About laboratory

Head: prof. dr. Jožef Ritonja

Interdisciplinary activity is staple to this Laboratory. In its academic and research programs, it encompasses analyses and design of various types of electrical machines and regulated electromotor drives. Electrical machines come either as actuators in complex driving systems or generators for production of electrical energy. Our activity is tightly linked with designing of various types of electrical machines and other apparatouses. Hence, our research staff extensively works also on an analysis and modeling of certain magnetic materials used for building associated devices.

This Laboratory provides crucial environment for quality education and research reaching beyond the area of power electrical engineering. A pre-requisite for the quality work is appropriate laboratory equipment with hardware and software, which is a permanent challenge for the staff to keeping the ware up to date including its purchase. The equipment is mostly provided by research contractors from industry via their co-financing or granting it to us, for which we are tremendously grateful.

Computer supported stations for quality measurement of the quantities are available within LabVIEW graphical environment. They are equipped for measurement of characteristics of various rotating machines, such as asynchronous, synchronous, reluctance and commutator electrical motors. The biggest station has installed power of 90 kW with maximum 6000 rev/min. Measured objects are power supplied by an autotransformer, an own electrical power station (with limited power of 90 KW and frequency of 67 Hz) or frequency inverters. The measured objects can be water cooled. Beside standard measurement, test and measurement of current and voltage dependent additional losses of asynchronous machines and bearing current of all types of machines are carried out here.

The research station for force measurement of up to 5000 N of directly driven asynchronous, synchronous and reluctance linear motors is also available.

Goal oriented solving industrial problems (see projects) and collaboration with several international academic institutions are characteristics to this laboratory, and ensure integration into national and international environmnet. Additional information on the collaboration is collected under section Collaboration.

Interdependency of educational and research activity is a hallmark of this laboratory and enables continuous training of our staff. The educational activity spans from modeling and an analysis of associated dynamical systems, contemporary control systems and regulation, regulation and control of electrical systems to development of local control and protection of electrical systems.

The research work is focused on applicability of regulations, protection and control of electrical systems. Linking local electrical systems into a complex European electrical system has imposed necessary systemic adjustments and top level coordination of technical requirements for control of production, transmission and distribution of electricity. This synchronization comes into play concurrently with substantial increase of share of produced electricity from alternative energy sources and significant technical advancement of systems for control of electrical systems.

Through cooperation with the Slovenian transmission network system operator and key producers of electricity, the members of the Laboratory are involved into conception of innovative concepts of control or regulation and protection of parts of an electrical system and the system as a whole. A following list of projects (see projects) gives an outline on our key cooperation in Slovenia.

The laboratory is equipped with hardware and software used for our educational and research work. The equipment is co-financed or granted by contractors of research projects, as well as companies with whom our research activity is conducted. We appreciate their support.

By cooperating with numerous international academic institutions and companies, our staff ensures integration into international community (see collaboration).