BYOE: The Design and Operation of an Electric Motors Simulator

There are fundamental challenges in teaching a lab-intensive course in electric motors online. There are few simulators to choose from, and these are quite expensive. Therefore, the question was asked, “how do we teach electric motors in a way that is inexpensive for both the student and the institution?” To answer this question, an undergraduate student research project was designed and developed with funding from the university’s Center of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities. The objective of the project was to develop a user-friendly simulator that can be used to conduct electric motors (machines) experiments. This project resulted in the development of a customized educational simulator appropriate for use in the electric motors course. The instructor can use this simulator as a tool to teach his/her students various electric motors concepts in a visual way. Additionally, students can use this simulator at any time or place to reinforce important theoretical concepts by conducting the experiments and noting the results. The developers utilized a graphically-based set of virtual machines and instruments that produce results that closely approximates actual devices. This paper discusses the design, implementation and operation of the simulator. Results of a survey of a pilot group of students is presented. Additionally, a sample experiment that demonstrates the simulator’s functionality is described. Finally, information pertaining to how to freely access the simulator is provided.