Course Catalogue

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This course provides a foundation for engineers from a range of disciplines to manage the integration of power electronic components and sub-systems into their designs.  It describes the basic operation of power electronics with an emphasis on their applications.

This course will be timetabled in blocks, typically one week in four.

Mandatory Entry Requirements

None

Recommended Entry Requirements

None

None

None

75% Written Exam

10% Homework

15% Report

Reassessments are normally available for all courses, except those which contribute to the Honours classification. For non Honours courses, students are offered reassessment in all or any of the components of assessment if the satisfactory (threshold) grade for the overall course is not achieved at the first attempt. This is normally grade D3 for undergraduate students and grade C3 for postgraduate students. Exceptionally it may not be possible to offer reassessment of some coursework items, in which case the mark achieved at the first attempt will be counted towards the final course grade. Any such exceptions for this course are described below.

Due to the nature of the coursework and sequencing of courses, it is not possible to reassess the coursework laboratory.

The aims of this course are to understand the function, design, and characteristics of power electronic components and sub-systems within the wider context of mechanical, mechatronic, aerospace and electrical products and systems.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ outline the function and key characteristics of power electronic devices (such as diodes, silicon controlled rectifiers, diacs, triacs, IGBTs, GTOs and MOSFETs) and snubber networks;

■ design and analyse the performance of circuit configurations used in power electronics including those designed to avoid electromagnetic interference and excessive harmonics such as snubber networks, DC-to-DC and DC-to-AC converters, linear power supplies, and power controllers for DC and AC motors, including AC permanent magnet brushless machines via frequency and voltage control;

■ characterise real buck/boost voltage regulators, and compare with linear regulators;

■ formulate the principles of thermal management and power losses in power converters, and in the packaging and integration of electronic power components and apply these principles in calculations of the thermal performance of systems with multiple sources and sinks of heat;

■ design, construct and characterise a power electronic circuit that meets the design specifications, apply techniques to ensure safety and fault protection of power electronic systems, safely use basic power electronics test equipment, and maintain an adequate laboratory record;

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment. In addition students must submit work for assessment for the course laboratory or a grade of credit withheld will be given.

Students must attend the timetabled laboratory classes.