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.

2 lectures per week

3 laboratories per semester

None

None

90% Written Exam, all questions compulsory

10% Set Exercise: quizzes taken in laboratories

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 limited provision of laboratory space, students cannot be reassessed in practical aspects of the coursework.

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:

■ recognise the opportunities to enhance products by incorporating power electronics;

■ calculate a range of average values of practical periodic signals (not only sine waves) and deduce power consumption in components;

■ design simple circuits using diodes, BJTs, MOSFETs, SCRs and TRIACs to control different types of load;

■ explain the operation of traditional linear power supplies and specify their major components;

■ analyse the operation of basic switch-mode power electronic converters and select applications for which they are appropriate;

■ describe the principles of DC-to-AC conversion by a basic inverter;

■ analyse steady-state power flows and temperatures in practical systems;

■ operate basic test equipment including multimeters, power analysers and oscilloscopes;

■ measure and characterise linear and switched power supplies;

■ maintain an adequate laboratory record at the time the work is carried out.

Students must attend the degree examination and submit at least 75% by weight of the other components of

the course's summative assessment.

Students must complete the timetabled laboratory classes including the record book.