Recommended prerequisite for participation in the module

The module is based on knowledge achieved when studying the 2nd semester on the Master of Science in Energy Engineering with an electrical specialisation or Master of Science in Sustainable Energy Engineering with specialisation in Offshore Energy Systems or similar.

Content, progress and pedagogy of the module

Learning objectives

Knowledge

• Have a basic knowledge about figure of merit of present and future wide-bandgap semiconductor materials (SiC, GaN, GaO, diamond, etc.)
• Have a solid knowledge about operating principles and founding equations of modern power electronic devices: SCRs, MOSFETs, IGBTs, rectifiers, FR diodes, Schottky diodes, HEMTs, etc.
• Have a solid knowledge about operating range basing on real-life application, like LVDO, POL, power supplies, welding machines, solar inverters, wind turbines, HVDC, etc.
• Have a basic knowledge about power electronic device design principles, constraints and trade-offs
• Have a good understanding of simulation tools, both at device level and circuit level (PSpice, LTSpice, etc.)
• Understanding of the interaction between the external circuit, including driving circuit, and the power electronic device
• Have a good knowledge about abnormal conditions and instabilities
• Have a hands-on experience on real problems related to power electronic devices, as driver selection, heatsink thermal design, losses and efficiency estimation and measurement

Skills

• Be able to recognise and classify traditional and modern power semiconductor devices
• Be able to test and characterize real power devices, both statically and dynamically
• Be able to simulate with good accuracy electrical behaviour of power electronic devices, including power losses and junction temperature estimation
• Be able to select an appropriate power devices for a given real application, e.g. DC/DC or DC/AC converters
• Experience gained from practical tasks will let you be aware of important implementation issues when designing power electronic circuits, e.g. thermal design, safe operating area, etc.

Competences

• Be able to contribute to a professional team in design of power electronic circuits with skills on part number selection, driving design and simulation of traditional and modern power electronic components

Type of instruction

The course is taught by a mixture of lectures, workshops, exercises, mini-projects and self-studies.

Extent and expected workload

Since it is a 5 ECTS course module, the work load is expected to be 150 hours for the student.

Exam

Exams

Name of exam	Modern Power Electronic Devices and their Models
Type of exam	Written and oral exam Oral examination based on a delivered mini-project/test report (individual or made in groups).
ECTS	5
Assessment	7-point grading scale
Type of grading	Internal examination
Criteria of assessment	The criteria of assessment are stated in the Examination Policies and Procedures