New Indian Express

Karkala, May 23: This bunch of students has been bitten by the technology bug.

Adarsh Pakala, Bhagvan Chandra, Arun D'Souza, Chethan, the students of final electrical and electronics, NMAMIT, Nitte here under the guidance of Prof K Vasudeva Shettigar and Prof Chandramohan M S has designed a microprocessor based 'converter and inverter circuit' for electric drive (back power).

The invention can help save huge power wastage in trains. Energy wasted is supplied back for use, thus conserving it.

The aim of the project was to arrange converter and inverter operations in a single circuit. In both the cases the power flow is controlled by varying the firing angle of each SCR and the accurate firing angle is produced by microprocessor.

Here a DC motor is used as load, which can operate in any of the four quadrants. The motor is supplied through a converter and inverter circuit. This concept is used for regenerative breaking which implies transferring   the   power from load to source during breaking time.

For example in electric trains large amount of power is wasted during breaking, this power is converted into electric energy and fed back into the supply mains using the above concept.

Around 30 to 401 per cent energy can be saved in this operation. This project won the runners up position the ICPC (Inter-Collegiate Project Competition) held at P A College of Engineering, Mangalore.