Nothing can quite equal the excitement a student feels when the theoretical knowledge gained in the classroom is finally proven in a project model that actually works!

Showcasing their working models were the final-year BTech students of the Department of Electronics and Electrical Engineering during this year’s Campus Day celebrations.

From indigenous ideas for health monitoring systems to harnessing renewable energy focusing on power quality, electric power transmission and distribution, it was clear that the students had put their hearts and souls into their work.

Students put forth novel designs for electric machines, power systems, smart metering, biomedical instrumentation, robotics and electric vehicles.

Some student groups even tested their prototypes. For instance, the group that designed a generator for low wind speeds tested it on the terrace of the 18-floor building in the ashram. Their model generated 12 V from wind energy that was available at a speed of 7m/sec; this was enough to charge a lead–acid battery.

“We used 12 neodinum magnets for the Hallbach arrangement which produced the maximum flux out of the available energy,” the students elaborated on their project, which was titled Axial Flux Permanent Magnet Generator.

Another group of students used scrap material to convert a regular bicycle into an electric-powered bicycle. “We wanted to make a model that is useful as well as affordable,” elaborated the students.

Budding engineers from another group built wireless devices to monitor glucose levels and blood pressure values of a patient for transmission to a doctor, who can then suggest the remedies remotely.

“We feel that our Gluco-BP Monitor will be very useful for people living in rural areas and for elderly people. We tried to make it as cost effective as possible,” shared team members.

One group built a Home Energy Storage System to be used in conjunction with renewable energy. Another developed a model of a Distributed Generation System, for solar and wind energy sources. The system incorporated both storage of energy as well as injection of energy into the grid.

One group received developed a Remote Triggered Strain Detection and Measurement Kit under the auspices of the MHRD-funded Virtual Labs project, for use in a variety of fields including avionics, construction and biomedical engineering.

A few teams put forth effort to make devices that could strengthen the monitoring and control of distribution of electricity. One team developed a device to monitor voltage and current fluctuations and power factor that could be implemented in traditional grid systems as well as future smart grid environments. Another team developed a 5-level inverter to mitigate problems of high switching losses and poor power quality.

Engineers from industry as well as senior officials of the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) were also invited to view the showcased projects.

“As engineers, we should continue striving to make the best use of our knowledge to work on socially relevant projects around us,” stated Mr. Joseph, Deputy Chief Engineer, KSEB.

May 26, 2012
School of Engineering, Amritapuri