TECHNICAL REPORT OF STUDENT INDUSTRIAL WORK

EXPERIENCE SCHEME (SIWES)

DONE AT

BRONCK ENERGY

No 11 Jasera Street, Okoko Lagos State

BY

EZIMORA NZUBE CORNELIUS

MATRICULATION NO: 20171045425

DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS

SCHOOL OF PHYSICAL SCIENCES

FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, P.M.B. 1526, OWERRI,

IMO STATE

IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE

AWARD OF BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (B.SC) DEGREE IN PHYSICS

JANUARY, 2023
 CERTIFICATION

I certify that the student industrial work experience scheme (SIWES) programme
was carried out by student Phycist, EZIMORA NZUBE CORNELIUS, with
matriculation number 20171045425 of the department of Physics, Federal
university of technology Owerri. That this report was compiled by him and will be
submitted to the department of Physics, School of Physical Sciences, SOPS,
Federal University of Technology Owerri.

....................................................... ..................................

Student’s name Sign/Date

..................................................... ...................................

I.T Supervisor Sign/Date

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 ABSTRACT
One of the major advantages of the “The Student Work Experience Scheme” is to
expose students to life in the industries. I had my industrial training experience at
Bronck Energy. This report highlights the major experiences that I acquired during
the period of the industrial exposure at all the Department and unit, I participated
in the Motherboard and hotsink board assembling unit, Installation unit, inverter
coupling unit, inverter testing and calibration unit. Every chapter explained the
experience gathered at the company of my placement.

Some of the challenges I was confronted with include marrying theory with
practical which is often not evident at times. This situation led me to make
personal research on the internet, personal contacts and others. At the end of the
training I look back with satisfaction having acquired so much experience.

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 DEDICATION

I dedicate this write up to Almighty God who made this program a success for me
and my lovely parents for their support and words of encouragement rendered to
me during my industrial training. Also, the entire staff of Bronck Energy for
accepting me with arms wide open undoubtedly. May God bless and reward you
all Amen.

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I thank God Almighty for His mercy and grace that kept me all through my
industrial training period. My Special appreciation goes to Bronck Energy,
specially the Intern mentor and the operators for giving me the privilege to learn
and be trained. I also thank my colleagues, other mentors for their time, patience
and support, behaviour that has given me the opportunity to get a feel of the work
environment which has exposed me to the responsibilities and ethics.

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS
CERTIFICATION......................................................................................................i
ABSTRACT..............................................................................................................ii
DEDICATION.........................................................................................................iii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT........................................................................................iv
CHAPTER ONE........................................................................................................1
1.0 HISTORY OF SIWES.....................................................................................1
1.1 FUNCTIONS OF SIWES UNIT......................................................................2
1.2 ROLE OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IN SIWES..............................2
1.3 ROLES OF ACADEMIC BODIES.................................................................2
1.4 ROLES OF THE SUPERVISING AGENCIES...............................................3
1.5 OBJECTIVES OF THE SIWES SCHEME.....................................................3
1.6 IMPORTANCE OF THE SIWES SCHEME...................................................3
1.7 BENEFITS OF SIWES....................................................................................4
1.8 AIMS OF THE SIWES SCHEME...................................................................4
CHAPTER TWO.......................................................................................................6
COMPANY PROFILE...........................................................................................6
2.0 BRIEF HISTORY OF THE ORGANIZATION..............................................6
2.1 DEPARTMENTS IN THE COMPANY........................................................6
2.2 THE OBJECTIVES OF THE COMPANY....................................................8
2.3 ORGANIZATIONAL CHART........................................................................8
CHAPTER THREE...................................................................................................9
EXPERIENCE GAINED.......................................................................................9
3.0 PARTICIPATION & WORK DONE..............................................................9
3.1 DESIGN OF ELECTRONIC SYSTEM FOR INVERTERS.........................14
3.2 INVERTER COUPLING UNIT....................................................................20
3.3 DEPARTMENT OF TESTING AND CALLIBRATION.............................22
3.4 INSTALLATION UNIT..............................................................................23
CHAPTER FOUR...................................................................................................24
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 POWER INVERTER...........................................................................................24
4.0 INVERTER PRODUCTION.........................................................................26
4.1 THE TRANSFORMER..................................................................................27
4.2 MAKING OF BOBBIN/FORMER................................................................33
4.3 THE OSCILLATOR AND DRIVER UNIT..................................................35
4.4 INVERTER AUTOMATIC TRANSFER SWITCH (CONTROL UNIT)....38
4.5 SOLAR PANELS INSTALLATION.............................................................42
CHAPTER FIVE.....................................................................................................46
CHALLENGES, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION..........................46
5.0 CHALLENGES..............................................................................................46
5.1 CONCLUSION:.............................................................................................46
5.2 RECOMMENDATION:................................................................................47
REFERENCES........................................................................................................49

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 CHAPTER ONE
1.0 HISTORY OF SIWES
SIWES in 1973 was established by the Industrial Training Fund, ITF. It was introduced to
solve the problem of lack of adequate skills by Nigerian institute graduates required for
employment. The SIWES program was founded solely to imbibe in graduating students the
necessary skill s which are required for employment. It is a skill training program which helps
expose and prepare students of universities, polytechnics and colleges of education for the
industrial work to be met with after graduation from the university. The SIWES scheme enables
students apply knowledge they have acquired from the classroom.

Before the introduction of the scheme, there was a major concern by company/industry
owners over graduating students joining the work force. This was simply because these students
graduating on a yearly basis lacked working experience, thus were not really relevant to the
industry. The students literally lacked practical capability for employment. This inability
disqualified them from getting employment. As a result, employees came forth and agreed that
theoretical education isn’t enough as it doesn’t prove responses to the demand required by the
labour force. This was the steady complaint of thousands of employers around Nigeria until 1973
when the SIWES scheme came forth.

The SIWES scheme was introduced by the ITF (Industrial Training Fund), with sole aim
to help out students who were interested in the program. The scheme was officially introduced,
approved and presented to the Federal Government in 1974. The ITF was entrusted with funding
the program till 1978 when they withdrew from the program. The reason for the withdrawal was
due to the cumbersome funds required to handle the program. The Federal Government handed
over management of the scheme to the Nigerian Universities Commission (NUC) and the
National Board for Technical Education (NBTE).

Management and implementation of the scheme was reverted to the ITF by the Federal
Government late in November 1984. The scheme was officially taken over by the ITF in the
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year 1985, although funding of the program was then totally handled by the Nigerian Federal
Government.

1.1 FUNCTIONS OF SIWES UNIT

By the directive of the National University Commission (NUC) and Industrial Training Fund
(ITF), the unit is mandated with the following functions.

1. Seeking of Industrial placement for undergraduate students enrolled in disciplines

scheduled for participation in SIWES.
2. Supervision of the students placed in the industries located within the ITF zone.
3. Processing of students logbook, ITF forms and industrial attachments reports upon which
is based on the Federal government fundings,or supervision and students allowance.
4. Provision of advisory guidance to participating students on career employment
opportunities.
5. Fostering close link between the University and industry participating in the SIWES
Programme.

1.2 ROLE OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IN SIWES

1. One among the roles of the government is the provision of adequate funds to the ITF.
2. The federal government is to make mandatory for all industries, companies and ministries
to make provisions for students in accordance with the decree No. 47 of the 1971
constitution as amended in 2011.

1.3 ROLES OF ACADEMIC BODIES

1. Academic bodies are supposed to appoint coordinators and supporting staffs.
2. They are to capture and register students as well as their bank details during registration.
3. They should prepare and submit to the ITF the master and placement lists.
4. They should apply placement opportunities for the students attachment with employers.
5. In collaboration with ITF the academic bodies should organize seminars and orientations
for their students whom are to be attached.
6. Academic bodies are to submit all competed ITF forms to the nearest ITF area office.
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1.4 ROLES OF THE SUPERVISING AGENCIES
The general roles of the supervising agencies are;

1. They are to ensure the establishment and accreditation of SIWES units in institution under
the jurisdiction.
2. They are to direct for the appointment of full time coordinators.
3. They are to ensure adequate funding of the units in all institutions.
4. In line with advancement in technology, they should research into development if the
program.
5. They should collaborate with ITF to ensure that all Federal Government policies are
implemented.
6. They should develop, monitor and review job specifications to in collaboration with the
institutions involved.

1.5 OBJECTIVES OF THE SIWES SCHEME

1. The SIWES scheme is necessary for skill acquisition.
2. Another objective of the SIWES scheme is to prepare and expose students to real life work
environment and work situations.
3. It exposes students to work methods and techniques that will not be available during their
course of study.
4. Provision of a platform to apply learnt knowledge from school and real work skills
together.
5. Another very important objective of the SIWES is that it introduces students to real life
work atmosphere which would enable them know what the industry expects and is in
demand of.

1.6 IMPORTANCE OF THE SIWES SCHEME.

1. Participation in SIWES is very important and is necessary for he awards of diplomas, and
degree certificates in many institutions in Nigeria.
2. The SIWES scheme is important as it equips students with the adequate working
experience required in industries after graduating.
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1.7 BENEFITS OF SIWES.
1. The SIWES program enables students to learn responsibility.
2. Its enables students to gain knowledge and attitudes necessary for a successful program.
3. It enables students acquire good working habits and ethics.
4. The scheme grows in students the skills to learn to get along with fellow workers in the
industries.
5. Students under the SIWES scheme develop personality.
6. The scheme enables students understand the connection between job production and
wages.
7. Students also get to discover the relationship between education and success in the
industry.

BENEFITS OF THE SCHEME TO THE SCHOOL.

1. The scheme [provides an opportunity to relate academic training to job requirements.

2. It develops good community school relations.
3. The scheme provides assistance in occupational guidance.
4. It increases the schools ability to hold students in school for a longer duration of time.
5. The scheme provides direct avenue through which the school can meet community needs.
6. It utilizes many community facilities and resources of training purpose.

BENEFITS OF THE SIWES SCHEME TO THE EMPLOYERS

1. The scheme provides a training ground for prospective employees of companies in

Nigeria.
2. It provides an opportunity for the employer to redefine and validate the company’s own
training method.
3. It provides the employers with employees who are receiving additional training through
related instructions at school training desired but not warranted or possible on the job.
4. It provides a set of part time workers from which to select permanent employees from.

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1.8 AIMS OF THE SIWES SCHEME
The following are some of the aims and objectives which the program attempts to achieve.

1. To provide students with an opportunity to apply and modify the principle of academic
discipline within the practical environment.

2. To promote the development of competent skilled manpower in their field of study.

3. It exposes the students to real life situation thus, supplementing the theoritical lessons.

4. Provides an avenue for students in institutions of higher learning to acquire industrial skills
and experience in their approved course of study.

THE MAJOR OPERATORS DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN SIWES ARE:

1. The Federal government whose main function is to provide funds through the Federal ministry
of commerce and industry for the smooth running of the scheme.

2. The industrial training (ITF) is solely responsible in the direct management and smooth
running of the scheme. It also supervises students undergoing training through the various ITF
area offices. They examine and sign the students logbook and the necessary ITF forms .Also,
they supervise the payments of allowance to students and institution based supervision.

3. The institution: compile and submit the Masters Placement test to ITF. Their roles are;

a. Ensure the students placement are relevant to their courses of study.

b. Prepare students for industrial training through the organization of orientation
programs.
c. Appoint supervisors to students in their places of attachment.
d. Beneficiaries of SIWES are undergraduate in science, engineering and technology
disciplines with duration of four months for polytechnics and college of education
and six months for University.

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 CHAPTER TWO
COMPANY PROFILE

2.0 BRIEF HISTORY OF THE ORGANIZATION

Bronck Energy is a company which specializes on renewable energy; for the period of
10years, Bronck Energy was established on July 2006, the employment sizes is of 20 people, 5
professionals and 15 non professionals. It is located at No 11 Jasera Street, Okoko Lagos State.
Bronck Energy deals with the Productions of:

 Power Inverters
 Stabilizers
 AVR
 Automatic Change Over
 Power Amplifiers

They also specialize with the production of:

 speakers
 Wind Mill Generation Plant.

In Bronck Energy there are different departments that are responsible for the day to day
productions and maintenance of power Inverters system. These departments are responsible for
maintaining and improving the infrastructures that have been put in place for the effective
production sales and installations

It is the policy of the company to introduce IT students to every one of its departments
especially the departments that deal with fabrication and maintenance. Therefore I was
introduced to each department in the company.

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2.1 DEPARTMENTS IN THE COMPANY
 Motherboard and heatsink board assembling unit
 Inverter Coupling Unit
 Inverter Testing and Calibration Unit
 Inverter installation unit

Bronck Energy Inverter or Emergency Power System (EPS) utilize state-of-art

Microcontroller technology for the supply of lighting, generator, heater, refrigerator, motor, and
other apparatus to provide resources during crisis or failure of regular systems. Pure Sine-wave
output with the adjustable AVR feature is highly flexible to supply continuous power to various
types of loads under all kinds of environments. The large LCD panel showcases comprehensive
information including load level, battery level, voltage and other vital equipment status with a
push-of-a button. The competitive design has not only make it the best choice generators but
flexible enough to be adopted as UPS for computers and other sensitive equipment’s.

Being in a company that specialises in renewable energy and maintenance, i was enlightened
about services rendered by the departments in terms of maintenance work that was carried out
here, tests carried out on inverter transformers, etc. I was also privileged to learn about the
different parts and functions of power inverters and its transformers, I learnt how to trace faults
in inverters, amplifiers, stabilizers and also how to install them. As a company’s industrial
training staff it was mandatory to be in attendance of the weekly safety meetings and daily pep
talks. Issues like challenges being faced in the departments and also plans for jobs to be carried
out daily. Bronck Energy is a company envisioned towards providing renewable energy system
which includes solar integrated inverter, solar street light and general domestic installation.

These services include:

 Production of uninterrupted power system(INVERTER)

 Production of solar streetlight
 Electrical domestic wiring
 Consultation on Renewable energy system
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  Product development
 General electrical installation

2.2 THE OBJECTIVES OF THE COMPANY

 One of the major objectives of the company is to provide a reliable renewable power
system.
 They also serve as a great source of employment for both skilled and unskilled workers.
 They also develop product the speaks well of great convenient to the general public.

2.3 ORGANIZATIONAL CHART

CEO/MD

Installation Unit Secretary Electronics

Fabrication unit Inverter Coupling

Sales Manager
unit

Inverter
Motherboard
testing unit
unit

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 CHAPTER THREE
EXPERIENCE GAINED
During the course of my industrial training I was involved, taught and exposed to the
process which entails in the production of an inverter which include winding of transformer,
building of different circuitry, assembling, fabrication of the packaging casing etc. I was also
taught how to handle the different machines use in the fabrication of an inverter casing which
includes drilling machine, cutting machine, hacksaw, jig-saw, welding machine etc.

3.0 PARTICIPATION & WORK DONE

 I had the privilege of working with electrical, electronics machines and devices used in
the day to day running of activities. Electrical machines like, the fault locating system

Picture of a fault allocating system.

 I participated in the testing and repairs of inverters

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 I participated in the rectification of a fault that could be cause by electrical surge.
 I participated in the windings of a transformer used for inverters

 I assisted in the installations of inverters at homes and companies

 I assisted in the reconfiguring of relay units in the AVR.

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 I assisted in tests carried out after the manufacturing of inverters.

 I assisted in tests carried out after the manufacturing of power alarm system.

 I assisted in tests carried out after the manufacturing of stabilizers.

 I carried out tests on charge controller devices.

 I participate in the fabrication of cabinet for power alarm system, power inverter, and

stabilizer.

 I assisted in drilling electronic circuit board

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  Assisted in soldering of electronic component on panel

Since my efficiency rate gradually increased with continuous exposure to the jobs that we
completed and services provided I was given more responsibility like, the design of electronic
circuit diagram using a software known to be proteus, and I was given even greater responsibility
in designing more circuits.

 I participated in the making of electronic panel using the method call etching .

 I participated in the production of Inverters and other electronics devices.

 I assisted in the trip testing of transformer panels.

 I was actively involved in the preparation of finished product.

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 I participated in the installation of inverters on sites.

 I was delighted to have been involved in jobs that were carried out on site in parts of

the state because this enlightened me on some of the challenges that cause the erratic
power supply that we experience in the state. Some of such challenges were; poor air
conditioning for the transformer panels, poorly kept stations which were untidy enough
to encourage rats that damage cables and connections made in the inverters
transformer panels, and faulty and old transformer panels that have not been
replaced .etc. I had the opportunity of being enlightened to the functions and processes
of installation and when i did not understand something i sought the assistance of my
superiors in the department and they put me through my difficulties. In this report i
will explain in detail the various electrical and electronic components i worked with ,
their description and their functions.

A picture of a fault locating system.

As an IT student it was absolutely vital to be familiar with the various equipment that
was utilized in each department that I worked in not only for the benefit of knowledge
expansion but also to be some one that can be relied on when there is a job at hand.

13
 I gained Experience in the following departments explained below.

3.1 DESIGN OF ELECTRONIC SYSTEM FOR INVERTERS

This being the first department I was introduced to, deals with the design of electronic
systems and fabrication of its cabinet.
This department is a department that concerns itself with the effective planning for
projects to be commenced, which involves the listing and acquisition of materials to
be used in construction and also the organization of vehicles that will be involved in
the transportation of materials for the project, and the construction or development of
the planned project.
In this department I was educated on how to plan for various projects that were to be
implemented.

Being in this department introduced me to different equipment that I had no previous

knowledge of and I was enlightened on their usage.
Such equipment includes:

i) Digital oscilloscope

ii) Function generator

iii) Patching board

iv) Hand drilling machine

v) Reworking station machine also known as hot air machine

vi) Digital testers

vii) Digital multimeters

viii) Earth tester

ix) Molding machines

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 x) Etching chemicals

 DIGITAL OSCILLOSCOPE
A digital oscilloscope is a complex electronic device of various software and
electronic hardware that works together to capture, process, and display and store data
that represents the signals of interest of an operator.
A digital oscilloscope is ideal for displaying intricate signal waveforms where
calculation and measurements on specific portion of the waveforms must be made to
provide numerical and waveform output displays, which reflect to chosen parameters of
the waveform.
The two general categories of digital oscilloscopes are single shot oscilloscope
and random interleave or equivalent time sampling oscilloscopes.
Single shot oscilloscope start real-time sampling of an event after a trigger condition
has been satisfied, the speed of the analog to digital converter determines the
limitations of the sampling speed of single shot oscilloscope. The size of the devices
acquisition memory, which receives the output from the converter, limits the time on
which a single event can be sampled.
Meanwhile, random interleave oscilloscope or equivalent time sampling relies on
repetitive events at different point over certain period of time.

A digital oscilloscope

The digital oscilloscope is an indispensable tool for anyone designing,

15
manufacturing or repairing electronic equipment. In today’s fast paced world, engineers
need the best tools available to solve their measurement challenges quickly and
accurately. As the eyes of the engineer, digital oscilloscope are the key to meeting
todays demanding measurement challenges.

Use of Oscilloscope to see inverter waveform

The usefulness of digital oscilloscope is not limited to the world of electronics.

With the proper sensor, a digital oscilloscope can measure all kind of phenomena. A
sensor is a devices that create an electrical signal in response to physical stimuli, such
as sound, mechanical stress, pressure, light, or heat.
Digital oscilloscope are used by everyone from engineers to repairs technicians,

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 Motherboard componenets assembling

 PATCHING BOARD
This is an electronic board where all designs are
carried out. These boards are used for;
1. Testing cables

2. Testing electronic component

3. Analyzing electronics circuit

4. Design electronic project

Motherboard and heatsink test running

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  HAND DRILLING MACHINE

Operating a drilling machine

 REWORKING STATIONS MACHINE

Rework (or re-work) is the term for the refinishing operation or repair of an electronic
printed circuit board (PCB) assembly, usually involving disordering and re-soldering of
surface mounted electronic components (SMD). Mass processing techniques are not
applicable to single device repair or replacement, and specialized manual techniques by
expert personnel using appropriate equipment are required to replace defective
component s; Area array packages such as ball grid array (BGA) devices particularly
require expertise and appropriate tools. A hot air gun or hot air station is used to heat
devices and melt solder, and specialized tools are used to pick up and position often
tiny components.
Reasons for rework of electronics include:
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 1. Poor solder joints due to faulty assembly or thermal cycling.

2. Solder bridges—unwanted drops of solder that connect points that should be

isolated from each other.

3. Faulty components.

4. Engineering parts changes, upgrades, et c.

 EARTH TESTER
This device is utilized in the measuring the resistance of the earth
ground. This device has:
 3-1/2 Digit (1999 count) multifunction LCD with Data Hold
 Measures Earth Resistance in three ranges (from 0.01 to 2000Ω)
 2mA (800Hz) Test Current and Frequency
 0 to 200VAC (40 to 500Hz)
 AC Earth Voltage/Frequency
 Auto power off, 3 minute Timer
 Overload Protection
 Open circuit, over range and
 Low battery indications
 Also have test leads, auxiliary earth bars, Heavy duty case, and six 1.5V AA batteries.

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 An Earth Tester

Inverter Earthing

3.2 INVERTER COUPLING UNIT

In this department I learnt how to make an inverter from beginning. I also had the
opportunity to learn how to prepare cable terminations for electrical equipment.

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First Inverter Coupled

Complete Inverter coupling

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3.3 DEPARTMENT OF TESTING AND CALLIBRATION
I also participated in the jobs that the Cable jointers performed which are listed below:

 Pulling of electrical cables through underground pipes (or conduits) and joining
the cables to transmission and distribution systems
 Preparation of low and high voltage cable joints and cable terminations while
connecting and installing electrical equipment and overhead lines
 We maintained and repaired cables that were damaged due to overheating and
burning.

 We also made sure that conductors were correctly connected between

substations and customers premises when installation and repairs were
carried out.
 I assisted in the preparation of cable jointing components

 We dug trenches to bury earth mats that were constructed.

 We also encase cables in protective covers

 And we also work with other staff in installing and replacing of inverters, charge
controller, amplifiers, power stabilizers.

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 This department added a lot to my knowledge base on how some of the infrastructures
put in place for the installation of power inverter to consumers came about.

3.4 INSTALLATION UNIT

In this department we carried out installation of solar panels in building roofs and streets,
and how to fully setup the control panel in a building.

Solar Installation

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 CHAPTER FOUR
POWER INVERTER

A power inverter, or inverter, is an electronic device or circuitry that convert direct current
(DC) to alternating current (AC). The input voltage, output voltage and frequency, and overall
power handling depend on the design of the specific device or circuitry. The inverter does not
produce any power; the power is provided from the DC source. A power inverter is entirely
electronic circuitry. Circuitry that performs the opposite function, converting AC to DC, which
in turns charge the battery is called a rectifier. The inverter made by the company invert in other
to produce power and also rectify in other to charge the battery. A typical power inverter device
or circuit requires a relatively stable DC power source capable of supplying enough current in
ampere-hour for the intended power demands of the system. The input voltage depends on the
design and purpose of the inverter. Examples include: 12 V DC, for smaller consumer and
commercial inverters that typically run from a rechargeable 12 V lead acid battery or automotive
electrical outlet. 24V DC, 36V DC and 48 V DC, which are common standards for home energy
systems that I worked.

picture of the company produced inverter

MODIFIED SINE WAVE:

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 The modified sine wave output of such an inverter is the sum of two square
waves one of which is phase shifted 90 degrees relative to the other. The result is three
level waveform with equal intervals of zero volts; peak positive volts; zero volts; peak
negative volts and then zero volts. This sequence is repeated. The resultant wave very
roughly resembles the shape of a sine wave. Most inexpensive consumer power
inverters produce a modified sine wave rather than a pure sine wave. The waveform in
commercially available modified-sine-wave inverters resembles a square wave but
with a pause during the polarity reversal. When operating induction motors, voltage
harmonics are usually not of concern; however, harmonic distortion in the current
waveform introduces additional heating. Numerous items of electric equipment will
operate quite well on modified sine wave power inverter devices, especially loads that
are resistive in nature such as traditional incandescent light bulbs. Items with a switch-
mode power supply operate almost entirely without problems, but if the item has a
mains transformer, this can overheat depending on how marginally it is rated.
However, the inductive loads may operate less efficiently owing to the harmonics
associated with a modified sine wave and produce a humming noise during operation.
 OUTPUT FREQUENCY
The AC output frequency of a power inverter device is usually the same as standard
power line frequency, 50 hertz
 OUTPUT VOLTAGE
The AC output voltage of a power inverter is often regulated to be the same as the grid
line voltage, typically 220 VAC at the distribution level, even when there are changes
in the load that the inverter is driving. This allows the inverter to power numerous
devices designed for standard line power.

 OUTPUT POWER

A power inverter will often have an overall power rating expressed in voltage

25
 ampere{VA} or kilo voltage ampere {KVA} This describes the power that will be
available to the device the inverter is driving and, indirectly, the power that will be
needed from the DC source.
 BATTERIES
The runtime of an inverter powered by batteries is dependent on the battery power and
the amount of power being drawn from the inverter at a given time. As the amount of
equipment using the inverter increases, the runtime will decrease. In order to prolong
the runtime of an inverter, additional batteries can be added to the inverter. When
attempting to add more batteries to an inverter, there are two basic options for
installation: this will be further discuss
4.0 INVERTER PRODUCTION

Functional Block diagram of a typical power inverter

During my training I learnt that the inverter consists basically the following

1. The transformer

26
 2. The oscillator

3. The current driver / rectifier unit

4. The control unit

5. The packed case

4.1 THE TRANSFORMER

Transformer is an inductively coupled circuit used for transmitting alternating current
energy, it is used in power electronics applications normally serve to provide isolation
from the input mains and to reduce voltage stress on switching components by more
closely matching the operating voltage to the switch voltage ratings, during my
industrial training, the center-tapped transformer (usually called two anode
transformer) was used for modified sine wave inverter configuration, which is common
in our production due to it cheap and non-complex setup. The center-tapped
transformer used in powering the inverter serves as a step-up transformer.

The number of turns on the primary winding is different from that of Secondary
winding. The primary and secondary windings of conventional transformer for
electronic application are wound on tubular bobbin usually called former (insulated
spool that serves as a support for the coil) made of plastic or fiber material. The wound

27
 bobbins(former) are then enclosed by iron or steel cores in the shape of figure start of
“E” and “I” shaped laminated metal sheets, assembled through and round the wound
bobbins. The laminations are then clamped down to form a rigid assembly; the
transformers have insulator paper shrouds to insulate the windings from each other and
from the core. Both primary and secondary windings are wound on the same bobbin.
 TRANSFORMER DESIGN CORE
The two most common and basic designs of transformer construction are the Closed-
core Transformer and the Shell-core Transformer. In the “closed-core” type (core form)
transformer, the primary and secondary windings are wound outside and surround the
core ring. In the “shell type” (shell form) transformer, the primary and secondary
windings pass inside the steel magnetic circuit (core) which forms a shell around the
windings as shown below.

Transformer core construction type

During my training the shell-type construction was the one use in winding the
inverter transformer. Shell type transformer cores overcome leakage flux as both the
primary and secondary windings are wound on the same center leg or limb which has
twice the cross-sectional area of the two outer limbs. The advantage here is that the
magnetic flux has two closed magnetic paths to flow around external to the coils on

28
 both left and right hand sides before returning back to the central coils. This means that
the magnetic flux circulating around the outer limbs of this type of transformer
construction is equal to Φ/2. As the magnetic flux has a closed path around the coils,
this has the advantage of decreasing core losses and increasing overall efficiency.

different laminations size pictorial of the arranged E & I lamina

center-tapped transformer
completely wound transformer

 TRANSFORMER WINDING PROCESS

A transformer works on AC signals; it cannot work on DC signals, as a DC

29
 signal does not generate mutual inductance. A transformer consists of two coils, which
are wound each on laminated core. It is made up of primary and secondary sides
respectively. There are two types of coils; these are:
- Primary coil and
- Secondary coil.
The coil to which the AC supply is applied is called the primary coil/winding.
The coil in which Electromagnetic field (EMF) is induced and the output is taken is
called secondary coil/winding. The secondary coil can have one or more windings. In
the transformer, electric energy is transferred from one circuit to another circuit.
During this transfer, the current and the voltage can be changed, that is they can be
increased or reduced. There is no direct electrical connection between the primary and
the secondary coil in a transformer. When AC current flows in the primary coil, there
is change in the magnetic flux generated in the primary coil with induced EMF which
is transferred to the secondary coil. The voltage generated in the secondary coil
depends on the ratio between the number of turns in the primary coil and number of
turns in the secondary coil.

 CALCULATION USED IN DESIGNING POWER INVERTER TRANSFORMER

In a transformer, the relationship between voltage, current and number of turns

in the coils is given by: -

V1 N1 I1
= =
V2 N2 I2

Where:

 V1 is the input voltage to the primary

 V2 is the output voltage from the secondary

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  N1 is the number of turns in the primary coil

 N2 is the number of turns in the secondary coil

 I1 is the current in the primary coil

 I2 is the current in the secondary coil

Taking a 2KVA 12V-0-12V center-tapped inverter transformer as a case study for

my write up, the following are put into consideration: -

Taking the magnetic flux density to be 1.4Tesla (assumed value) constant of

proportionality (K) = 1.0,

The power Rating for the Inverter transformer (KVA) =2.0KVA, E2=12V

Assuming the efficiency of transformer =80%

Then Input rating =output /Efficiency=2000VA×0.80=1600VA (this value will also be

used to determine the number of mosfet for the current driver unit)

 DESIGN OF CORES:

Voltage per turn Et =k√𝑆(𝐾𝑉𝐴)

Where S = Output KVA (2.0kVA)

Choosing K=1, for shell type single phase

transformer Et= 1.414Volts per turn

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The table below is used to choose the conductor size of the coil using the ampere of the
individual winding
CONDUCTOR INSULATO ELECTRICAL PERMISSIBLE PACKIN
R CHARACTERISTI G
CAPACITY@200
C
C

AW INSULATO REALST. MAX AMPERE MT/COIL

G DIAMETE R (ohm/km)
R THICK
(mm) (mm)
24 0.61 0.55 97.60 5.00 100
23 0.69 0.55 93.33 6.99 100
22 0.78 0.55 88.60 8.73 100
21 0.84 0.55 70.50 10.99 100
20 0.92 0.55 62.50 13.,87 100
19 1.09 0.55 51.70 18.00 100
18 1.19 0.55 39.50 22.00 100
17 1.33 0.55 3.90 28.00 100
16 1.53 0.8 24.40 35.00 100
15 1.60 0.8 20.02 42.00 100
14 1.69 0.9 15.60 55.60 100
13 1.72 0.95 12.50 65.00 100
12 1.78 1.00 9.80 88.40 100
11 2.06 1.00 7.38 100.60 100
10 2.48 1.00 6.30 140.60 100

8 3.01 1.50 4.20 200.00 100

Wire SWG and current rating

The table above is being followed when considering the maximum burst current for a
short period of time, the table is also helpful when testing a transformer that is the

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 secondary winding of the transformer has a higher resistance, more number of turns
and it wire gauge is smaller whereas the primary winding of the transformer has a
lower resistance, few number of turns and it wire gauge is bigger because the current
drawn from the battery is higher
4.2 MAKING OF BOBBIN/FORMER

completely glued together fiber bobbin

The bobbin is a piece on which the copper coils are wound, it is usually made of
plastic. During my training the bobbin is made from a recyclable fiber material which
is sources from an ice block machine factory within the industrial park, the E shaped
lamina is used to measure the required shapes on the fiber material, the shapes are cut
using a jig-saw. the shapes are then glued together which form the bobbin as show
above.
 WINDING OF THE COPPER COIL

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 completely wound transformer without lamination and a copper coil

The copper coil is manually tensioned and wound round the bobbin/former, a liquid
varnish (chilak) is poured into the wound coil to make it stick together and also help to
filled air space that cause vibration when the transformer is loaded, thereafter the two
coil are separate with an insulator paper The iron sheet laminations are then arranged
into the wound bobbin
 TESTING OF THE WOUND TRANSFORMER
The following are checked when testing a wound transformer
1. Winding Resistance:
Winding resistance can be represented by the resistances of the copper coil used
in the windings, R1 and R2 for primary and secondary, respectively. This can be tested
using the ohmmeter on the digital multimeter.
2. Winding voltage:
The transformer’s secondary terminal is connected to a 220VAC and the output
voltage at the primary terminal is measured using a voltage meter, this will give a
12VAC range for a 12volt inverter ,24volt range for a 24volt inverter and 48volt range
for a 48volt inverter, this depends on the size of the lamination and copper coil that
was used

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4.3 THE OSCILLATOR AND DRIVER UNIT

Assembled oscillator and driver unit

The oscillator and driver unit are assembly on a ready-made printed circuit board. The
components datasheet plays an important role in identifying the various component
that can be use and their characteristics The oscillator uses an SG3524 with other
component to generate the 50Hz frequency required to generate AC supply by the
inverter.

 DRIVER SECTION
MOSFET drive signal from pins of the SG3524 are coupled to base of transistors. This
result in the separation of the signal into two different channels and an amplification of
the signal to a sufficient output level from the transistors collector. The resulting
MOSFET drive signal at collector is coupled to the gate of each MOSFET in the first
and second MOSFET channels respectively. The driver section made up of the
MOSFETS AND RESISTORS are incorporated with the oscillator on the printed
circuit board . Heat sinks are attached to the back of the of the driver unit

35
 printed circuit board

The capacity of an inverter is a function of:

 The type and number of power MOSFETs used
 The size and capacity of the power transformer used for AC Power Supply
The driver unit configuration consists of an array of MOSFETs connected in parallel.
The MOSFET commonly used by the company in the driver design has its path number
as IRFP260N, IRFP250. the following datasheet parameters is for IFRP250:
- Current rating = 39A
- Voltage rating = 100V
- Power factor (pF) = 0.75
- Power rating = 190W
The Total number of MOSFET is given by:
Number of MOSFETSs = Actual Power of the design/ Power rating of the MOSFET:
That is; 1500/190 = 7.89 Hence, 8 MOSFETs were used; with 4 on each parallel
channel, boosting the current to drive the transformer

36
 Data sheet of a Mosfet

4.4 INVERTER AUTOMATIC TRANSFER SWITCH (CONTROL UNIT)

The control unit function as the medium or controller that tells the inverter what
to do at a point in time. The control unit consist of the following circuitry for
1. Low battery

2. Overload

3. Mains detector

4. Automatic change over.

 PRODUCTION OF PACKING CASING

37
 Packaging of the constructed product was done to achieve a good looking and
presentable product. During the packaging, some factors were considered; these
include: -The durability of the material to be used in the packaging, materials like
wood, plastic or metal could be used but for this product, metal sheet was used; this is
to ensure easy dissipation of heat to the environment. The ventilation of the package
was also considered; this is to help in control of the temperature of the system since
most of the components in the construction are heat-generating components.
The packaging process involved fabrication of the casing using a metal steel
plate in case of a 2KVA inverter, angle bar and metal steel plate in case of other
KVA’s
 PRIMING
Priming is the process of covering the raw metal plate or angle bar with raw glossy paint.

Priming of casing

 BASE SMOOTHING
Base smoothing is the process of smoothing the surface of the primed metal work,
this is done by using a silicone paper and water.
This make the surface to be smoothed before laying the auto base paint

 AUTOBASE PAINTING

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 Autobase painted casing

 MATERIAL USED FOR AUTOBASE PAINTING

1. Autobase Paint
2. Hardener
3. Slow Thinner
4. Thinner
5. Spirit
6. Oil
7. Shiner (silver colour)
Priming, base smoothing and autobase painting are the procedures followed to
prevent the metal casing from rusting and also to beautify the end product and labeling
of the required information

39
After finish assembling of the product the following setting are done on the inverter

Inverter output voltage 220volts

Inverter frequency 50Hz
Minimum battery voltage 10.0volts
Minimum A.C. input voltage 180V
Maximum A.C. input voltage 250V-
settings done on the finished product

 INSTALLATION PROCESS

 The batteries were arranged into the battery rack and connected in series and
parallel as required for the inverter system
 The inverter is then place on the battery rack, connect to the battery and it is
powered on for testing and off immediately
 The charge controller is installed close to the battery, as directed by the
manufacturer

 Output of the battery and the output from the solar panel are then connected to
the controller consequentively
 All the connection is properly checked and tested using multimeter

 Trunking system of wiring are majorly been used during installation expect for
exceptional cases where conduit system of wiring has already been laid
 the load to be powered be the inverter are isolated from the distribution board
are connected to the output of the inverter
 Lastly, the system is then powered on and loaded

40
 Complete Installation

 MAINTENANCE, SAFETY AND PRECAUTION

The following maintenance practices and safety precautions are followed to improve
the life span of the system and prevent hazards to the users.
1. Dead batteries should not be used with the inverter

2. The battery terminals should not be removed too often. When it is removed,
replacement of correct polarity must be ensured.

3. The inverter must be put in a moderate temperature environment.

4. The inverter should always be shut down when not in use

5. The inverter should always be partially loaded (not more than 80% of its
maximum capacity will be enough).
6. The input plug of the inverter should be plugged to a three-pin, properly earthed
socket

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4.5 SOLAR PANELS INSTALLATION
SOLAR PANEL

Solar panel under test condition

Solar systems are an environmentally friendly way of producing electricity for

domestic usage, the technology relies on photovoltaics (PV) cells to turn sunlight into
electricity
 Types Of Solar Panel
1. Mono-crystalline: - mono crystalline are solar panel that is made entirely of a
single crystal structure, it is usually made of silicon which are form into bars and
are cut into wafer. It is usually dark in colour
2. Poly-crystalline: - poly crystalline is produced by making use of a crystal of
silicon manufactured by melting many fragment of silicon and other material
together to form the wafers for the solar panel example of material used are: -
copper indium gallium selenide(CGIS). It is blueish in colour

Different types of solar panel

42
Two (2) common connections type of photo voltaic system design

1. The system is connected to the utility grids and has battery storage to provide the
power need for consumption.
2. The system is connected to a battery storage to provide emergency power back up.

 Solar panel installation accessories include

1. Aluminium solar rack

2. Bot and nut

3. Nail

4. Connecting wires

5. Binding wire

 IMPORTANT FACTOR CONSIDERED WHEN INSTALLING SOLAR

PANEL
The following factor are considered before installing a solar panel are as follows

3. Location: - when installing the solar panel, it must not face the direction of
either sunrise or sunset, in order to achieve an optimized energy, form the solar
panel, therefore the solar panel must face the direction of the sun path
4. Seasons: - solar panels receive more direct ultra-violet ray of the sunlight during
the summer (dry season) than in the rainy season even though the panel was
often set to the latitude of an angle equal to the latitude
5. Climate: - solar arrays are most efficient in the brightest day. Direct sunlight
efficiency can dramatically be reducing if the sky is overcast
6. Obstacle or shade: - anything that blocks the sunlight from falling on the solar panel will reduce
the efficiency of the array, which include shadows from nearest building, tree branches, leaves,
dust and other debris

 INSTALLATION OF SOLAR PANEL

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 The azimuth angle of the square solar cells is the angle of south direction and Vertical
plane of the square, which is the direction during installation of the solar panels. In
general, efficiency of the solar cell is highest when the square faces south (i.e. azimuth
angle of 0 °). The declining angle is the angle between the surface of the solar cell and the
horizontal plane which is the best declining angle that the square can make the maximum
generating capacity per year. The optimum declining angle is related to the local latitude
and with the raise of the latitude, the inclination will also increase.

picture showing best positioning of solar panel

Two ways in which solar panel is been installed

1. Rooftop installation: - this is the type of installation whereby the solar panel
is been installed on the roof of a building, installing mounting rack or angle
bar iron are used to nail the panel to the roof in other to prevent the solar
panel from damages from the wind. During my training, this was the major
mode of solar panel installation that I was vividly involved in

44
 Roof installed solar panel

2. Ground mount or standalone installation: -this is the type of installation

whereby the panel is being installed on a special made and design shed, here the
installing rack are going to be in a conjoining ways which is going to be capable of
carrying heavy load

CHAPTER FIVE

CHALLENGES, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

5.0 CHALLENGES

During the first quarter of my industrial training, the following challenges were
encounter
45
 i. HANDLING OF WORK TOOLS: I found it difficult to handle some of
the machines used in fabrication process, due to vibration and directional
motion of the machines.

ii. SOLDERING: soldering is a day to day activity in the workshop, I handled

some of the soldering of the component to the printed circuit board, this
made my soldering to be rough and defective.

iii. BATTERIES: The net weight of a 200Ah batteries makes it difficult to be

carried or moved from one place to another especially during installation.
iv. HEIGHT:During the installation of solar panels, some of the installation
were done at higher height to the ground level, this bring about the use of
safety devices such as safety belt and

5.1 CONCLUSION:
My experience during the period of industrial attachment has been an enriching
and innovative one. The SIWES scheme is indeed an innovative concept and looking
back I am glad that worked at “BRONCK ENERGY”. The experiences have been far
rewarding and the report summarizes the details. From the full details on the
experience which I had during the training program which gave me the privilege to
relate with senior professionals and other students from different institutions. The
knowledge acquired is not only academic or technical skill as the case may be, I was
also made to understand the importance of other fields of study and ultimately
appreciate the roles they play to the success of any industry. The experience makes me
appreciate the nature, benefits and intricacies of my chosen field of study both in the
classroom and in the larger society.
The program increases the potentials of a student at the same time helps me to adapt a
disciplined attitude that will guide me after school when offered an opportunity to put to
practice what I had gotten all through my stay in the University. It gives University students

46
the opportunity to put into practice what they have been learning theoretically all through
their stay in school. It exposes the student to a working environment experience and acts as
a guide to the student when he or she finally graduates and goes into the business industry
to start up working. Students should know what aspect of their course they want to
specialize. Either they want to go into Electrical, Telecommunications, Electronics,
Manufacturing. etc. This will act as a guide to the student to know what company to seek
placement. Students should take maximum use of the opportunity given to them to learn
and make use of the resources at their disposals and not just be bench warmers in their
organization.
5.2 RECOMMENDATION:
In view of my experience during my industrial training, the following
recommendations are made to the students, university, industrial training fund
(I.T.F) and the companies:
 Students should personally ensure that they get a good placement for the
program in time to commence and gain the best from the six-months.
 Students should make sure that the entire period for the attachment is completed
before bowing out of the program.
 Also, student should have a focused mind and interest as it will help them get the
maximum knowledge attainable from the company attached to.
 Not all students have the opportunity of getting good industrial training
placement, so the university should ensure they establish good relationships with
companies, firms and organizations capable of assisting in the SIWES program
on a yearly basis thereby helping the less privileged students.
 On the part of I.T.F, Student supervision should also be intensified to make the
program more effective.
 The firms should ensure that a well-structured program for the period of training
is spelt out and be seriously adhered to, so that students can benefit.
 Also, the firms should see their role in the program as one of contributing to the
47
 nation’s educational system and not as a means of exploiting I.T students as
cheap labor.

 RELEVANCE TO PHYSICS DISCIPLINE:

The relevance of the experience gained can be linked to the following courses:

o Electrical service design

o Renewable energy

o Power electronics

o Electromagnetic field and waves

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 REFERENCES
 www.wikipedia.com/power inverter

 www.brighthubengineering.com/diy-electronics-devices/96783-designing-

your-own- transformer/
 Bronck Energy inverter manual

 Forrest, M. (2000). Getting Started in Electronics (2nd Edition).

 www.datasheetcatalog .com

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