Erdal Irmak

A novel web-based laboratory for DC motor experiments

This article introduces a novel web‐based DC motor laboratory, called NeTRe‐LAB, to support teaching electrical machines. The NeTRe‐LAB includes favorable animations to facilitate understanding characteristics of the DC motor, interactive DC motor models for instructive simulations, and web‐based experiments with online monitoring features. To illustrate the current operations, remote access to an experimental setup of a DC motor has been provided and the speed control of it has been realized over Internet. The evaluation results have shown that the NeTRe‐LAB presented in this study provides encouraging aspects, services, and support system for higher education.

A Remote Laboratory Experiment for 4-Quadrant Control of a DC Motor

This study presents development of the system architecture to perform laboratory experiments over the Internet for electrical engineering education. Design and implementation of four‐quadrant speed control experiment for a direct current (DC) motor is given in the article as a sample remote experimental study. The system designed consists of four main parts as a client, a server, a data acquisition unit and an experimental set with a control unit. MATLAB web server (MWS) is used to send and receive data or graphics over the Internet. While the experiment is being operated, the real experimental set placed in the laboratory can be monitored by the remote user. Evaluation results show that the system designed accelerates the learning period, increases the concentration on the experiment and provides a safe environment for four‐quadrant speed control experiment of a DC motor.

A Novel Integrated Web Based Learning System for Electrical Machines Education

This study introduces a novel web based learning tool for electrical machines education. The tool developed consists of the real time experiments remotely accessible via internet in addition to thereotical presentations with animations and simulations on mathematical models of the electrical machines. The system is based on server/client architecture. All operation steps are executed by the server. So, clients do not need any additional software rather than internet connection and an internet browser. A DC motor course is given as an example to illustrate the novel tool developed. The remotely located users can learn the therotical information about the DC motor by means of using interactive web pages. All thereotical presentations supported with favorable animations to facilitate the understanding. Also, users can use the simulation models over the web to observe the motors dynamic behaviours under the different parameters. Moreover, they can remotely access a DC motor experimental set via internet to perform real time experiments such as speed control and generator operation of DC motor. During the conducting real time experiments over the web, the experimental set can be monitored with a webcam. Experimental results show that the integrated web based learning system developed is user-friendly and can be used for electrical machines education successfully.

A web based real time speed control experiment on ultrasonic motor for educational purposes

This study introduces original system architecture for the Web based remote experimentation applications for e-learning systems. The speed control of a traveling wave ultrasonic motor (USM) is achieved as a remote experimental study over the Internet to illustrate the architecture. For this reason, a microcontroller based digitally controlled drive system for the USM is designed firstly. A data acquisition board is then used to perform data transferring and control operations between the server and the drive system. Data obtained from experimental set is analyzed in the MATLAB program installed on the server. Similarly, MATLAB Web server (MWS) software is used to send and receive data over the Internet. Since all operation steps are executed from the server, clients do not need any special hardware or software unit. Thus, the system developed has an independent structure for the clients. Remotely located clients can operate and control the motor and conduct the experiment. Additionally, real laboratory environment and the experimental set can be monitored on the client computerpsilas screen while the experiment is being operated. The results obtained from the tests show that the system developed has significant features such as simplicity, sensitivity, reliability and speedy. Accordingly, the system presented can be adapted to e-learning systems easily as an effective tool for remote experimentation.

Low-cost and high sensitive microcontroller based data acquisition system for renewable energy sources

This paper describes the design and implementation of a data acquisition card for the hybrid energy system. Parameters of the solar and the wind sources such as the current, the voltage, the direction of wind, the operation conditions and the position of the solar system can be changed and illustrated on an LCD and displayed on a PC using the card developed. The hybrid system including a PIC 18F452 and a 18F2550 microcontroller has been tested on a 2.5 kW solar panel and a 2.5 kW wind turbine. It has been observed that this hybrid system works successfully and gives good performance such as low cost and easy programming.

Design and implementation of a remote laboratory platform using MATLAB builder for NE

In this study, a highly instructive and novel remote laboratory platform using up to date software and hardware units is designed to teach main concepts of Electrical Engineering with the help of web‐based simulations and remote accessible experiments in real time. Interactive experimental applications for direct current (DC) motors and several electrical circuits are carried out in this study to test the efficiency of the system. First, mathematical model of each simulation is developed in MATLAB and then all models are transferred into .NET platform by means of MATLAB Builder for NE toolbox. A dynamic library for each model is also created using NE toolbox. Then, all libraries are embedded into an interactive web page designed in ASP.NET platform. Data transmission between the server and the real experimental set is established by a microprocessor via the USB port to achieve the experimental studies over the Internet in real time. While remote experiments are being performed, data obtained by the experimental set are simultaneously transferred to the MATLAB. Then, the system generates both graphical and numerical results about the current experiment and all results are sent to a user‐friendly web interface to give users some feedback on the experiment.© 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ 22:617–629, 2014; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/cae; DOI 10.1002/cae.21553

The Fuzzy Logic Control of a Multilevel Converter in a Variable Speed Wind Turbine

In this paper, a fuzzy logic controller has been developed to obtain a stable current output adjusting the modulation index of a multilevel converter in a variable speed wind turbine system. The variable speed wind turbine system has been modeled containing a squirrel-cage induction generator (SCIG), and SPWM controlled AC-DC-AC converter which is constituted of a 6-pulse rectifier and 3-level multilevel inverter. The simulation of the power conversion system has been evaluated using Matlab/Simulink and Fuzzy Toolbox. The input parameters have been modeled with a variable voltage-variable frequency (VVVF) generating system according to various wind speeds. The input values of converter have been limited between 350-700V and 40-60Hz. The fuzzy logic controller tracks the input values and controls the converter in order to supply desired current output. The control process has been developed selecting the most accurate modulation index for multilevel inverter which directly affects the output power.

Effects of renewable energy sources on the power system

Recently, growing electrical energy market and increasing integration of renewable energy sources (RES) in power systems have lead to new challenges on network planning step and operation, thus it is required to investigate and analyze properly the impacts of integrated RES on the power system. In this paper, the electricity transmission network with wind farms (WF) is modeled. For the grid model, a part of Izmir region is chosen due to the amount of installed generation plants based RES especially wind energy in this region. The comparison between unexpected variations to voltage profile of the power system before and after RES integration to the power system is demonstrated. In the modeling of the electricity transmission network with RES, Digsilent/Power Factory is used as software. The different case studies in integration of different amounts of RES are implemented on the developed grid model. As a result of the conducted case studies, effects of RES on existing power system are evaluated and graphics obtained from the simulation are presented. Especially, the voltage profile of power system is examined.

Design and implementation of a computer interacted smart home system based on PLC

In this study, a smart home automation system has been developed to automatically achieve some activities performed frequently in daily life to obtain more comfortable and easier life environment. In the system developed, terminals and other components are controlled and observed via a computer interface using a programmable logic controller (PLC). Thus, some devices used in the system are easily accessed over the computer and status variations of them are successfully monitored on the interface. Additionally, several operations are also controlled and monitored over the user central control unit such as main entrance control, switch on or off the electricity connection, open or close the water and gas valves, turn on or off the thief control system, garage door control, lighting and heat control of the each room. Thus, a comfortable and interactive automation system has been developed. Test results of the system have shown that it can be easily used for the smart home automation applications.

Simulation and ZigBee based wireless monitoring of the amount of consumed energy at smart homes

Smart homes can be defined as homes which can satisfy the needs of comfort with the help of wireless modules. The smart home technologies make the daily life easier and offers safer, more comfortable and economic life spaces. The smart home systems allow the user to monitor and also control all electronic and electrical devices in the house. In this study, a MATLAB/GUI based graphical interface has been prepared in order to monitor the energy consumption of electrical devices used in the home. Additionally a Simulink model of the system has been created on the basis of standard energy consumption data of real devices. This is a sample simulation and not using real data. Energy consumption data of household electrical appliances with different consumption values can be monitored numerically and graphically via this interface. This study focuses on the alternative usages of ZigBee wireless sensor networks in smart home automation system.