Interactive Learning and Hands-on Electromagnetic Principles and Rules for Energy Engineering Students

Abstract

Electricity, magnetism, and electromagnetism play a key role in modern industrial development. However, a comprehensive understanding of electromagnetism is complex only with theoretical study for our energy engineering students. In particular, it is difficult for undergraduate (UG) students to understand well the abstract concepts and objects which they cannot see and touch. Hence, this proposal aims to provide a new interactive learning strategy and hands-on projects for undergraduate students to strengthen their electromagnetism knowledge. On the one hand, the proposal will create an onsite mini-lab interactive learning way with well-design discovery-based interactive modules for UG students in classes. The discovery-based mini-lab modules mainly focus on the electric circuit discovery-based tests for the electric field study, electromagnet discovery-based tests for the magnetic field study, and electromagnetic induction discovery-based for the combination of electric field and magnetic field study. The key is to provide these three modules in class for UG students to have interactive learning experiences and hands-on practice. On the other hand, the proposal provides opportunities for UG students to further study advanced electromagnetic technologies by hands-on building wireless charging pads. With the provided inverter circuits, students can design the compensation circuits and transmitter pads. Under the QI standard, the wireless charging pad can charge mobile phones, smart watches, smart bracelets, smart earphones, etc. The hands-on designed wireless chargers can realize the function of commercial wireless chargers, which will motivate students to study the electromagnetism deeply. Furthermore, the targeted UG students are those energy engineering students who attending courses taught by the PI (SEE2001 Electromagnetic Principles of Energy Engineers and SEE4119 Electrical Energy Conversion), as well as other UG students who interested in energy engineering fields for their FYP projects and competition projects. In this way, our UG students can build the in-depth and extensive knowledge of electromagnetism through the class-demo-teaching-based interactive practice modules and hands-on practice on project design of wireless charging pads. Furthermore, some of our UG students can form various teams with electromagnetism-related projects to join international competitions and lab projects.