Electric Motor Design?

Ryuk1990

I've been looking at the undergrad catalog of my school and I haven't noticed any classes that teach motor design. I found classes on drives and motor control but nothing on the actual design of motors/generators. I always thought electric machines was a fundamental topic that all EE curriculums go over. Did you learn motor design in school? If so, what was the class called?

Runei

Most EE studies tend to focus the other direction - towards software, instead of toward hardware. I believe electric motors are more in Mechanical Engineering.

Also, I do not believe there will be a single class that covers electric motors. Instead, I think you have to look at it yourself and learn from the web.

There comes a point in every EE students life when he realizes that most of what goes on in the real world of EE will not be taught in school. Most of it you have to learn yourself.

jim hardy

"Electric Machinery"

We covered DC then AC motors, then transformers.

a delightful course with a lab accompanying it.
Each student station had a dynamometer with a 7.5 hp DC and a like sized 3phase AC machine.

See if you can locate TI's "Motor Compendium" and interest your faculty in teaching a course. Since my day they've revolutionized motors - the simple washing machine motor is now a three phase computer controlled marvel with complex math for its "Field Oriented Control", not unlike a giant disk drive motor..

Ryuk1990

@Runei: Mechanical engineers doing electric motor design? Why would that happen? Do MEs even have enough knowledge about electricity and magnetism? I've met a few motor designers and they were all EE trained. They told me there's not much mechanics involved. It's more about EE principles which is why motor design is more appropriate for an EE.

@Jim: I found this link if this is what you meant. http://focus.ti.com/docs/training/ca...?sku=OLT210201

jim hardy

That's it, Ryuk. It does a great job with basic principles.

It doesn't go into(as best i recall) how to size your iron and copper
but it'll sure familiarize you with terminology and concepts.

old jim

the_emi_guy

I took "Transducers and Electrical Machinery".

Book was "Electromagnetic and Electromechanical Machines" by Matsch.

That was many years ago but I just looked online and same course it is still offered and is currently called "Electrical Machines and Actuators".

Ryuk1990

My school has a new professor who is planning on teaching a new course on electric machines and drives. Just my luck...literally. :-)