Creative Engineering Design: Tinkercad Circuits & EV Motor Workshop
An NREL engineer analyzes the vehicle-to-grid functionality of an electric school bus at the Energy Systems Integration Facility.Copyright 2016, Dennis Schroeder, NREL, NREL license agreement, https://www.nrel.gov/news/image-gallery-user-agreement.html
Students follow a guided engineering skills workshop presentation using the free online Tinkercad web app learning the basics about circuits, using a simulator to create circuits, and applying these skills to build a model EV electric motor. Tinkercad offers students an opportunity to build their circuit and electronics skills. Teachers can create and manage classes, activities, etc. in Tinkercad to enable students to explore circuits in both in-school and online learning environments.
Tinkercad Circuits play a significant role in engineering by providing a platform for education, prototyping, collaboration, and integration with other design tools. It enables engineers to design and simulate electronic circuits effectively, ultimately contributing to the development of innovative electronic systems and products.
After this activity, students should be able to:
- Use the Tinkercad Circuits simulator to model circuits.
- Use Tinkercad Circuits to make a motor circuit design.
- Apply the “Create” step of the Engineering Design Process to build an actual model electric motor circuit.