“Architectures, Topologies and Components for High-Frequency, High-Density Power Conversion”

A lecture by David Perreault, Ford Foundation Professor of Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

In this colloquium, we will discuss the following: 

Magnetic components, including inductors and transformers, are often the largest contributors to the size and loss of power converters, and can be a key limiting factor in achieving improved performance. This talk describes emerging approaches in the design of power electronics that seek to address the twin challenges of miniaturization and performance. Improved energy-storage components are one key approach to advancing the performance of power electronic systems. Likewise, architectures and topologies that minimize magnetic energy storage and/or utilize it more flexibly can overcome magnetic component limitations, leading to smaller, higher-performance systems. Designs operating at greatly increased frequencies can also facilitate miniaturization and improved bandwidth and can enable new applications of power electronics. This talk will outline opportunities provided by such approaches and provide examples of their use to achieve higher-performance power electronic systems.