Upgrading the power electronic curriculum in undergraduate courses and combining continuing professional development training

摘要

As at today more than 75% of the generated power is processed by power electronic subsystems within products and systems. Traditional power electronic courses for the undergraduate courses are mostly based on the mix of traditional topics such as power semiconductors, DC-DC converters, electromagnetics, motor drives, and other related topics. However with the developments within the 1980-2000 related to integrated circuits, portable products, product intelligence based on exponential growth of software, and the dropping of DC power supply voltages and related scenarios have created many voids in the power electronic curricular to cope up with the technology developments. The paper highlights the recent developments in the semiconductors, associated demands from the power electronic interface and topics, which are less traditional, but valuable in the new IT dominated world and the portable products, battery powered systems, as well as demands from the green electronic designs. Paper will discuss the possibilities of smooth transition from undergraduate courses to continuous professional development (CPD) type training for closely tracking and contributing to the technology.