A partially shaded environment on a photovoltaic (PV) panel refers to a situation where the irradiance on the PV panel is reduced due to factors such as passing clouds or a falling shadow on the PV panel. This reduces PV output power and creates complexity in the maximum power point tracking (MPPT) algorithm. This FAQ […]
Featured
Developing power architecture to support autonomous transportation
New and innovative vehicles are being developed to support more autonomous activity in transport for warehousing, logistics, agriculture, and distribution. The power requirements for these applications have triggered the development of new solutions from semiconductor manufacturers. Electrification in the automotive industry continues to generate headlines as consumers want to learn more about the features and […]
How can power converters be designed to minimize EMI?
Switch-mode power converters are highly efficient and cost-effective devices. However, they must be carefully designed and integrated into systems to avoid electromagnetic interference (EMI) problems. This article reviews some EMI sources in power converters and examines a few design considerations for DC-DC converters and DC-AC inverters in power conversion, renewable energy, and motor drive applications. […]
What makes SiC tick?
Silicon carbide is a notoriously hard and complex material. Wafer production for fabricating SiC power semiconductors leverages intensive engineering of manufacturing processes, specifications, and equipment to achieve commercial quality and cost-effectiveness. Necessity and invention Wide-bandgap semiconductors are changing the game in power electronics, enabling system-level efficiency to move beyond the practical limits of silicon devices […]
What are the different single-phase transformerless PV inverter configurations?
A transformerless PV inverter has no galvanic isolation between the input and the output, leading to current leakage problems. Parasitic capacitance plays a crucial role in the circulation of leakage current. Several types of transformerless PV inverter configurations can address this issue. This FAQ discusses why parasitic capacitance matters and the four commonly used configurations […]
Edison’s revenge? High-power DC gets another chance
DC-based power transmission lost out to AC, but DC is making a comeback. Many things we now use as basic knowledge were not fully understood in the early days of electricity and power in the late 1800s/early 1900s. Still, one thing was grasped: ohmic losses (often called IR or resistive losses) in power-transmission lines were […]
Mitigate reverse recovery overshoot in MOSFET body diodes
Because of their compact size, higher efficiency, and superior performance in high-power applications, SiC MOSFETs are now replacing Si devices in switching applications. SiC devices enable faster switching times, significantly reducing switching losses. These advantages stem from the unique electrical and material properties of SiC-based devices — snappy reverse recovery inherent to the structure of […]
Design World presents the 2024 LEAP Awards Winners: Power Electronics
In its seventh year, Design World’s LEAP Awards showcase the best engineering innovations across several design categories. This wouldn’t be possible without the commitment and support of the engineering community. The editorial team assembles OEM design engineers and academics each year to create an independent judging panel. Below is their selection for this year’s LEAP […]
How does the shape of the coil affect wireless power transfer?
Coil shapes have played a profound role in the performance of wireless power transfer, especially with the coupling coefficient, output power, and energy transmission. We will examine how square, circular, and pentagonal coils have fared against each other. While there are many more shapes, these three form the basis of other shapes and, therefore, require […]
Bipolar junction transistors show their muscle
Recent enhancements to the classic BJT show that the classic transistor has plenty of life left and can challenge SiC and GaN devices in some power applications. Amidst the advances in CMOS and wide bandgap semiconductor technology, you can easily forget that the first transistor invented by William Shockley in 1949 was a bipolar junction […]
