ations that span the whole field of electrical power systems, with the power range of these applications extending from a few VA/Watts to several MVA / MW. The main task of power electronics is to control and convert electrical power from one form to another. The four main forms of conversion are: •Rectification referring to conversion of ac voltage to dc voltage, •DC-to-AC conversion, •DC-to DC conversion and •AC-to-AC conversion. •"Electronic power converter" is the term that is used to refer to a power electronic circuit that converts voltage and current from one form to another. In addition, SCRs and other power semiconductor devices are used as static switches.Importance and Uses of Power Electronics Power electronics is everywhere you look. For example, power electronics is used in•computers •automobiles •telecommunications •space systems and satellites •motors •lighting •Alternative energy (like solar and wind). Computer Power Supply Design All modern computers rely on switch-mode power converters for their dc supply needs. These power electronic supplies range from battery management converters for laptops to multiple redundant converters for advanced server clusters. Only with power electronics is it feasible to build small power supplies with the many separate outputs and voltages needed for a computer, its peripherals, and its display.Many of today's advances involve distributed power methods. A distributed-architecture power supply for a computer system consists of an off-line active power factor correction (PFC) circuit followed by a dc-dc converter and multiple point-of-load dc-dc converters. Such a arrangement differs from the conventional bulk power converter architecture since it includes an extra power conversion stage, and because it uses an intermediate dc level for distribution. In the near future, we can expect computer designers...
