Editing Power electronics (section)

{{Short description|Technology of power electronics}}
{{about|the technology of power electronics|the musical genre|power electronics (music)}}

[[File:Baltic Cable Thyristorturm.jpg|thumb|An [[HVDC]] [[thyristor]] valve tower 16.8&nbsp;m tall in a hall at Baltic Cable AB in Sweden]]
[[File:Absaar Batterie Ladegerät.jpg|thumb|A [[battery charger]] is an example of a piece of power electronics.]]

[[File:ATX power supply interior-1000px transparent.png|thumb|A PCs power supply is an example of a piece of power electronics, whether inside or outside of the cabinet.]]

'''Power electronics''' is the application of [[electronics]] to the control and conversion of [[electric power]].

The first high-power electronic devices were made using [[mercury-arc valve]]s. In modern systems, the conversion is performed with [[semiconductor]] switching devices such as [[diode]]s, [[thyristor]]s, and [[power transistor]]s such as the [[power MOSFET]] and [[IGBT]]. In contrast to electronic systems concerned with the transmission and processing of signals and data, substantial amounts of electrical energy are processed in power electronics. An AC/DC converter ([[rectifier]]) is the most typical power electronics device found in many consumer electronic devices, e.g. [[television]] sets, personal [[computer]]s, [[battery charger]]s, etc. The power range is typically from tens of [[watt]]s to several hundred watts. In industry, a common application is the [[Adjustable-speed drive|variable speed drive (VSD)]] that is used to control an [[induction motor]]. The power range of VSDs starts from a few hundred watts and ends at tens of [[megawatt]]s.

The power conversion systems can be classified according to the type of the input and output power:
* AC to DC ([[rectifier]])
* DC to AC ([[power inverter|inverter]])
* DC to DC ([[DC-to-DC converter]])
* AC to AC ([[AC/AC converter|AC-to-AC converter]])