Photovoltaic System as a Remote Didactic Laboratory for Electrical Engineering Courses

Abstract

Abstract-Remote laboratories are increasingly being used in academic courses, especially in science and engineering. New control systems allow the development of even complex experiments with a low cost. In this paper we present a remote laboratory that reproduces a small-scale photovoltaic system, including a solar panels and lights, a charge controller, a battery and a dummy load. A Raspberry PI microcontroller is used to send the different inputs to the laboratory, handling commands, measuring some electrical quantities and provide remote access via the web. The laboratory, developed with the involvement of graduating students, will be used in the Master courses of electrical engineering. Particular attention has been paid on the development of hardware and software, to use the developed laboratory as a model for the realization of other experiments.

Enhancing Students’ Learning Experience via Low-Cost Network Laboratories

“…Based on a wide range of experiences, Bruce et al [5] proclaim the RPi as a testbed platform for both hardware and software system exploration, provides a great potential for taking concepts into practice. Inspecting the previous research, we noticed that RPi laboratory set-up can be used for different purposes, such as: remote laboratory prototype [6,7], virtual [8] and hands-on laboratory type [5,[9][10][11][12]. Since our hands-on approach is related to assessing students' learning experience enhancement, we examine the third category in a more detail.…”

Enhancing Students’ Learning Experience via Low-Cost Network Laboratories

“…Based on a wide range of experiences, Bruce et al [5] proclaim the RPi as a testbed platform for both hardware and software system exploration, provides a great potential for taking concepts into practice. Inspecting the previous research, we noticed that RPi laboratory set-up can be used for different purposes, such as: remote laboratory prototype [6,7], virtual [8] and hands-on laboratory type [5,[9][10][11][12]. Since our hands-on approach is related to assessing students' learning experience enhancement, we examine the third category in a more detail.…”

Internet of Energy Training through Remote Laboratory Demonstrator

“…Recently, the possibility to use virtual reality or augmented reality in virtual labs has highly enhanced the quality of the potential didactic experience. Moreover, remote labs have the advantage, with respect to virtual labs, to allow the learners to control real experiments at distance [16][17][18][19][20]. The students have then to deal with the repeatability and the uncertainty of the measurements, the real behavior of the components and the effect that the surrounding environmental conditions can have on the experience.…”

Analysis of A Two-Axis Solar Tracker System: Case Study

“…According to [9], [10] and [11] photovoltaic systems constitute the application of solar energy that has experienced the greatest expansion in recent years, since one of the most energy efficient technologies is photovoltaic solar energy, considering [12]. The authors [1] and [13], are also considered, who state that photovoltaic systems influence their cells when photons of light are converted into electrical energy and when solar radiation affects an area of the photovoltaic material, the photons will cross the surface transforming energy.…”

Enhancing Students’ Learning Experience via Low-Cost Network Laboratories

“…Based on a wide range of experiences, Bruce et al [5] proclaim the RPi as a testbed platform for both hardware and software system exploration, provides a great potential for taking concepts into practice. Inspecting the previous research, we noticed that RPi laboratory set-up can be used for different purposes, such as: remote laboratory prototype [6,7], virtual [8] and hands-on laboratory type [5,[9][10][11][12]. Since our hands-on approach is related to assessing students' learning experience enhancement, we examine the third category in a more detail.…”

Internet of Energy Training through Remote Laboratory Demonstrator

“…Recently, the possibility to use virtual reality or augmented reality in virtual labs has highly enhanced the quality of the potential didactic experience. Moreover, remote labs have the advantage, with respect to virtual labs, to allow the learners to control real experiments at distance [16][17][18][19][20]. The students have then to deal with the repeatability and the uncertainty of the measurements, the real behavior of the components and the effect that the surrounding environmental conditions can have on the experience.…”

Analysis of A Two-Axis Solar Tracker System: Case Study

“…According to [9], [10] and [11] photovoltaic systems constitute the application of solar energy that has experienced the greatest expansion in recent years, since one of the most energy efficient technologies is photovoltaic solar energy, considering [12]. The authors [1] and [13], are also considered, who state that photovoltaic systems influence their cells when photons of light are converted into electrical energy and when solar radiation affects an area of the photovoltaic material, the photons will cross the surface transforming energy.…”

Enhancing Students’ Learning Experience via Low-Cost Network Laboratories

“…Based on a wide range of experiences, Bruce et al [5] proclaim the RPi as a testbed platform for both hardware and software system exploration, provides a great potential for taking concepts into practice. Inspecting the previous research, we noticed that RPi laboratory set-up can be used for different purposes, such as: remote laboratory prototype [6,7], virtual [8] and hands-on laboratory type [5,[9][10][11][12]. Since our hands-on approach is related to assessing students' learning experience enhancement, we examine the third category in a more detail.…”

Internet of Energy Training through Remote Laboratory Demonstrator

“…Recently, the possibility to use virtual reality or augmented reality in virtual labs has highly enhanced the quality of the potential didactic experience. Moreover, remote labs have the advantage, with respect to virtual labs, to allow the learners to control real experiments at distance [16][17][18][19][20]. The students have then to deal with the repeatability and the uncertainty of the measurements, the real behavior of the components and the effect that the surrounding environmental conditions can have on the experience.…”

Analysis of A Two-Axis Solar Tracker System: Case Study

“…According to [9], [10] and [11] photovoltaic systems constitute the application of solar energy that has experienced the greatest expansion in recent years, since one of the most energy efficient technologies is photovoltaic solar energy, considering [12]. The authors [1] and [13], are also considered, who state that photovoltaic systems influence their cells when photons of light are converted into electrical energy and when solar radiation affects an area of the photovoltaic material, the photons will cross the surface transforming energy.…”