- This article refers to the technology of power electronics. For the musical genre see Power electronics
Power electronics is the technology associated with the efficient conversion, control and conditioning of electric power by static means from its available input form into the desired electrical output form. Nowadays, the conversion is performed with semiconductor switching devices such as diodes, thyristors and transistors. In contrast to electronic systems concerned with transmission and processing of signals and data, in power electronics substantial amounts of electrical energy are processed. An AC/DC converter (rectifier) is the most typical power electronics device found in many consumer electronic devices, e.g., television sets, personal computers, battery chargers , etc. The power range is typically from tens of watts to several hundred watts. In industry the most common application is the variable speed drive (VSD) that is used to control an induction motor. The power range of VSDs start from a few hundred watts and end at several megawatts.
The power conversion systems can be classified according to the type of the input and output power
- AC to DC (rectification)
- DC to AC (inversion) general case of (Class-D) amplifier
- DC to DC (regulation) a special case of (Class-D) amplifier
- AC to AC (rectification followed by Inversion) special case UPS