Build to Win: Electric Machines

Electric machinery can serve as a powerful teaching tool in engineering curricula of all kinds. We have designed kits of flexibly configurable components that students use to quickly construct electromagnetic actuators and sensors. They can use these machines to verify design calculations, test their understanding of the machine operating principles, and to test power electronic drives that they also design and construct. In class, the properties of different motor designs and sizing can be related to commercial products, and commercial products can be used as inspiration for design contests in the teaching laboratory.