I.

INTRODUCTION TO POWER
ELECTRONICS
A.What is Power Electronics?
Power electronics is the technology associated with efficient
conversion and control of electric power by using power
semiconductor devices.
Power electronics encompasses the use of electronic components,
the application of circuit theory and design techniques, and the
development of analytical tools toward efficient electronic
conversion, control, and conditioning of electric power.
Definition given by IEEE Power Electronics Society.

Electric
Power
Supply(Electri
c Utility or
Electric
Energy
Sources
Electrical Energy
Utilization
System( Consum
ers Load

Power
Electronics
Converters or
system

Fig 1. A General System for Power Electronics System

All Power electronics Circuits manages the flow of electrical

Energy between some sort of Source and the Load. A general
Power conversion is shown in Fig.1. The function of the Power
Converter positioned at the middle is that of controlling energy
flow between a given electrical Source and a given Load.

A.Objectives of Power Electronics

1. Efficient conversion, conditioning, or processing and control of
electric power using solid-state semiconductor devices in order to

supply high quality power to the load causing minimum pollution

of environment and the utility supply circuit.
2.To develop different types of efficient Power electronics
controllers ranging from few watts to several Megawatts keeping
in view the recent trend in Energy conservation and Energy
exploration.
3.Develop Integrated Power Electronics Modules (IPEM) based
power electronics processes using an integrated systems
approach,improve the quality, reliability, and cost-effectiveness of
power electronics systems; and reduce both the time and effort
associated with design cycles for systems application.

Fig 2. Block Diagram of a Power Processor

The complete concept of Power Electronics processor is depicted

by a Block Diagram as shown in fig 2.The input is from the Electric
Utility Source. Depending upon the application, output to the load
may be any of the following :1.

DC
(a)
(b)
2. AC
(a)
(b)

Regulated (Constant) magnitude.

Adjustable Magnitude.
Constant frequency and Adjustable magnitude.
Adjustable frequency and Adjustable magnitude.

The control circuitry may take information from the source, load
and then determines how the switches operate to achieve the
desired conversion.

Fig 3. Example of a Power Processor

As an example, Consider that the Power Processor of fig 3.

Represents the block diagram of an adjustable speed AC motor
drive. It consists of two converters : Converter 1 operating as an
Rectifier that converts line frequency AC into DC and converter 2
operating as an Inverter that DC into adjustable magnitude and
adjustable frequency AC. The flow of power in normal mode of
operation is from utility input source to output motor load. During
Regenerative braking, the power flow reverses direction (from
motor to the utility) in which Converter 1 operates as Inverter and
Converter 2 as rectifier. An energy storage capacitor in the DC link
between the two Converter decouples the operation of two
Converters as instantaneous basis.