PowerGuru – Power Electronics Information Portal

      In light industries and consumer applications like air condition, inverters optimized for specific applications are necessary. 3 phase motors have to be smaller, more efficient and high reliable compared to the conventional AC motors. In order to achieve these requirements a trade-off between costs and the mentioned improved performances need to be [...]

      100 years in power electronics – Part 2 2013 marks the centenary of ABB’s involvement in power electronics. Power electronics have become ever-present in a vast range of applications ranging from large high-voltage direct current (HVDC) installations - transmitting gigawatts over thousands of kilometers - to everyday household devices. The development of [...]

      Reducing power dissipation by more than 80% of a Schottky diode enables smaller junction boxes and the use of electronics inside the new generation of highly efficient solar panels. By Chris Goeltner, Texas Instruments ti_cgoeltner@list.ti.com Abstract Increasing efficiency of photovoltaic (PV) panels is the most effective effort to achieve cost reduction when [...]

      First generation optical isolation amplifiers have an input range of ±200 mV. This is ideal for current sensing, but input dynamic range should be wider for high-voltage sensing applications. The new ACPL-C87x input voltage range of 2 V is 10 times wider than previous generation isolation amplifiers. With a 1 GΩ input [...]

      The trend to higher switching speeds in order to increase the power density of power electronics is leading to increased demand for high bandwidth current sensors. At the same time there is growing demand for current sensors with low power losses and high insulation strength to satisfy the needs for high efficiency [...]

      Great, but be careful of what you wished for... The data sheet specifications of the new GaN transistors cannot tell you all you need to know about these exceptional devices. This note will not enable you to walk on water – but you will know where a few of the stepping stones [...]

      From development and engineering departments in leading power electronics companies to major research and teaching institutions ultra-high fidelity Hardware-in-the-Loop technology is revolutionizing the way power electronics control is designed, optimized and tested. By Prof. Kaushik Rajashekara and Prof. Bilal Akin, UT Dallas; Chris Clearman, Texas Instruments Inc., and Marko Vekic, Typhoon HIL [...]

      Plastic-encapsulated component packages with the TO and D-PAK designations are often used as transistors that regulate voltage in power modules. TOs are used in through-hole mounting, while D-PAKs are used in surface mounting. Often the packages have 3 external leads, although some types have as many as 15. By Tom Adams, consultant, [...]