As per a recent survey, around 60% of the power generation across the globe is being processed through some form of power electronic systems. Although the use of power electronics started in the late sixties, the technology attained popularity only after four long decades of evolution. With the advancement in technology and dwindling costs, the impact of power electronics has gradually increased not only in high-efficiency energy systems but also across renewable energy systems and electric/hybrid vehicles.
Why is power electronics so important?
- It has the ability to use any source of power for any application and to do so efficiently.
- It is needed to connect renewable energy sources to conventional power grids because energy sources like solar cells and wind turbines etc do not produce electric power.
- To integrate renewable energy with power systems.
Some of the areas in which electric equipment incorporate power electronics are:
Industrial field- In all the adjustable drivers of various industrial installations, machinery tools, robots, welding machines and many more.
Energetics- In energetics, equipment for classical power plants, wind plants, geothermal, equipment for micro-grids, etc uses power electronics.
Telecommunication- DC power sources, battery charging installations, guided radio antennas use power electronics.
Medicine- In the medical domain, power electronics is widely used in laboratory and surgery robots, computed tomography and in nuclear magnetic resonance and in various other medical equipment.
Owing to the wide range of applications where power electronics (a ‘hidden technology’) is used, extensive research work in the field seems mandatory.
To carry on successful research in this domain, the scholar has to choose an advanced and interesting topic. There are many great topics out there, but it is important to ensure that the chosen topic is feasible and approachable. Check out the latest trending research topics in the power electronics domain here:
- Control of PWM DC-DC and DC-AC converter topologies with the specific focus on UPS
- Solid state transformer and renewable integration applications
- Development of DC-DC converter and Bi-directional directional converter for SPV applications
- Performance Improvement of Two Leg Inverter Fed BLDCM Drive
- Power Supplies Connected with Renewable Energy
- Hybrid Resonant and PWM Converter with High Efficiency and Full Soft-Switching Range
- Ultra Low Latency HIL Platform for Rapid Development of Complex Power Electronics Systems
- IUPQC (Interline Unified Power Quality Conditioner) Project
- RF Based Servo and DC Motor Controller System for Spy Plane Embedded Based Robotics Projects
Of all the decisions you make in your research journey in the power electronics field, none is more important than identifying the right research theme, which then directs your topic selection. Hence, choose the right research topic and get one step closer to your Ph.D. degree.