Fremont, CA: Power electronics is the field that converts and controls electrical power, transforming industries by increasing energy efficiency, performance, and reliability. As a technology-dependent society, power electronics are emphasized as essential for utilizing electrical devices and renewable energy sources.
Power electronics encourage energy efficiency by converting and controlling electrical energy with little loss. In a renewable energy system, power electronic converters efficiently change the current supplied by the solar panels from direct current to alternating current for homes and businesses. That is, tremendous efficiency in using renewable resources will occur, reducing total energy consumption. Therefore, there will be an even more sustainable future in energy use.
Power electronics can enhance control over electrical systems. Modern techniques implemented in power electronic devices allow for precisely controlled voltage, current, frequency, and electricity. This energy level is significantly conserved in motor drive applications such as variable speed control. This means that the motor's running speed will be according to the needs of the load, which ensures the correct use of energy by industries, less wear and tear on the equipment, and more efficient operations.
Power electronics are essential for integrating renewable resources into the grid by ensuring stability and reliability. Most renewable resources are intermittent or variable; thus, efficiently incorporating them into the grid requires efficient management of their variability and intermittency. Power electronics assist in smoothing the fluctuations to make it usable and stable power, which encourages the use of clean energy while maintaining the grid's stability.
The advantage of power electronics, combined with being less weighty than designing smaller and lighter systems without performance loss, is significant in applications involving high levels of importance overweight issues, such as automobiles and aerospace. It is lightweight, improving fuel economy and performance and enhancing both applications. Miniaturized power electronics have led to more portable and efficient devices, driving progress in electric vehicles, drones, and consumer electronics.
It improves power quality by filtering and conditioning the power supply to eliminate many disturbances like voltage sags, harmonics, and flickers from the power supply. It reduces damage to sensitive equipment, improves overall performance, raises equipment protection, reduces downtime, and enhances productivity by reducing downtimes and providing stable output power.
Aside from these benefits, research on electric mobility is underpinned by power electronics. Moving along the path of electric vehicles requires using power electronic systems for energy management, charging the battery, and applying regenerative braking. Thus, high-efficiency power conversion and control in EVs translate to extended driving range, reduced charging time, and superior overall performances. Electric vehicles have been increasingly adopted, but it will not be long before a great wave of electric automobiles increases the demand for power electronics in transportation.
Advances in power electronics have led the way through innovations in markets such as telecommunications, industrial automation, and consumer electronics. All semiconductor materials, primarily silicon carbide and gallium nitride, enable high switching speeds at high temperatures and push efficiently powered electronics toward more robust, high-efficiency systems for an electrified world.
