Power semiconductor switches for high voltage and current.
Thyristors (SCR) latch on after a gate pulse and turn off at current zero: for AC phase control and HVDC. IGBTs combine MOSFET gate drive with BJT conduction for 600 V–6.5 kV switching. SiC MOSFETs switch faster with lower losses.
A light dimmer uses a TRIAC to chop part of each half cycle.
Thyristors and IGBTs switch large power levels, so their characteristics decide the design of drives, converters and grid equipment.
Power semiconductor switches for high voltage and current.
Thyristors and IGBTs switch large power levels, so their characteristics decide the design of drives, converters and grid equipment.
A thyristor latches on and turns off only at a zero crossing of current in AC circuits. An IGBT can be turned on and off at will with a gate signal.
It combines the simple voltage-controlled gate of a MOSFET with the low conduction loss of a bipolar device at high voltage.
Typical applications include choosing an IGBT for a 600 V motor drive, using a thyristor in a controlled rectifier for a DC drive and selecting a switch for a high-voltage converter in a rail system.
Study "Inverters" first (topic 90 of 106 in Electrical Engineering). It covers the groundwork this topic builds on.
Gate drivers. Safe operating area. Snubbers.
A light dimmer uses a TRIAC to chop part of each half cycle.
The next topic is "Electromagnetic waves", which builds directly on this one.
It is classed as Advanced in Electrical Engineering (topic 91 of 106). It is an advanced topic. It assumes you are comfortable with the intermediate topics in Electrical Engineering.
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