Laboratories
The Department of Electrical Engineering prides itself on the state-of-the-art equipment in our teaching and research labs. The undergraduate program places a heavy emphasis on laboratories and design projects. There are six lab courses in the undergraduate curriculum and two additional lectures which feature a significant laboratory component.
TVA Power Engineering Laboratory
The Power Lab, located in EMCS 308, features the latest in digital power protection relays from ABB, GE, and Schweitzer. This state-of-art Relay and Power Laboratory is a partnership between TVA, Schweitzer Laboratories, ABB, Omicron Electronics, General Electric, Volunteer Electric, and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. It is intended to be an educational and research tool for undergraduate and graduate students as well as a training facility for industry engineers. The laboratory is taught by faculty and experienced engineers from industry.
The laboratory is composed of six test stations. The stations feature SEL AMS Test Units, SEL 320 and 420 distance relays, SEL 387 differential relays, SEL 300G Generator Protection Unit, ABB REl 670 and 512 Distance Protection relays, ABB TPU2000 Distribution Protection Units, ABB TPU 2000R Transformer Protection relays, GE D90 Plus Relays, and OMICRON 256 and 56 Test Units. Other relays are available for student use.
In this laboratory students set the relays using a personal computer, application software, and a communication processor. Relays are tested using SEL AMS low-level test systems and Omicron CMC 256 and 56 PC controlled relay test devices. Students conduct fault analysis, set and test digital relays, select current and voltage transformers, determine relays and transformer taps, and test their protection design schemes in a laboratory environment.
EPB Electrical Circuits Laboratory
The bulk of the entry-level circuits labs are held in the Electrical Circuits Laboratory in EMCS 307. Stocked with electrical test equipment, including digital oscilloscopes, this lab exposed sophomore students of all engineering disciplines to fundamental electrical principles.
Instrumentation and Advanced Electronics Laboratory
In the Instrumentation and Advanced Electronics Lab in EMCS 310 are held courses in microprocessors and advanced electrical design.
Electrical Systems Laboratory
Students are exposed to real-world design and instrumentation in the Electrical Systems Laboratory, using GE Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) and National Instruments LabVIEW to automate industrial tasks as part of the Electrical Engineering senior capstone design. The lab is located in EMCS 322.
Electrical Communication Laboratory
Utilizing the EMONA Tims system of educational communications equipment, the Electrical Communication Lab in EMCS 303 provides a hands-on environment for implementing a variety of radios.
