Power Electronics belongs to both Power Engineering and Electronics Engineering domains. Power Engineering typically deals with the generation, transmission, distribution, and utilization of electrical energy with higher efficiency. Electronics Engineering, on the other hand, helps in reducing distortion, harmonics, and enables more flexible power transmission.
Power Electronics Background
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The first electronics revolution began in 1948 with the invention of the silicon transistor at Bell Telephone Laboratories by Bardeen, Brattain, and Shockley.
Most of today’s advanced electronic technologies trace back to this invention. Modern microelectronics evolved from these silicon semiconductors.
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The second revolution in electronics started with the commercial introduction of the thyristor by General Electric in 1958, marking the beginning of the power electronics era.
Since then, many semiconductor devices and power conversion techniques have emerged.
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With the ever-growing demand for electrical energy to improve living standards, Power Electronics has become crucial in efficiently using electricity and reducing power consumption.
Semiconductor devices are used as switches for energy conversion, enabling better control and reducing losses across a range of applications — from home appliances to high-voltage transmission.
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Applications in power transmission include HVDC converter stations, Flexible AC Transmission Systems (FACTS), and Static VAR Compensators.
In power distribution, it includes DC-AC conversion, dynamic filters, frequency conversion, and Custom Power Systems.
Applications of Power Electronics
- Aerospace: Space shuttle power supplies, satellite systems, aircraft power systems.
- Commercial: Electric heating, advertisement lighting, fans, pumps, blowers, light dimmers, etc.
- Industrial: Arc furnaces, pumps and compressors, cement and rolling mills, welding systems, etc.
- Telecommunication: Battery chargers, regulated power supplies, etc.
- Transportation: Electric vehicles, traction motors, locomotives, etc.
- Utility Systems: HVAC systems, HVDC systems, static VAR compensators, circuit breakers, etc.
- Residential: Washing machines, vacuum cleaners, electric heaters/coolers, etc.
Advantages of Power Electronics
- High efficiency due to lower power losses.
- High reliability.
- Long operational life.
- Low maintenance requirements.
- Fast dynamic response.
- Compact size and lightweight.
- Cost-effective solutions.
Disadvantages of Power Electronics
- Power electronic converters tend to introduce harmonics in both supply and load.
- AC-AC and DC-DC converters often operate at a low power factor.
- Power electronic controllers generally have limited overload capacity.
- Regeneration of power is difficult in converter-based systems.
Power Electronics System
Different Power Semiconductor Devices
- Diode
- SCR (Silicon Controlled Rectifier)
- GTO (Gate Turn-Off Thyristor)
- BJT (Bipolar Junction Transistor)
- MOSFET (Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor)
- TRIAC (Triode for Alternating Current)
- IGBT (Insulated-Gate Bipolar Transistor)
- IGCT (Integrated Gate-Commutated Thyristor), etc.
