Ecosense recently installed various lab equipment in the Renewable Energy Lab at the Department of Electrical Engineering, College of Engineering and Technology, Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture and Technology (MPUAT), located in Udaipur. Spearheaded by Professor Vikramaditya Dave, this initiative aims to propel research and innovation in renewable energy technologies, fostering a conducive environment for academic exploration and practical application.
The lab is equipped with cutting-edge apparatus essential for comprehensive research and experimentation in the renewable energy domain. The details of the equipments installed are as follows:
1. Solar PV Training and Research System: Ecosense’s Solar PV Training and Research System enables users to learn about Solar PV standalone technology. Using this system, a user gains knowledge in three fields of Solar PV Standalone systems:
a) Physics of Solar PV Panels — I-V and P-V characteristics, series and parallel connection of solar panels effect of irradiation, effect of temperature, effect of shadow, effect of tilting of panels, effect of geographical location etc.
b) Components and Assembly of standalone system — use of blocking diode, use of bypass diode, use of solar charge controller, use of solar inverter, difference between MPPT and PWM charge controllers, AC load, DC load, battery charging/ discharging characteristics, assembly of several components and power flow calculations in each branch.
c) Research in PV systems — Ecosense separately provides a research unit along with a standalone experimental system. Users can initiate research in maximum power point tracking using this unit. It has the provision of providing automatic as well as manual gate signals to charge the controller. Users can use his/ her own MPPT algorithm with any of the controllers to provide manual gate signals.
Ecosense installed various Lab Equipment in the Renewable Energy Lab at MPUAT, Udaipur
2. Solar Path Finder: A crucial tool for solar resource assessment, the Solar Path Finder aids in determining the optimal placement of solar panels by analyzing shading patterns and solar access. Its accurate measurements facilitate efficient solar energy utilization and system design.
Ecosense installed various Lab Equipment in the Renewable Energy Lab at MPUAT, Udaipur
3. VAWT Training System: Wind Energy Training System is a scaled down version of actual standalone Virtual Axis Wind Turbine power plant. This system facilitates the students with working and configurable model of wind turbine. This system gives the insight about individual components and consequences of changing the operating points of any wind turbine defined in terms of wind speed and pitch angle. Students can learn concepts like I-V characteristic, cut-off, cut-in speed etc.
The variable wind speed prompts Wind Turbine to convert Wind Energy into Electrical energy and outputs three phase electrical output. The three-phase electrical output is connected with a three-phase rectifier which converts electrical output from AC to DC. The DC output is then further connected to a Charge controller and Battery. A DC load can be connected at Charge controller output. The Battery is further connected to a home inverter which provides clean useable AC electricity.
Ecosense installed various Lab Equipment in the Renewable Energy Lab at MPUAT, Udaipur
4. Parabolic Dish Training System: The Parabolic Dish Training System provides a comprehensive platform for studying and understanding solar thermal technologies. It allows users to perform experiments and research in the field of solar thermal energy. The system features parabolic reflectors, an absorber tube, storage tanks, and a heat exchanger.
Ecosense installed various Lab Equipment in the Renewable Energy Lab at MPUAT, Udaipur
5. Battery Charge / Discharge System: Battery Charge/Discharge system also known as Battery Cycler is used to run test cases and algorithms for tracking battery characteristics. User can run multiple charging and discharging cycle to check the parameters of battery bank such as SoC, SoH, Lifetime Capacity etc.
Ecosense installed various Lab Equipment in the Renewable Energy Lab at MPUAT, Udaipur
Demonstration of Equipments Conducted
Ecosense also conducted a demonstration of equipment for training Professors and Scholars. This training program was focused on educating and training the professors, scholars, and technicians who will further train thousands of students and professionals to start their careers or business in this very field.