Power electronics is a branch of electrical engineering that deals with the control and conversion of electrical power using electronic devices.
Main applications include power supplies, motor drives, renewable energy systems, electric vehicles, and power conditioning.
A power semiconductor device is a component used to convert and control electric power in power electronic systems. Examples include diodes, transistors, thyristors, and MOSFETs.
A thyristor is a four-layer semiconductor device with three PN junctions that acts as a switch, used primarily in high-power applications. It conducts when a gate pulse is applied and continues to conduct while it is forward biased.
A thyristor conducts in one direction only, while a TRIAC (Triode for Alternating Current) can conduct in both directions, making it suitable for AC applications.
An IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor) combines the high-input impedance of a MOSFET with the low on-state power loss of a BJT, used in medium to high-power applications like inverters and motor drives.
PWM is a technique used to control the output voltage and current by varying the width of the pulses in a pulse train, commonly used in inverters, motor drives, and power supplies.
A buck-boost converter can step up or step down the input voltage to a desired output voltage using a switch, a diode, an inductor, and a capacitor.
A flyback converter is a type of DC-DC converter that uses a transformer to store energy when the switch is on and release it to the output when the switch is off, providing isolation between input and output.
Power factor correction improves the power factor of a system, making it closer to unity. This reduces losses, improves voltage regulation, and lowers electricity costs.