Collaborative Research: A Novel Approach in Improving Power Electronics and Electric Drives Courses, Curriculum, and Laboratories: Multi-University Adaptation and Implementation

电气工程（55）-电力电子转换器和电力驱动器正以越来越快的速度投入使用。它们可以更智能地利用电力和电子系统。学生对电力电子和电力驱动等战略性重要领域的兴趣下降是该提案所解决的问题。伊利诺伊理工学院（IIT）、蒙大拿州立大学（MSU）、阿拉斯加大学费尔班克斯分校（UAF）和北达科他州大学（UND）是参与这项提案的四所大学。该项目将通过改编和实施明尼苏达大学（UMN）在NSF CCLI-EMD-9952704赠款下开发并证明成功的示范材料，实验室经验和教育实践，改善四个参与学术机构的工程教育。该项目的目标和预期成果旨在通过最先进的实验室振兴电力电子和电力驱动课程，从而为电力行业提供更多受过良好教育和培训的工程师。这些目标正在通过调整UMN开发的材料和方法来调整现有的课程和实验室来实现。本科生以及需要正规培训的专业人士是该项目的特殊目标群体。这些举措激励优秀的学生在这些令人兴奋和具有挑战性的领域追求自己的职业生涯。因此，它们维持和加强了国家的工程能力。应对振兴这些战略领域的课程和实验室的关键挑战是这一合作建议的智力价值。确保最高质量的教育和与机械工程，计算机工程和其他工程领域的多学科互动是主要的更广泛的影响。

Electrical Engineering (55)- Power electronics converters and electric drives are being put into use at an increasingly rapid rate. They enable smarter utilization of electric and electronic systems. Declining student interest in strategically important fields of power electronics and electric drives is the problem being addressed by this proposal. Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT), Montana State University (MSU), University of Alaska-Fairbanks (UAF), and University of North Dakota (UND) are the four participating universities collaborating in this proposal. This project will improve education in engineering at the four participating academic institutions through adaptation and implementation of exemplary materials, laboratory experiences, and educational practices that have been developed and proven successful at the University of Minnesota (UMN) under the NSF CCLI-EMD-9952704 grant. Objectives and expected outcomes of this project are intended to revitalize courses in power electronics and electric drives with the state-of-the-art laboratories and, thus, to provide the power industry with a larger supply of better educated and trained engineers. These objectives are being accomplished by restructuring existing courses and laboratories by adapting materials and approaches developed at the UMN. Undergraduate students as well as working professionals needing formal training are special audiences targeted by the project. These initiatives motivate exceptional students to pursue their careers in these exciting and challenging fields. Therefore, they sustain and strengthen the Nation's engineering capabilities. Meeting a critical challenge of revitalizing courses and laboratories in these strategic fields is the intellectual merit of this collaborative proposal. Ensuring highest quality education and multi-disciplinary interaction with mechanical engineering, computer engineering, and other engineering fields is the main broader impact.