Equipment

Lab Equipment

The Srivastava Senior Design Lab has a wide selection of equipment that provides nearly all of the capabilities of the other ECE teaching labs in one place. Although the equipment may not be identical to that found in these other teaching labs, similar functionality is offered. Use the experience of learning new equipment as a way to expand your horizons. If you are using a piece of equipment for the first time, ask a TA for assistance, to make sure you understand how to safely use it. If the available equipment does not meet the needs of your project, talk to the course staff, and we will help you find what you need elsewhere on campus, consider purchasing it for the senior design lab (if it would be used by many groups), or brainstorm alternate ways to solve your problem.

Lab Kits

Each team is provided with at least one lockable storage drawer in the lab as well as a portable lab kit. An additional drawer and/or kit may be issued as need arises and facilities allow.

The lab kit includes a box with carrying handle and contains a wiring board for prototyping circuit projects, a multiple-output power supply, a digital multimeter, and a set of 8 cables (2 bnc/bnc, 2bnc/pin, 2 banana/banana, and 2 banana/pin). This is checked out to you by your TA at the beginning of the semester and must be returned undamaged at the end of the semester. Missing lab kits will result in an encumbrance or withheld diploma and a charge of $500.00, so always be sure to lock your lockers! Also, do not store any cables from the lab in your kit. Doing so will result in a loss of points.

Test Equipment

Most equipment is connected to the PCs via HPIB cables. Below is a sampling of the test equipment available:

Specific setups at the various lab benches can be in the listing at the bottom of this page.

Computers

The lab has PCs with enough processing power for the needs of nearly any senior design project. These machines are networked to a high-capacity laser printer (printing will count against your standard print quota). Each has an Ethernet connection to the campus network, an HPIB interface card connecting it to all of the standard instruments on its bench, and a sound card. The computers are maintained by Engineering IT, located in 3080 ECE Building.

The PCs are presently configured with the software shown here. Their primary uses include:

Test Equipment (Listed by lab bench)

 
Bench: A
Oscilloscope Rohde & Schwarz RTE 1054
Digital Multimeter Keysight 34461A
Triple Output DC Power Supply Keysight E3631A
Waveform Generator Agilent 33500B Series
 
Bench: B
Oscilloscope Agilent DSO7104B
Digital Multimeter Keysight 34461A
Triple Output DC Power Supply Keysight E3631A
Waveform Generator Agilent 33500B Series
 
Bench: C
Oscilloscope Agilent DSO-X 3034A
Digital Multimeter Keysight 34461A
Triple Output DC Power Supply Keysight E3631A
Waveform Generator Agilent 33500B Series
Pulse Generator Hewlett-Packard 8011A
Dual Output Power Supply Hewlett-Packard 6234A
 
Bench: D (Power)
Oscilloscope Agilent DSO-X 6004A
Digital Multimeter Keysight 34461A
Triple Output DC Power Supply Keysight E3631A
Waveform Generator Agilent 33500B Series
Pulse Generator Hewlett-Packard 8011A
Triple Output Power Supply Hewlett-Packard 6235A
Digital Power Analyzer Valhalla Scientific 2101
DC Power Supply Hewlett-Packard 6632A
DC Electronic Load Agilent 6060B
kW Power Supply Sorensen DCS 20-50
 
Bench: E
Oscilloscope Agilent DSO-X 3034A
Digital Multimeter Keysight 34461A
Triple Output DC Power Supply Keysight E3631A
Waveform Generator Agilent 33500B Series
Pulse Generator Hewlett-Packard 8011A
 
Bench: F
Oscilloscope and Logic Analyzer Teledyne LeCroy HDO 4054-MS
Digital Multimeter Keysight 34461A
Triple Output DC Power Supply Keysight E3631A
Waveform Generator Agilent 33500B Series
Pulse Generator Hewlett-Packard 8011A
 
Bench: G (power)
Oscilloscope Agilent DSO-X 6004A
Digital Multimeter Keysight 34461A
Triple Output DC Power Supply Keysight E3631A
Waveform Generator Agilent 33500B Series
Triple Output Power Supply Hewlett-Packard 6235A
DC Power Supply Hewlett-Packard 6632A
DC Electronic Load Hewlett-Packard 6060B
Current Probe Amplifier Tektronix AM 503
 
Bench: H (RF)
Mixed Domain Oscilloscope Tektronix MDO4054B-3
Digital Multimeter Keysight 34461A
Triple Output DC Power Supply Keysight E3631A
Waveform Generator Agilent 33500B Series
S-Parameter Network Analyzer Hewlett-Packard 8753ES
S-Parameter Test Set Hewlett-Packard 85047A
Pulse Generator Hewlett-Packard 8011A
Signal Generator Hewlett-Packard 8657B
 
Bench: I
Oscilloscope Agilent DSO7104B
Digital Multimeter Keysight 34461A
Triple Output DC Power Supply Keysight E3631A
Waveform Generator Agilent 33500B Series
Pulse Generator Hewlett-Packard 8011A
Dual Output Power Supply Hewlett-Packard 6234A
 
Bench: J (RF)
Oscilloscope Agilent DSO7104B
Digital Multimeter Keysight 34461A
Triple Output DC Power Supply Keysight E3631A
Waveform Generator Agilent 33500B Series
Triple Output Power Supply Hewlett-Packard 6235A
DC Power Supply Hewlett-Packard 6632A
Network Analyzer Hewlett-Packard 8751A
S-Parameter Test Set Hewlett-Packard 87511A
 
Bench: K
Oscilloscope and Logic Analyzer Teledyne LeCroy HDO 4054-MS
Digital Multimeter Keysight 34461A
Triple Output DC Power Supply Keysight E3631A
Waveform Generator Agilent 33500B Series
Dual Output Power Supply Hewlett-Packard 6234A
 
Bench: L (RF)
Mixed Domain Oscilloscope Tektronix MDO4054B-3
Digital Multimeter Keysight 34461A
Triple Output DC Power Supply Keysight E3631A
Waveform Generator Agilent 33500B Series
Vector Signal Analyzer Agilent 89441A
RF Section Hewlett-Packard 89440A
Signal Generator Hewlett-Packard 8657B
Precision LCR Meter Hewlett-Packard 4284A
 
Bench: M
Oscilloscope Agilent DSO7104B
Digital Multimeter Keysight 34461A
Triple Output DC Power Supply Keysight E3631A
Waveform Generator Agilent 33500B Series
 
Bench: N
Oscilloscope Agilent DSO-X 3034A
Digital Multimeter Keysight 34461A
Triple Output DC Power Supply Keysight E3631A
Waveform Generator Agilent 33500B Series
 
Bench: O
Oscilloscope Agilent DSO-X 3034A
Digital Multimeter Keysight 34461A
Triple Output DC Power Supply Keysight E3631A
Waveform Generator Agilent 33500B Series
Pulse Generator Hewlett-Packard 8011A
Triple Output Power Supply Hewlett-Packard 6235A
Communications Receiver AOR AR5000
 
Bench: P
Oscilloscope Agilent DSO-X 3034A
Digital Multimeter Keysight 34461A
Triple Output DC Power Supply Keysight E3631A
Waveform Generator Agilent 33500B Series

Active Cell Balancing for Solar Vehicle Battery Pack

Tara D'Souza, John Han, Rohan Kamatar

Featured Project

# Problem

Illini Solar Car (ISC) utilizes lithium ion battery packs with 28 series modules of 15 parallel cells each. In order to ensure safe operation, each battery cell must remain in its safe voltage operating range (2.5 - 4.2 V). Currently, all modules charge and discharge simultaneously. If any single module reaches 4.2V while charging, or 2.5V while discharging, the car must stop charging or discharging, respectively. During normal use, it is natural for the modules to become unbalanced. As the pack grows more unbalanced, the capacity of the entire battery pack decreases as it can only charge and discharge to the range of the lowest capacity module. An actively balanced battery box would ensure that we utilize all possible charge during the race, up to 5% more charge based on previous calculations.

# Solution Overview

We will implement active balancing which will redistribute charge in order to fully utilize the capacity of every module. This system will be verified within a test battery box so that it can be incorporated into future solar vehicles.

Solution Components:

- Test Battery Box (Hardware): The test battery box provides an interface to test new battery management circuitry and active balancing.

- Battery Sensors (Hardware): The current battery sensors for ISC do not include hardware necessary for active balancing. The revised PCB will include the active balancing components proposed below while also including voltage and temperature sensing for each cell.

- Active Balancing Circuit (Hardware): The active balancing circuit includes a switching regulator IC, transformers, and the cell voltage monitors.

- BMS Test firmware (Software): The Battery Management System requires new firmware to control and test active balancing.

# Criterion for Success

- Charge can be redistributed from one module to another during discharge and charge, to be demonstrated by collected data of cell voltages over time.

- BMS can control balancing.

- The battery pack should always be kept within safe operating conditions.

- Test battery box provides a safe and usable platform for future tests.