Author

Peace-Maker Masukume

Title

Battery Testing Remote Laboratory Development At MSU

News

The role played by laboratory work in teaching engineering students cannot be over emphasized. It is therefore imperative that each engineering student is accorded the opportunity to do some laboratory work in all relevant courses. Laboratories provide students with the opportunity to engage in experiential learning, enabling them to observe, experiment, and discover scientific principles on a firsthand basis. This hands-on approach helps students understand and remember concepts better than learning only in theory. Unfortunately most institutes of higher learning, especially in third world countries, do not have adequate resources to equip these laboratories to such an extent that students can get the required practical skills.

The Midlands State University (MSU) in Zimbabwe is one such institute of higher learning which is faced by inadequate laboratory equipment to effectively teach its students. We salute the advent of Remote laboratories. Remote laboratories, like traditional laboratories give students hands-on lab work in all learning outcome categories (knowledge and understanding, inquiry skills, practical skills, perception, analytical skills, and social and scientific communication. Over and above all, remote labs are user friendly due to their flexibility and accessibility.

We applaud the EU for provision of funding to establish a remote laboratory at MSU. A battery charging and discharging Tester machine has been acquired. The machine conducts six (6) experiments:

 1. Battery cycle life test

2. Battery capacity test

3. Battery charging/discharging characteristic test

4. Battery charge retention capacity test

5. Battery charging/discharging efficiency test

6. Battery over charging discharging rate endurance test.

Procurement of some supplementary pieces of equipment furnish the remote laboratory is progress.  We acknowledge the EU as the sole funders of this project. The purchased machine is given in the image below:

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