Chapter 1 - Introduction

Abstract

This chapter provides an overview of the power electronics industry, including high power and specialized applications. Power conversion electronics can be described as a group of electrical and electronic components arranged to form an electric circuit or group of circuits for the purpose of modifying or controlling electric power from one form to another. For example, power conversion electronics is employed to provide extremely high voltages to picture tubes to display the courses of aircraft approaching an airport. In another example, power conversion electronics is employed to step up low voltage from a battery to the high voltage required by a vacuum fluorescent display to allow paramedics to display a victim's heartbeat on a screen. This also allows paramedics to gain information en route to the hospital, which may save the patient's life. Typical power electronics applications include electronic ballasts, high voltage DC transmission systems, power conditioners, UPS systems, power supplies, motor drives, power factor correction, rectifiers and, more recently, electric vehicles. With computer systems, telecom products and a plethora of electronic consumer appliances, which require many power electronic sub-systems, the power electronics industry has become an important topic in the electronics industry and the information technology area.