Power Electronics, A First Course, 2nd Edition

1 POWER ELECTRONICS: AN ENABLING TECHNOLOGY

Power electronic systems are essential for energy sustainability, which can be defined as meeting our present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. Using renewable energy for generating electricity and increasing the efficiency of transmitting and consuming it are the twin pillars of sustainability. Some of the applications of power electronics in doing so are as mentioned below:

• Harnessing renewable energy such as wind energy and solar energy using photovoltaics .
• Storage of electricity in batteries and flywheels to offset the variability in the electricity generated by renewables.
• Increasing the efficiency of transmitting electricity.
• Increasing efficiency in consuming the electricity in motor-driven systems and lighting, for example.

This introductory chapter highlights all the points mentioned above, which are discussed in further detail in the context of describing the fundamentals of power electronics in the subsequent chapters.

1.1 INTRODUCTION TO POWER ELECTRONICS

Power electronics is an enabling technology, providing the needed interface between an electrical source and an electrical load, as depicted in Figure 1.1 [1]. The electrical source and the electrical load can, and often do, differ in frequency, voltage amplitudes, and the number of phases. The power electronics interface facilitates the transfer of power from the source to the load by converting voltages and currents ...