Columns/Departments

Silicon Alternatives to the Ubiquitous MLCC

October 14, 2022 by Mukund Krishna

A longside resistors and inductors, capacitors are one of the fundamental electronic components. In fact, an argument could be made that they are more versatile than their other passive counterparts, essential to providing everything from energy storage and filtering to smoothing and RF tuning. About one trillion capacitors are produced every year, with around 80% of that … [Read more...] about Silicon Alternatives to the Ubiquitous MLCC

Getting Involved With IEEE Power Electronics Society: Successful APEC Event for WIE, YP, and You!

October 14, 2022 by Stephanie Watts Butler

An insurmountable wall of acronyms glued together with complex organizational dynamics can present a complicated scenario for those wanting to become more involved with the IEEE Power Electronics Society (PELS). This wall can feel even more unsurmountable to those new to engaging with the IEEE, especially students, recent graduates, or diverse members. Industry members may … [Read more...] about Getting Involved With IEEE Power Electronics Society: Successful APEC Event for WIE, YP, and You!

Accelerating the Transition to Vehicle Electrification

October 14, 2022 by Renee Yawger

Globally, governments are mandating a switch from internal combustion engine (ICE) technology to electric-drive vehicles in 100s of millions of vehicles to combat climate change. For example, on 29 June 2022, the European Union (EU) agreed to a framework to eliminate carbon emissions from new cars and vans by 2035, effectively removing the ICE option for large-scale auto … [Read more...] about Accelerating the Transition to Vehicle Electrification

IEEE PELS: 35 Years of Growth and Excellence

October 14, 2022 by Liuchen Chang

The IEEE Power Electronics Society (PELS) celebrates the 35th anniversary in 2022 for its establishment as a full IEEE society by the visionary pioneers of the power electronics community. Many PELS Chapters and Student Branch Chapters around the world have organized virtual or in-person events to celebrate the PELS Day throughout June this year. You may have seen the … [Read more...] about IEEE PELS: 35 Years of Growth and Excellence

A technology revolution is unfolding around us as every major mode of transportation is in some stage of electrification, whether on land, sea, or in the air. All of these transportation modes depend on electric machines that play critical roles in both propulsion systems as well as in a wide variety of accessory equipment. Fuel economy and reduced emissions of greenhouse gases and other pollutants are major driving forces for electrified transportation. Despite the significant differences between these varied transportation modes, they all share strong motivations to make their electric machines and adjustable-speed drives smaller, lighter, and more efficient. An excellent example of this trend for the power electronic drives is provided by comparing the drive units in the Tesla S (2012) and Tesla 3 (2017). As shown in the side-by-side views provided in Figure 1, the drive unit shrank in size from an enclosure that matched the size of its main traction motor to a much smaller unit that, at first sight, appears to be a non-descript end-bell attached to one end of the motor. Rather than focusing here on how this impressive reduction in mass and volume was achieved (addressed later in this article), the key point here is that similar technology trends are under way in many of the other transportation modes as well, making electrified transportation increasingly appealing and competitive in the process.