Long-term cooperation between FEL UWB and the Pilsen-based company EnergyCloud takes place not only in the field of scientific research projects but also in teaching. In the subject of Electromobility, students can now learn about using electric vehicles in practice.
"This collaboration is an invaluable opportunity for our students. They can experience how electromobility works in real conditions and thus gain skills that theoretical teaching alone could not offer them," says Bedřich Bednář from the Department of Power Electronics and Drives at FEL, who teaches the Electromobility course.
Theoretical knowledge in electromobility, such as traction drives, batteries, recharging, consumption, range, and mathematical modeling, can be compared with real experience gained in one of the courses of the follow-up Master's studies. Electromobility is a strategically important domain for the FEL, so the extension and continuation of the cooperation with the partner company EnergyCloud is a welcome diversification and enrichment of the teaching.
Thanks to this collaboration, students can learn about different types of vehicles in terms of brands, drive types, and capacities. Thanks to the project "Development of electromobility at EnergyCloud," which has been implemented under the OP PIK with the support of CZK 612,669 since 2020, students have already been able to drive a Skoda Enyaq iV 80 and a Tesla Model 3 Long Range AWD.
In addition to the driving experience itself, learners also have the opportunity to explore the technical side of electric cars and their practical use, especially in terms of comparing average consumption and range with the WLTP methodology. "They learn, for example, that in the combined long-term operation of the Tesla (a range of approximately 125,000 km), the real consumption of 166 Wh/km is very close to the manufacturer's WLTP figures, i.e., 148 Wh/km. The real range of the electric car is then around 490 km compared to the stated 580 km," adds EnergyCloud's Technical Director Jan Zich.
In the case of the Skoda, the average consumption is around 190 Wh/km compared to 167 Wh/km, according to WLTP. The real range is still an interesting 440 km compared to the claimed 548 km. Last semester, the students also had the opportunity to drive the most powerful Skoda of today, the Enyaq RS, and explore the possibilities of charging an EV with AC and DC (Tesla Supercharger).
This cooperation provides FEL students with the opportunity for practical verification of theoretical knowledge and valuable experience that will be useful in their future professional careers. Thus, Teaching at FEL UWB remains connected with the latest technological trends, allowing students to better prepare for future challenges in electromobility.
Faculty of Electrical Engineering |
Kateřina Newton |
20. 08. 2024 |