AE3 has generously funded a GATE project to support course development for ECE 498: Electric Mobility Systems (EMS). With this support, undergraduate and graduate researchers have been working hard to develop demonstrations for the course, as well as augment related demonstrations for Engineering Open House (EOH).
Undergraduate researchers started with a teardown of a minimum viable electric mobility product: a radio controlled car. In addition to illustrating the basic components (chassis, energy storage, electric motor, power conversion, and control) of any electricity driven mobile system, the demonstration was good clean fun to play with.
One of the early outputs of the project was the repair of the Power and Energy Area stationary bicycle demonstration, which ties pedal power to electrical power in the form of different light bulb loads. The demonstration was used in the Power and Energy Area EOH exhibit and the 2025 Abbott Power Plant Girl Power event with the Girl Scouts of Central Illinois.
Undergraduates worked to design a new printed circuit board (PCB) for the stationary bicycle demonstration using open source tools. The design uses standard component footprints and the common Arduino UNO controller. Revision 1 is operational, but Revision 2 is already under development.
The team assembled motor and motor controller system (battery pack in transit!) based on components common to hobbyist/DIY electric skateboards. Initial testing was able to spin-up a motor in the teaching laboratory.
Benchtop testing demonstrates D-Q motor control waveforms with live torque and speed readings.
More to come!!!
Power Electronics for the Electrified Future