Indian Institute of Technology Madras

Motors & Controllers – Cohort 6

Indian Institute of Technology Madras

About Programme

Course – Teaser Video

Centre for Outreach and Digital Education (CODE), IIT Madras, offers a short-term executive certificate programme on Motors and Controllers. The performance of an electric vehicle is primarily defined by its “engine” – the motor. Although motors have been known for over a century, EVs make far more exacting demands that have brought motors to the centre-stage of technology and set new benchmarks. All of these advances are driven by developments in power electronics and embedded firmware. Most students and professional engineers in the automotive industry are bewildered by these rapid advances and unable to make informed decisions on the kind of motor that would be appropriate for a vehicle. This course seeks to demystify the “Multi-physics” of the motor and make the underlying ideas accessible. Spanning electromagnetic, thermal, hardware design and control algorithms, this course bridges the gap between academic theory and industry practice. The learners will be empowered to develop motors for vehicles of their choice through a specially curated software tool for design and simulation.

Mode of Course: 28 hours of recorded videos and 18 hours of online live interactive sessions with the faculty

MODULE-1: Recap of High School Physics

MODULE-2: Motor Construction

MODULE-3: Performance Evaluation

MODULE-4: Motor Control

MODULE-5: Vehicle Dynamics

MODULE-6: Motor Design

MODULE-7: Controller Design

MODULE-8: Engineering Considerations

MODULE-9: Contemporary Trends

Click on the tab “Module Description” and choose the appropriate module from the dropdown menu to view more information about each module.

Course Start date: Aug 14, 2026

Mode: Pre recorded Videos will be released on Fridays and Online Live session on Saturdays.

Programme Content

MODULE-1: Recap of High School Physics

Module Description:

Fundamentals of physics underlying a motor.

Concepts Covered:

Ohm’s Law, Magnetism, Thermal, Potential Divider, Three-Phase Circuits, Real and Apparent power, Faraday’s law of electromagnetism, Torque and Speed Constants, Geometry-Free Visualization of Ohm’s and Electromagnetism, Electrical, Mechanical and Magnetic Loading of a motor

Learning Outcomes:

Physics of torque production.
Back-emf constant, torque constant and the relationship between them

Applications of the Module

Motor sizing based on torque density

MODULE-2: Motor Construction

Description of the Course:

Different components and geometrical features inside a motor

Concepts Covered:

Physical Construction of a motor, Magnetic Path in a motor, Motor Sizing, winding pattern, Effect of pole pairs

Learning Outcomes:

Optimizing the geometry of a motor for torque production

Applications of the Module:

Design and sizing of internal features of a motor

MODULE-3: Performance Evaluation

Description of this Module:

12 hours of recorded videos and 3 live online interactive sessions.
Impact of losses on temperature, efficiency

Concepts Covered:

Torque-Speed and Power-Speed Curves, Phase Resistance, Rated Operating Point, Conductive and Convective Temperature-rise, Efficiency, Motor Constant, Copper and Steel losses
Effect of gearing

Learning Outcomes:

Estimation of losses, efficiency and thermal effects

Applications of the Module:

Evaluating how well the motor performs under different conditions of torque and speed

MODULE-4: Motor Control

Description of this Module:

Closed-loop control for optimal control of speed and torque

Concepts Covered :

Magnetic and reluctance torque, impact of phase-advance angle
MTPA, and flux-weakening control schema.
Feedback control Mechanism and Control Loops

Learning Outcomes:

Optimizing motor performance by controlling the phase-advance angle

Applications of the Module:

Fundamentals of Closed-loop control of a motor

MODULE-5: Vehicle Dynamics

Description of this Module:

How does different vehicle parameters and driving conditions influence torque and speed requirement of an EV motor

Concepts covered:

Linear and Rotational Motion, Powertrains, Drive modes, Forces Acting on the vehicle, Velocity vs Time and Distance vs Time, Vehicle Dynamics Calculator

Learning Outcomes:

Estimating the speed, torque and power demands on the motor under different driving conditions

Deriving the specifications of the motor, based vehicle performance requirements

MODULE-6: Motor Design

Description of this Module:

Overview of motor topologies
Motor design and simulation tool

Concepts covered:

Motor design for a popular topology, using a cloud-hosted design and simulation tool

Learning Outcomes:

Design of a motor and its performance analysis

Applications of the Module:

Detailed motor design developed on the basis of vehicle specifications

MODULE-7: Controller Design

Description of this Module:

Hardware and software design to implement closed-loop control of motor

Concepts covered:

PWM, hex-bridge inverter, Controller architecture, current and voltage measurement, hardware and software filters, 6-step control, Field-oriented Control
Firmware implementation – Clark and Park Transforms, Third Harmonic Injection, SVPWM

Learning Outcomes:

Design of a motor and its performance analysis

Applications of the Module:

Identify the components of interest for the development of controllers for a PMSM motor control

MODULE-8: Engineering Considerations

Description of this Module:

How to build a motor that meets user expectations of performance and life

Concepts covered:

Noise and Vibration, Ingress Protection, cogging torque and torque ripple, thermal design guidelines, Wavy washers contact resistance

Learning Outcomes:

Practical considerations and good practices in motor manufacturing

Applications of the Module:

Manufacturing guidelines for high-performance motors

MODULE-9: Contemporary Trends

Description of this Module:

Contemporary challenges and design trends in the EV industry

Concepts covered:

Tech Drivers, constraints of Materials and Manufacturing, Design Trends

Learning Outcomes:

Roadmap for designs that enable strong market differentiation

Applications of the Module:

Visualizing the future evolution of this domain

Testimonials

"This course on motors and controllers was very helpful for me as a motor designer. The structure, delivery, and interactive discussions with the professors added immense value. It will help me guide my teammates and support technical failure analysis more effectively."

Anonymous

"Being from a mechanical background and now working in the electromobility team, I joined this course to build a strong foundation in motor technology. With our company investing over 300 crores in a motor development facility in Pune, this course came at the perfect time. It gave me broad insights into electric motors and controllers. This is just the beginning of my learning journey."

Anonymous

"Im from Indore, currently working in Hyderabad. The course structure is very well designed and I found this course very meaningful and technically enriching. The six-month duration was structured well with regular video lectures, assignments, and discussions with professors. This is my second course from IIT Madras, and both have been extremely satisfying and beneficial."

Anonymous

"Starting from the basics of physics and diving into the methodology of how we handle motors and the background of calculations, these technical aspects helped me to design a motor from scratch."

Anonymous

"Knowing Prof. Kannans background in explaining the motors and controllers and the EV field helped me understand the complete architecture of motors in the EV industry."

Anonymous

"The course built a bridge and filled the gap between theoretical and practical aspects. It also has given a flow to design a motor. The course has covered the basics of building a motor from scratch, and Prof. Kannan has explained the concepts well."

Anonymous

"The course is not just about theoretical aspects. Its about concepts as well as applications. Apart from theory, how you can implement practically and how you will mature your design principles based on market needs."

Anonymous

"It was exceptionally curated based on multiple inputs on motors and other parts of powertronics topics. I highly recommend this program for anybody who would like to understand about motors and so on."

Anonymous

"I got better insights through the professors guidance. The faculty were patient in solving our queries. The course is tailored well and the timings were also perfect for us, working professionals."

Anonymous

"I learnt many things from the course like control strategies, algorithms and mathematical implementations. I have gained in depth knowledge on water technology."

Anonymous

"We had a great learning experience. The professors cleared all our doubts. I really enjoyed the course."

Anonymous

"This course was worth doing and whoever is looking to gain in-depth knowledge in this, can go with this course."

Anonymous

"This course was very useful and interactive."

Anonymous

"This course helped me in understanding the basics of motors."

Anonymous

"This course gave me more insights on the electromagnetic part and I could also apply it to my work."

Anonymous

"This course didnt just help me in understanding the concepts but it also helped me apply the knowledge in my work space."

Anonymous

"The learning experience here was totally different from other platforms."

Anonymous

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Prashansa Uttam

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+91 9403890085[email protected]Mon – Fri, 9am – 5pm IST

Indian Institute of Technology Madras

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https://www.iitm.ac.in
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Motors & Controllers – Cohort 6 | IIT Madras