Power Electronics

Recommended Prerequisites

Electrical Circuits.

Teaching Methods

Theoretical classes, using audiovisual aids, with detailed presentation of the concepts, principles and fundamental theories. Lectures for solving practical exercises that allow the consolidation of concepts that require a combination of different theoretical principles and promote critical thinking about the operation of different energy converters.

Laboratory classes with implementation of experimental works based on hardware modules, including treatment and interpretation of results. Accomplishment of a small hardware or software project with report delivery is also required.

Learning Outcomes

The aim of this course is to give students some skills about the action of power electronic converters on the energy flow control between different types of sources (ac and dc) and different types of electric charges (R, RL, RC, electrical machines (ac and dc).

At the end of this course, students should be able to distinguish between natural switching converters and forced switching converters, based on the analysis of the waveforms of voltage and current, observed at the input side or output side.

For a given application, students should be able to select the most appropriate power converter and select the most appropriate semiconductors.

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

 1. Power Electronics Introduction

Applications of Power Electronics

Classification of Power Electronic Converters

2. Main characteristics of power electronic switches

Static characteristics

Losses associated to power electronic converters

Gate signal characteristics

3. Single-phase and three-phase rectifier: no-controlled, natural and forced commutations.

Applications and selection of semiconductors

Half-bridge and full-bridge configurations

4. DC-DC converters: Buck, Boost, Buck-Boost and Cuk

Output voltage control

5. Introduction to resonant converters and switched power supplies

Advantages of this type of converters

Power supplies with isolation and multiple outputs

6. Single-phase and three-phase inverters

Applications and types of inverters

Control techniques

7. AC-AC Converters without dc-link bus: Single-phase and three-phase configurations  

Head Lecturer(s)

André Manuel dos Santos Mendes

Assessment Methods

Assessment 1
Project: 20.0%
Other: 20.0%
Exam: 60.0%

Assessment 2
Other: 20.0%
Project: 20.0%
Frequency: 60.0%

Bibliography

1. “Introduction to modern power electronics”, Andrzej M. Trzynadlowski, JohnWiley & Sons, Third edition, 2016.

2. “Power electronics : converters, applications, and design”, Ned Mohan,

Tore M. Undeland, William P. Robbins, John Wiley & Sons, Third edition, 2003.