Modeling the space elevator - a project oriented approach for teaching experimental power electronics

The "Solar Climber", a model version of the space elevator, is a great project to introduce students to power electronics. In this project the students are faced with the elementary engineering problem of powering a vehicle (an electro-mechanical system) from a limited energy source such as a solar panel in this case. Apart from learning about and building a simple buck converter as their first power electronics system, they must also identify the interdependences between a limited energy source, energy conversion efficiency, weight and climbing speed. A buck converter is required to convert a solar panel\´s output to a voltage level suitable for the electric motors that drive the elevator towards "space". This paper describes the motivation, the model space elevator, the learning outcomes and the experiences from this project. Further practical solar power projects, the solar car and mains interface, are presented that have proven to be excellent projects for teaching experimental power electronics.