What is Power Electronics?
We always feel curious to know how any power electronics works and what principles of science are required to apply to design it in the best way.
Our modern period is quite faster and easier with various electronic and magnetic devices, the combination of these two gives rise to power electronics.
In this article, I will let you study various historical steps taken to develop today's advanced technologies in electromagnetism which act as the base for modern power electronics.
Emergence of electromagnetism
In 1820 Oersted discovered that any current-carrying wire produces a magnetic field around itself. That was the first step in the field of modern Electromagnetism. Now, this principle of science is used to carry out various operations in modern research. He also found that the magnetic flux density i.e magnetic field depends upon current the magnitude of current flowing through the wire. As the magnitude of current in the wire increases the strength of the magnetic field also increases.
They also found that the magnitude of the magnetic field decreases linearly as the distance between the wire and that point increases where the magnetic field is to be determined.
He calculated general formula to calculate magnetic flux density (B) near any current-carrying wire.
After six years that means in 1826 Ampere quantified the relationship between the current and Magnetic field which today plays an important role while measuring magnetic field produced due to current-carrying wires.
After Ampere, Michel faraday in 1831 discovered that changing magnetic field in any closed loop cause flow of current linked by that changing magnetic field.
today these laws act as the building block of modern electronic power circuits. These laws established the relationship between electricity and magnetism and gave rise to electromagnetism.
Maxwell unified all the above laws in form of Maxwell equations which are now used diversly in modern electrical engineering.
Why power Electronics is important
Power electronics is the most important technology for modern energy conversion systems which is performed by Inductors and Transformers.
All the power electronics converters have the primary component as Transformers and inductors, the transformer transfers the power while Inductors for energy storage.
Inductors are similar to those solenoids which you might have studied in your earlier school lectures, but for the best performance of Inductors in power circuits, those hollow solenoids are bound over ferromagnetic materials to increase their Inductance.
Inductors are devices that store energy in form of magnetic fields rather than electric fields like Capacitors. These Inductors are used in the circuit to resist the change in current flowing through the circuit.
whenever electric current in the circuit tends to increase or decrease an EMF is produced in the circuit and always opposes to increase or decrease the constant current.
Power electronics play an important role in our daily life for our requirement of electricity as probably we can not afford to loose the power electronic devices in this 21st Century otherwise our life will be like just ruin.