EET 415: Power Electronics

 

Course Purpose

The purpose of this course is to provide fundamental knowledge of power semiconductor devices and their characteristics, and to develop the ability to analyze and design power conversion circuits including AC–DC, DC–DC, DC–AC, and AC–AC converters. It will equip you with an understanding of switching, triggering, commutation, and thermal management techniques, enabling you to apply power electronic principles effectively in industrial drives, power supplies, and energy systems.


 

 

Course Learning Outcomes

CLO 1: Analyze Power Semiconductor Devices

CLO 2: Design Power Converter Circuits

CLO 3: Apply Commutation and Control Techniques

CLO 4: Assess DC Power Control Systems

 

Course Content

Introduction to Power Electronics


Definition, scope, applications, advantages and limitations of power electronics systems.

Semiconductor Power Devices


Overview of power devices: MOSFET, SCR, Power diodes, IGBT, types, construction and operation characteristics.

  • Power diode
  • Power bipolar junction transistor (BJT)
  • Power MOSFET
  • Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT)

Thyristors


Construction, operation and characteristics of Silicon Controlled Rectifier (SCR), two-transistor analogy of SCR, triggering methods, commutation techniques, and thyristor configurations.

Thyristor Family:

  • DIAC
  • TRIAC
  • GTO
  • MCT
  • UJT

Thermal Considerations


Cooling techniques for power devices and thermal management in power electronic systems.

Power Converters

Rectifiers: Single-phase and three-phase, uncontrolled and controlled rectifiers with performance parameters.

DC-DC Converters (Choppers):

  • Step-down (Buck) converter
  • Step-up (Boost) converter
  • Buck–Boost converter

DC-AC Converters (Inverters):

  • Voltage Source Inverters (VSI)
  • Current Source Inverters (CSI)
  • Single-phase inverters
  • Three-phase inverters

AC-AC Converters: AC voltage controllers, cycloconverters, and frequency converters.

Applications


General applications of power electronic loads including resistive, inductive, and mixed load effects.

Protection and Cooling

  • Overcurrent protection
  • Overvoltage protection
  • Thermal protection
  • Snubber circuits
  • Heat sinks and thermal management