GuruIntroduction
Power electronics are key to ensuring efficient, reliable, and adaptable performance in modern electronic and communication systems. They support everything from everyday gadgets to complex communication networks. This blog explores how power electronics enhance system efficiency and functionality across these applications.
Before explaining the role of power electronic in communication system first we have to understand what is power electronic and why it is important?
What is power electronics?
specialization:
- Electronics
- Power
- Control
Electronics focuses on semiconductor devices and circuits for low-power information processing. In today’s fast-paced world, it has become a vital branch of engineering. In contrast, power engineering handles rotating and static equipment for generating, transmitting, distributing, and using large amounts of electrical power.
- Power electronics deals with the use of electronics for the control and conversion of large amounts of electrical power. The design of power electronics equipment involves interactions between the source and the load and utilizes small-signal electronic control circuits as well as power semiconductor devices.Therefore, power electronics draws as well as depends upon all other areas of electrical engineering.
- Power electronics constitute a vast, complex and interdisciplinary subject that has gone through rapid technological evolution during the last four decades. As the technology is advancing and apparatus cost is decreasing along with the improvement of reliability, their applications are expanding in industrial, commercial,residential, military, aerospace and utility environments.
- Many innovations in power semiconductor devices, converter topologies, analytical and simulation techniques,electrical machine drives, and control and estimation techniques are contributing to this advancement. The frontier of the technology has been further advanced by the artificial intelligence (AI) techniques, such as fuzzy logic and artificial neural networks, thus bringing more challenge to power electronic engineers.In the global industrial automation, energy generation, conservation of the 21st century, the widespread impact of power electronics is inevitable.
History of power electronics development
- Until 1956, engineers used semiconductors mainly in low-power circuits, and people commonly referred to electronic engineering as light current engineering. In September 1956, four engineers from Bell Telephone Laboratories, USA, published a paper titled "PNPN Transistor Switches" in the Proceedings of the Institute of Radio Engineers.
- This paper triggered intensive research on PNPN devices. In 1957,Gordon Hall of General Electric Company, USA, developed the three terminal PNPN silicon-based semiconductor device called as silicon-controlled rectifier (SCR). Continuous modifications and improvement in its design as well as fabrication techniques have made it more and more economical and suitable for various control purposes.
- Later, engineers developed many other power devices with characteristics similar to those of the SCR. In fact, the roots of power electronics go back to the era when mercury arc devices were used to convert AC to DC or DC to AC. However, the rapid growth in the use of power electronics today stems largely from the advancement of solid-state power devices.
The role of Power Electronics in electronic and communication system
1.Power Supplies and Conversion
Power electronics play a crucial role in electronic systems by enabling efficient power supply and conversion. These circuits convert electrical energy to enable the effective use of power, with examples like SMPS transferring energy between AC and DC for stable power sources in devices.
2.Energy Efficiency and Conservation
Power electronics plays a key role in enhancing energy conservation in today's focus on energy efficiency. Inverters and variable speed drives use power electronics to manage and enhance energy usage in various areas, ranging from household items to industrial machines. This results in both decreased energy wastage and prolonged lifespan of electronic devices.
3.Motor Control and Drives
Power electronics is crucial in managing electric motors, which are widespread in electronic and communication systems. Variable frequency drives (VFDs) utilize power electronic parts to control the speed and torque of electric motors, improving the efficiency of systems such as HVAC units, robotics, and automation.
4.Communication Systems and Signal Processing
Power electronics is vital in communication systems, supporting signal processing and transmission through key circuits like amplifiers, filters, and modulators. These components boost signal clarity and reliability. Advances in digital signal processing (DSP) and energy-efficient amplifiers have further enhanced performance across communication platforms.
5.Wireless Power Transfer
As the demand for wireless communication and portable devices grows, power electronics becomes crucial in wireless power transfer technologies. Power electronic systems enable inductive and resonant inductive coupling for wireless device charging, enhancing the convenience and flexibility of modern electronics.
6.Power Management in Mobile Devices
Power management is vital in today's mobile-driven world. Power electronics enable efficient voltage regulation, battery charging, and power distribution, ensuring better performance and longer battery life in smartphones and other portable devices.