Many power electronics systems include complex semiconductor devices that must be well verified before committing to the long and expensive chip fabrication process. A power electronics interface provides the necessary level of control. The many diverse applications for electric power have dramatically different requirements and, even within a single system, different subsystems often need power in different forms.
Power management in these products is quite sophisticated, and literally a matter of life and death for implanted medical devices. All battery-powered consumer products, including smartphones, tablets and laptops, must make the best possible use of their limited energy capacity. Power generation, especially from renewable sources, requires sophisticated control systems to connect safely to the grid. Many industrial systems rely increasingly on electronics and power control. Electrification of the aerospace industry is accelerating, and observers expect hybrid and electric aircraft to make an impact over the next decade or two.
All-electric and hybrid vehicles are now common on our streets. By Alan Courtay and Gobi Kengara Palayam AppavooĮvery day, power electronics systems play a bigger role in our lives.