A diode that conducts and blocks electrical current magnetically, rather than through an interface between two semiconductors, has been developed at the University of Missouri. The development comes from a group of physicists led by Deepak K. Singh, associate professor of physics and astronomy at the University of Missouri. The diode is comprised of a […]
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Gallery: Cool tech demos at APEC2018, IEEE’s Applied Power Electronics Conference and Exposition
APEC is considered the premier forum for power electronics developments in the U.S. Recently concluded in San Antonio, Tex., the conference and exposition focused on the practical and applied aspects of the power electronics business. In the pages that follow are a few interesting displays that could be found on the exposition floor. NEXT PAGE: […]
Teardown: Leviton ground fault circuit interrupter
GFCIs detect hazardous current paths to ground and ground-to-neutral faults. A teardown reveals they are relatively simple but have circuit details that can be tricky to figure out. Bathrooms, kitchens, and other rooms with access to water are required to employ ac outlets with ground-fault circuit protection. GFCIs disconnect the output if they sense a […]
Efficient cooling for EV battery packs thanks to CFD
Advanced 1D and 3D computational fluid dynamics simulation techniques can help analyze the thermal properties of battery cooling packs powering electric vehicles. Doug Kolak, Boris Marovic, Steve Streater | Mentor, A Siemens Business The cooling system for an electrical vehicle’s battery pack is slightly less complex than that for a hybrid. It is generally a […]
SiC transistors could run faster, cooler thanks to research effort
New research coming out of the University of Tokyo hints at silicon-carbide MOSFETs that will be more conductive thanks to a better understanding of their carrier mobility. In a paper to be delivered at the upcoming 2017 IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM), T. Iwamatsu, H. Amishiro, H. Watanabe, K. Kita from the Univeristy of […]
UPS series provides up to 2.1 MVA
Mitsubishi Electric’s environmentally friendly uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), announces a significant extension to their already successful 9900 Series UPS in three new sizes: 1.4, 1.75, and 2.1 MVA. Like all other Mitsubishi Electric UPS products, these new units are all three-phase, online double-conversion systems and feature Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) technology for improved performance […]
Secrets of measuring
currents above 50 amps
There is an art to getting accurate readings of high current values. It pays to know a few of the tricks. GEORGES EL BACHA, EVAN SHORMAN, HARRY CHANDRA | ALLEGRO MICROSYSTEMS LLC IT CAN BE CHALLENGING to sense currents exceeding 50 A because the task often involves thermal management, must take place in a limited […]
Ultrasonic vibrations could bring
energy efficient clothes drying
Homes owners who have grappled with the nuisance of vibrating clothes washers and dryers may be surprised to learn that coming generations of appliances could use vibrations as a way to boost energy efficiency. So say researchers at the at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in Tennessee. They have come up with a way to […]
Podcast: Designing with SiC power semiconductors
Not all design parameters for SiC semiconductors can be found on data sheets. Madhu Chinthavali, team lead for Oak Ridge National Lab’s Power Electronics & Electric Machinery Group, describes what to look for and what design engineers need to test for themselves when working with SiC power devices. Madhu’s group recently devised a 30-kW inverter […]
Meet the first winner of our eGaN quiz!
When the entries began coming in for our eGaN quiz, we got a surprise: The first entry we looked at had a perfect score! That entry came from Xiucheng Huang. Huang is currently working toward a Ph.D. degree at Virginia Tech’s Center for Power Electronics Systems. It may come as no surprise that Huang’s main research […]
