Power Electronics
Converting and controlling electric power efficiently with semiconductor switches — rectifiers, DC–DC converters and inverters.
Power electronics uses switches (diodes, thyristors, MOSFETs, IGBTs, SiC and GaN devices) operated fully on or fully off, so very little power is lost. It is the technology inside phone chargers, LED drivers, VFDs, solar inverters, EV chargers and HVDC.
Sub-topics (6)
Power Semiconductor Devices
Diodes, thyristors, power MOSFETs, IGBTs and wide-bandgap SiC and GaN devices compared.
Controlled Rectifiers
Thyristor rectifiers produce adjustable DC from AC by delaying the firing angle.
DC-DC Converters
Buck, boost, buck-boost, flyback and forward converters — their conversion ratios and uses.
Inverters
Convert DC into AC — square-wave, modified sine and PWM sine inverters for UPS, solar and motor drives.
AC Voltage Controllers
TRIAC or anti-parallel thyristors chop the AC waveform to control power — dimmers, fan regulators and soft starters.
Harmonics and Power Quality
Non-linear loads distort current waveforms; harmonics overheat equipment and interfere with other loads.
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