Electrical labs
Learn about our electrical labs, including the Power Systems Lab and Electrical Machines Lab.
Power Systems Lab
Discover the operation of electricity generation and transmission in our Power Systems Lab.
The lab is used by our undergraduate Engineering students across a range of courses. The rigs installed in the lab emulate an electrical generator that supplies an electricity transmission line, then a set of electrical loads. The electrical machine can also be operated as a motor, allowing you to learn about the intricacies of their operation.
By operating the rig modules, you’ll safely learn about the fundamental operation of electrical power systems. You’ll also learn about controlling electrical drive systems and their limitations.
The equipment you will use includes:
- AC synchronous machines
- electrical transmission line emulator modules
- resistive, inductive and capacitive loads
- electrical machine controls and data acquisition.
Skills and experience
In the Power Systems Lab you’ll undertake experiments to:
- investigate the influence of transmission lines on the electricity passing through them
- understand the operation of AC generators under different load conditions
- examine the behaviour of AC motors under different mechanical loading and operating conditions.
You’ll also learn how to:
- undertake risk assessments on a real hazardous activity
- record and analyse real electromechanical equipment data
- draw conclusions from experimental data.
Electrical Machines Lab
In our Electrical Machines Lab you can run, test and analyse electrical machines in a hands-on, safe environment.
The lab is used by our undergraduate Engineering students across a range of courses. The lab includes a group of industrial motors set up in a state-of-the-art setting.
Using a hands-on approach, you’ll learn the fundamental operation of electrical machines in a safe environment. You’ll be able to run, test and analyse the machines under various operating conditions.
You’ll be exposed to a variety of electrical machines including:
- Power Transformers
- DC motors
- AC asynchronous motors (induction motors)
- AC synchronous motors.
You’ll operate the various elements that aid the operation and analysis of these machines, such as:
- electrical power instrumentation (Voltmeter, Ammeter, Power Meters)
- mechanical instrumentation (Torque meters)
- data acquisition
- electronic converters (frequency converters)
- power supplies
- and function generators.
Skills and experience
In the Electrical Machines Lab you’ll work like an engineer. Tasks include:
- setting-up motors
- testing and experimenting
- collecting and analysing data.
You’ll learn a variety of skills when using this laboratory, including:
- risk assessment
- setting-up electrical machines
- running and testing electrical machines
- instrumentation and measurements
- data acquisition
- data analysis
- linking theory to practice
- electrical machines modelling
- electronics applications
- introduction to electrical drives
- setting-up and operation of electrical drives.
You’ll have the opportunity to work with industry-standard motors that are commonly used in various modern applications, such as electric vehicles, wind turbines and heavy machinery.
Foundation Year Mechanical/Electrical Lab
We have a specialist area for Foundation Year Engineering students.
Here, you’ll learn about mechanical experiments (such as the moment of inertia and Hooke’s law experiment) and electronics work (including operational amplifiers, programmable logic boards, breadboarding and programming Arduinos).