The field of power electronics, the application of
electronics for the control and conversion of electric power, is underpinned by
basic electrical principles that were established in the distant past by the
pioneers of electrical science. But today, the need to supply, modify and
control the voltage, current or frequency of electric power arises in a vast
number of applications and products spanning a huge range in terms of power
handling capability.
The industry has generated numerous technological advances
to address the ever-growing spectrum of requirements; in its 30th anniversary
edition, Power Electronics Technology described some of the most important
developments of the past three decades.