This paper describes the development of remotely accessible electrical drive sets for hands-on education in electrical machinery, electrical drive and control courses as well as certain aspects of motion control and power electronics. The remote access is provided via the developed client-server communication method using the TCP/IP protocol to run the Matlab/Simulink compatible electrical drive sets operating on the remote server side. The developed method allows access to the robotics and electrical drive test- beds, namely permanent magnet DC (PMDC), permanent magnet synchronous (PMSM), and induction motor (IM) motor-load sets, developed for both on-site and remote use at the Control Laboratory in the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF). The client-server communication is developed in C/C++ using wxWidgets to communicate with the Matlab/Simulink downloadable DS1104, which is the control unit used in all the electrical drive systems in the lab. The UAF remote laboratory web site can be accessed at: http://www.uaf.edu/ece/remote-lab.This paper describes the development of remotely accessible electrical drive sets for hands-on education in electrical machinery, electrical drive and control courses as well as certain aspects of motion control and power electronics. The remote access is provided via the developed client-server communication method using the TCP/IP protocol to run the Matlab/Simulink compatible electrical drive sets operating on the remote server side. The developed method allows access to the robotics and electrical drive test- beds, namele permanent magnet DC (PMDC), permanent magnet synchronous (PMSM), and induction motor (IM) motor-load sets, developed for both on-site and remote use at the Control Laboratory in the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF). The client-server communication is developed in C/C++ using wxWidgets to communicate with the Matlab/Simulink downloadable DS1104, which is the control unit used in all the electrical drive systems in the lab. The UAF remote laboratory web site can be accessed at: http://www.uaf.edu/ece/remote-lab.

In this study, conversion procedure of a conventional electric automobile into an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) is illustrated. This conversion process is divided into two main parts as, mechanical and electrical modifications. Interface circuit, interface software, additional power system, selection of the sensors and computer hardware are given in electrical modifications part. Similarly, design of braking and steering system, their computer simulations and strength analysis are given in mechanical modifications part. All these applications are illustrated on a conventional electric vehicle during this study.

This study introduces a remotely accessible hardware-in-the-loop simulator (HILS), which is used for the development of the PUMA 560 dynamics and control. The HILS setup aims to give on-site and remote students/researchers the capability to experiment with any robotic configuration and control algorithm of their choice, without the need for the physical existence of the equipment in the laboratory. To increase the flexibility offered by the system, the HILS setup is made a part of the UAF RemoteLab facility, with the developed client/server communication, which gives remote access to all Matlab/Simulink based applications. As an implementation example, in this study, the HILS setup is used to develop dynamics and PD+ control of PUMA 560 as a graduate project. Experimental results and animations are also presented

The nonlinear dynamic characteristics of a railway vehicle are checked into thoroughly by applying two different wheel-rail contact model: a heuristic nonlinear friction creepage model derived by using Kalker ’s theory and Polach model including dead-zone clearance. This two models are matched with the quasi-static form of the LuGre model to obtain more realistic wheel-rail contact model. LuGre model parameters are determined using nonlinear optimization method, which it’s objective is to minimize the error between the output of the Polach and Kalker model and quasi-static LuGre model for specific operating conditions. The symmetric/asymmetric bifurcation attitude and stable/unstable motion of the railway vehicle in the presence of nonlinearities which are yaw damping forces in the longitudinal suspension system are analyzed in great detail by changing the vehicle speed. Phase portraits of the lateral displacement of the leading wheelset of the railway vehicle are drawn below and on the critical speeds, where sub-critical Hopf bifurcation take place, for two wheel-rail contact model. Asymmetric periodic motions have been observed during the simulation in the lateral displacement of the wheelset under different vehicle speed range. The coexistence of multiple steady states cause bounces in the amplitude of vibrations, resulting instability problems of the railway vehicle. By using Lyapunov’s indirect method, the critical hunting speeds are calculated with respect to the radius of the curved track parameter changes. Hunting, which is defined as the oscillation of the lateral displacement of wheelset with a large domain, is described by a limit cycle-type oscillation nature. The evaluated accuracy of the LuGre model adopted from Kalker’s model results for prediction of critical speed is higher than the results of the LuGre model adopted from Polach’s model. From the results of the analysis, the critical hunting speed must be resolved by investigating the track tests under various kind of excitations.