Web Oriented Power Electronics Learning Aid

A web-based approach to learning about the features of power electronic converters and other important concepts is discussed. The behavior of various types of available converter topologies is not always easy to grasp from a textbook. Practical converters contain non-ideal characteristics, filters, voltage or current limiters, etc. Often, it becomes difficult to see the differences among converters without the aid of computer simulations. The rationale of producing this website is to give students a more intuitive approach whereby they can learn the material by interacting with a computer. All major types of converters are dealt with as well as specific topics such as electromagnetic interference (EMI), heatsink specifications, snubbers, and magnetics. Performance characteristics such as converter efficiency, ripple, and total harmonic distortion (THD) are also discussed.