BEE4103 Power Electronics

The course provides students with the fundamental aspects of the selection, sizing and operation of modern electrical drive systems. This is achieved by consideration of the individual sub-systems including power semiconductors, electronic power converters and associated electric motors, mechanical power transmission, speed and velocity transducers, and controllers.

Course Objectives
The objectives of this course are to enable students to:

• Study the basic concepts of power electronics and the different types of power electronic converters
• Investigate the characteristics and performance of a power converter or electric drive
• Analyse a specific application and produce the drive requirements that will result in the selection of sizing of a suitable drive system.
• Understand power electronic conversion techniques, including the basic converters (DC-DC, AC-DC and DC-AC) and their power switching and control methods.
• Perform design calculations for drive and power converter applications, and understand the approximations used
• Understand the advantages and disadvantages that different motors drives will bring to an application

Learning Outcomes
On successful completion a student will be able to:

• Understand the operation of modern drive systems applied to industrial applications including robotics and advanced machine tools
• Apply your knowledge of the electrical characteristics of power semiconductor devices, to select power semiconductor devices for a range of applications
• Understand the basic topology of converters, inverters and power supplies
• Understand the dynamics of mechanical systems found in industrial applications
• Characterise the operation of motors, drives, sensors and the mechanical power train within the drive system.
• Transfer understanding and theories from one discipline to another, in particular from the mechanical design to the electrical power and control domains