Electric Motors Lab

The Electric Motor lab contains multiple stations to train students on various control techniques (such as speed control) commonly used with multiple types of electric motors. The lab covers a range of different motors, which each provide for a particular use case such as precise motions, rapid start/stops, high torque, etc. The types of motors in the lab include AC, DC, dual voltage repulsion, 3-phase, synchronous, and more. This lab works closely in conjunction with the PLC Lab due to the high integration of electric motors with PLC units found in many factory settings.

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Lab Objective

The objective of the lab is to familiarize students with the inner workings and control techniques used on multiple types of electric motors. Fundamentally, an electric motor is a machine that converts electrical energy (i.e. voltage and current) to mechanical energy in the form of motion. They seem basic conceptually but are in fact challenging when implemented given the many constraints required by a variety of industries. These demands may include precision, power, speed, size, and thermal constraints amongst others. Their applications extend to such things as industrial fans, household appliances, computer disk drives, electric cars, and many, many more. The Electric Motors lab focuses primarily on the use of electric motors in industrial applications because of their prevalence in factories and manufacturing plants. However, the motor control concepts covered in the lab can extend to other applications and provides a foundation for further study into the necessary, but sometimes overlooked field of electric motor control.

A cut section of an electric motor