-the-Shelf Hardware

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18618/REP.e202501

Keywords:

Power electronics, hands-on learning, experiential learning, educational platform

Abstract

This paper explores the essential role of power electronics in modern electrical engineering and emphasizes the need for practical, hands-on learning experiences. By utilizing an easily-accessible, modular educational platform consisting of the DSP TI C2000 LAUNCHXL-F280049C and the BOOSTXL-3PHGANINV three-phase inverter module from Texas Instruments, students can bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application. Detailed descriptions of the hardware, along with case studies on a bidirectional boost converter and a three-phase inverter, illustrate the effectiveness of this approach. The findings show that integrating experiential learning methodologies significantly enhances student engagement and comprehension. The platform enables students to simulate, prototype, and experimentally verify their designs, promoting a deeper understanding of power electronics principles. The paper concludes by highlighting the potential for expanding this educational framework to include additional modules and applications, thereby preparing students more effectively for the evolving demands of the power electronics industry.

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Author Biographies

Daniel H. C. Santos, Federal Center for Technological Education of Minas Gerais

born in Belo Horizonte – MG in 2005. In December 2022, he graduated as a mechatronics technician at Centro Federal de Educação Tecnológica de Minas Gerais (CEFET-MG). Since 2023, he studies Electrical Engineering at CEFET-MG. He worked as an intern in the scientific initiation project entitled Electronic Converter Emulator for Battery Degradation Tests in 2023. In 2024, he participated in another scientific initiation project related to motor drive techniques using three-phase inverters. Both projects were carried out at LEACOPI. He is interested in the areas of electronics, electrical drives and DSP programming.

Bruno de Araujo Coutinho, Federal Center for Technological Education of Minas Gerais

is currently pursuing his master's degree in Electrical Engineering at CEFET-MG. He is also developing battery-related products at LEACOPI. He earned his bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering from CEFET-MG and was an exchange student at the Karlsruhe Hochschule of Applied Sciences in Germany. During his internship at the Fraunhofer Institute ICT in Germany, he focused on developing a system to monitor a microgrid composed of a battery bank, a wind turbine, and solar panels. His research interests lie in Battery Energy Storage Systems, Microgrids, Control Theory, and Power Electronics. He has been recognized for his academic excellence with an award from CEFET-MG for achieving the best grade upon finishing his bachelor's degree. Additionally, he received the award for the best undergraduate thesis from SOBRAEP.

Augusto Santos Cordeiro, Federal Center for Technological Education of Minas Gerais

born in Turmalina – MG. In April 2024, he graduated as an electrical engineer at Centro Federal de Educação Tecnológica de Minas Gerais (CEFET-MG). His final paper focused on “Experimental Platform for Comparing Current Control Techniques of Three-Phase Inverters”, where he explored an experimental platform for practical teaching of power electronics. He is interested in the areas of inverter control, microcontroller programming and electrical drives.

Marcelo Martins Stopa, Federal Center for Technological Education of Minas Gerais

was born in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. He received the BSc. (Moacir Duval Award – Silver Medal), the MSc. and the Doctorate degrees in Electrical Engineering in 1994, 1997 and 2011, respectively, from the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Since 1997, he has held a faculty position in the Department of Electrical Engineering, Centro Federal de Educação Tecnológica de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil. His current research and technical interests include Rotating Electric Machines, Electrical Drives, and Power Electronic Converters.

Allan Fagner Cupertino, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora

received the B.S. degree in electrical engineering from the Universidade Federal de Viçosa (UFV) in 2013, the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering from the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG) in 2015 and 2019, respectively. He was a guest Ph.D. at the Department of Energy Technology, Aalborg University from 2018 to 2019. From 2014 to 2022, he was an Assistant Professor in the area of electric machines and power electronics at the Centro Federal de Educação Tecnológica de Minas Gerais (CEFET). Since 2023, he has been with the Department of Electrical Energy at the Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora (UFJF). His main research interests include renewable energy conversion systems, smart battery energy storage systems, cascaded multilevel converters, and reliability of power electronics. Prof. Cupertino was the recipient of the President Bernardes Silver Medal in 2013, the SOBRAEP Ph.D. Thesis Award in 2020 and the IAS CMD Ph.D. Thesis Contest in 2021. He is a member of the Brazilian Power Electronics Society (SOBRAEP) and Brazilian Society of Automatics (SBA).

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Published

2025-01-06

How to Cite

[1]
D. H. C. Santos, B. de A. Coutinho, A. S. Cordeiro, M. M. Stopa, and A. F. Cupertino, “A Case Study of a Didactic Platform Experiments using Off-the-Shelf Hardware”, Eletrônica de Potência, vol. 30, p. e202501, Jan. 2025.

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Original Papers