Power Electronics

Catalog description

Power electronics is an enabling technology for sustainable and energy efficient systems, as all renewable energy sources (including solar and wind) and efficient electrical loads (including LED lighting and electric vehicles) require a power electronic converter to interface them with the electrical grid. Power electronic converters, being inherently non-linear/time-variant circuits, cannot be analyzed using linear time-invariant (LTI) circuit analysis techniques, nor conventional small-signal linearization techniques taught in introductory circuits ( ECE 2100 ) and microelectronics ( ECE 3150 ) courses. This course, which will follow ECE 3150 , will introduce advanced circuit analysis and modeling techniques required to predict the steady-state and dynamic behavior of power electronic converters. The course will also introduce seniors and first-year graduate students to other advanced topics which are required for the analysis and design of power converters, including power semiconductor device modeling, thermal modeling, magnetic component modeling, electromagnetic interference (EMI) filter design, and switching converter control design, at a level appropriate for them. This course will equip ECE students with the theoretical and practical skills needed to innovate in the area of power electronics, and allow them to succeed in graduate school and in the rapidly growing job market for power electronic engineers.Added final project.