Power electronics technology trends and prospects
Power electronics technology trends and prospects
The basic functions of power electronics include the use of electronics to control and transform electric energy in terms of voltage, current, frequency and waveform. The basic functions also include the use of electronic control for conversion to other forms of energy such as electromagnetic energy, actuators and highfrequency induction heating (Fig. 1). We can therefore expect power electronics to play an increasingly important role in the accurate management and control of electric energy at high speed in the age of information. This paper reports on the trends in power electronics and the current state of research and development.