An early mantra of our field was “power electronics inside,” a take on a popular tagline from a major electronics company. Power electronics continues to be an infrastructure and internal technology—throughout the grid, integral to our computers and devices, essential in motor drives, embedded in our cars and appliances, actively managing renewable energy systems, and … [Read more...] about From “Power Electronics Inside” to “Human-Centered Power Electronics”
Motor drives
Power Conversion Systems Enabled by SiC BiDFET Device
The BiDirectional Field-Effect Transistor (BiDFET) can enable circuit topologies requiring four-quadrant switches, that were earlier designed using discrete combinations of MOSFETs, IGBTs, GaN HEMTs, and PiN diodes. The monolithic nature of the BiDFET allows lower device count, smaller switch volume, lower inductance, and simpler packaging, and hence more reliable and … [Read more...] about Power Conversion Systems Enabled by SiC BiDFET Device
The BiDFET Device and Its Impact on Converters
The matrix converter topology for direct ac-to-ac conversion offers elimination of the bulky and unreliable d.c. link capacitors used in the popular voltage-source inverter (VSI) with a front-end rectifier. The resulting more compact and higher efficiency implementation is a desirable solution for a wide variety of applications, such as photovoltaic energy generation, motor … [Read more...] about The BiDFET Device and Its Impact on Converters
Wide Bandgap-Based Power Electronics for Aerospace Applications
Aerospace applications are not new but potentially the final frontiers for power electronics research and developments. On the aviation side, because of the need for fuel saving and greenhouse gas reduction, more electric aircraft (MEA), unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, and future hybrid and turbo electric propulsion call … [Read more...] about Wide Bandgap-Based Power Electronics for Aerospace Applications
Practical Realization of GaN’s Capability
The system-level value of wide bandgap power semiconductors of higher efficiency, smaller size and weight, and more sustainable energy usage in our power supplies and motor drives is being demonstrated now. Gallium nitride (GaN) power FETs are replacing silicon (Si) power MOSFETs in applications from 48 V to 800 V. Silicon carbide (SiC) is replacing legacy IGBTs in applications … [Read more...] about Practical Realization of GaN’s Capability
