Introduction to Power Electronics

Understand the fundamental principles of power electronics.

Definition and scope of power electronics, energy conversion processes and efficiency considerations, basics of electrical power and electronic control.

Identify and describe the main components used in power electronics.

Semiconductor devices: diodes, thyristors, transistors (BJT, MOSFET, IGBT), passive components: resistors, capacitors, inductors, magnetic components: transformers and inductors, control components: sensors, microcontrollers, and DSPs.

Learn the basic operation and applications of power electronic circuits.

Rectification: AC to DC conversion, types of rectifiers (half-wave, full-wave, bridge), inversion: DC to AC conversion, types of inverters (square wave, sine wave, PWM), conversion topologies: buck, boost, buck-boost converters, common applications: power supplies, motor drives, renewable energy systems.

Understand the principles of power conversion and control.

Concepts of switching and linear power conversion, pulse width modulation (PWM) and its role in controlling power converters, feedback and control mechanisms in power electronic systems, thermal management and efficiency optimisation.

Explore the various types of power converters and their applications.

DC-DC converters: step-up (boost), step-down (buck), and combined (buck-boost), AC-DC converters: controlled and uncontrolled rectifiers, DC-AC converters: inverters for various applications (grid-tied, off-grid, UPS), AC-AC converters: cycloconverters, matrix converters, practical applications: consumer electronics, industrial automation, electric vehicles, renewable energy integration.