Power Electronics Design and Applications Training Course

Course Introduction

Power electronics is a critical engineering discipline that enables efficient conversion, regulation, control, and distribution of electrical energy across industrial, commercial, transportation, renewable energy, and consumer applications. Modern power electronic systems combine semiconductor switching devices, advanced control techniques, magnetic components, energy storage, thermal management, and digital intelligence to achieve high efficiency and precise power control. This Power Electronics Design and Applications Training Course provides comprehensive knowledge and practical competencies for designing, analyzing, selecting, testing, troubleshooting, and optimizing modern power electronic systems.

Rapid advances in semiconductor technology have introduced increasingly efficient devices such as power MOSFETs, insulated-gate bipolar transistors, silicon carbide devices, and gallium nitride technologies capable of supporting higher switching frequencies, temperatures, voltages, and power densities. Participants will examine device characteristics, switching behavior, gate-drive requirements, losses, protection methods, and selection criteria while developing the engineering judgment required to match semiconductor technologies with specific power conversion applications.

The course provides detailed coverage of fundamental power conversion architectures, including AC-to-DC rectifiers, DC-to-DC converters, DC-to-AC inverters, AC voltage controllers, resonant converters, switched-mode power supplies, and bidirectional power conversion systems. Participants will explore circuit topologies, modulation techniques, feedback control, magnetic component selection, filtering, efficiency calculations, harmonic performance, switching losses, electromagnetic interference, and system-level design considerations required for reliable converter development.

A strong practical focus is placed on power electronic applications across renewable energy, electric vehicles, battery energy storage systems, uninterruptible power supplies, motor drives, industrial automation, data centers, smart grids, and distributed energy resources. Participants will investigate how converter architectures interact with batteries, photovoltaic arrays, electric machines, utility networks, charging infrastructure, and digital controllers while considering reliability, efficiency, maintainability, power quality, and operational safety.

The course also addresses emerging developments transforming power electronics, including wide-bandgap semiconductor devices, high-frequency converters, solid-state transformers, vehicle-to-grid technologies, wireless power transfer, artificial intelligence-assisted control, digital twins, advanced thermal packaging, modular multilevel converters, grid-forming inverters, and intelligent condition monitoring. Particular attention is given to the opportunities and engineering challenges associated with higher power densities, faster switching frequencies, cybersecurity, interoperability, and increasingly software-defined power conversion platforms.

Through engineering calculations, design exercises, simulations, troubleshooting scenarios, practical demonstrations, and application-focused case studies, participants will strengthen their ability to evaluate and improve power electronic systems. By completion, they will be prepared to make informed decisions concerning converter topology, semiconductor selection, control strategies, thermal design, protection, power quality, electromagnetic compatibility, testing, reliability, and lifecycle optimization across demanding power electronic applications.

Duration

5 days

Who Should Attend

• Power Electronics Engineers

• Electrical Design Engineers

• Electronics Engineers

• Power Systems Engineers

• Industrial Automation Engineers

• Electrical Maintenance Engineers

• Renewable Energy Engineers

• Electric Vehicle Systems Engineers

• Motor Drive and Control Engineers

• Embedded Control Engineers

• Research and Development Engineers

• Test and Commissioning Engineers

• Energy Storage System Engineers

• Electrical Project Engineers

• Technical Consultants

• Product Development Engineers

• Engineering Supervisors

• Electrical Technicians

• Engineering Graduates

• Technical Managers responsible for electrical and electronic systems

Course Objectives

• Develop comprehensive knowledge of power electronic principles, semiconductor switching devices, converter topologies, control strategies, and practical design methodologies for modern electrical applications.

• Analyze the operating characteristics of diodes, MOSFETs, IGBTs, silicon carbide, and gallium nitride devices to select suitable technologies for voltage, current, frequency, and thermal requirements.

• Design and evaluate AC-to-DC, DC-to-DC, DC-to-AC, and AC-to-AC power conversion circuits while considering efficiency, switching losses, harmonics, reliability, and load characteristics.

• Apply pulse-width modulation, feedback control, digital control, and switching strategies to achieve stable voltage, current, frequency, and power regulation across converter applications.

• Evaluate magnetic components, capacitors, filters, gate drivers, cooling arrangements, and protection circuits to create reliable and efficient integrated power electronic designs.

• Perform power loss, efficiency, thermal, harmonic, and electrical stress calculations to identify design limitations and improve the operating performance of power conversion equipment.

• Design power electronic solutions for renewable energy, battery storage, electric vehicles, motor drives, UPS systems, industrial automation, and distributed energy applications.

• Apply structured testing and troubleshooting methodologies to identify semiconductor failures, control problems, thermal faults, switching abnormalities, and power quality issues.

• Evaluate emerging technologies including wide-bandgap semiconductors, grid-forming inverters, solid-state transformers, AI-enabled controls, digital twins, and bidirectional power conversion.

• Strengthen practical engineering capability through converter design exercises, simulations, system evaluations, fault investigations, optimization activities, and real-world application case studies.

Comprehensive Course Outline

Module 1: Fundamentals of Power Electronics and Energy Conversion

• Understanding power electronics principles, energy conversion functions, circuit architectures, and major industrial application requirements.

• Examining voltage, current, power, frequency, efficiency, switching behavior, and waveform characteristics in electronic conversion systems.

• Comparing linear and switched power conversion approaches based on efficiency, controllability, reliability, cost, and application requirements.

• Reviewing modern power electronics applications across industrial automation, transportation, renewable energy, utilities, and consumer systems.

Module 2: Power Semiconductor Devices and Gate Driving

• Evaluating power diodes, thyristors, MOSFETs, and IGBTs according to switching characteristics, electrical ratings, losses, and applications.

• Understanding silicon carbide and gallium nitride wide-bandgap devices for high-frequency, high-temperature, and high-efficiency conversion.

• Designing gate-drive circuits with appropriate isolation, switching speed, dead time, protection, and electromagnetic compatibility considerations.

• Analyzing semiconductor conduction and switching losses to improve converter efficiency, thermal performance, and long-term device reliability.

Module 3: AC-to-DC Rectifiers and Power Conversion

• Designing single-phase and three-phase uncontrolled and controlled rectifier circuits for industrial power conversion applications.

• Analyzing rectifier output voltage, ripple characteristics, harmonic distortion, power factor, and semiconductor electrical stresses.

• Applying filtering and power factor correction techniques to improve DC output quality and reduce undesirable grid-side disturbances.

• Evaluating active front-end rectifiers and bidirectional AC-to-DC converters for regenerative and energy-efficient applications.

Module 4: DC-to-DC Converter Design and Optimization

• Designing buck, boost, buck-boost, isolated, and advanced DC converter topologies for regulated power supply applications.

• Selecting switching frequencies, inductors, transformers, capacitors, and semiconductor devices using systematic engineering calculations.

• Applying feedback and pulse-width modulation techniques to maintain converter stability under varying input and load conditions.

• Evaluating soft-switching and resonant converter techniques for reducing switching losses and increasing achievable power density.

Module 5: DC-to-AC Inverters and Modulation Techniques

• Understanding single-phase and three-phase inverter architectures for motor drives, renewable energy, UPS, and industrial applications.

• Applying sinusoidal pulse-width modulation and space-vector modulation to achieve efficient and precise inverter output control.

• Evaluating harmonic distortion, common-mode voltage, switching losses, filtering requirements, and output waveform performance.

• Designing bidirectional inverter architectures supporting battery storage, regenerative drives, microgrids, and vehicle-to-grid applications.

Module 6: Thermal Management, Protection, and Reliability

• Calculating semiconductor junction temperatures, thermal resistance, heat dissipation, and cooling requirements under operating conditions.

• Designing heat sinks, forced-air cooling, liquid cooling, and advanced thermal management solutions for high-density converters.

• Implementing overcurrent, overvoltage, short-circuit, overtemperature, and transient protection for power electronic equipment.

• Applying reliability engineering, condition monitoring, derating, and predictive maintenance principles to extend converter service life.

Module 7: Power Quality, EMI, EMC, and Harmonic Management

• Identifying harmonic distortion, switching noise, electromagnetic interference, and power quality problems created by electronic converters.

• Designing input and output filtering arrangements to reduce conducted emissions, harmonics, ripple, and switching disturbances.

• Applying grounding, shielding, PCB layout, cable routing, and component placement principles to improve electromagnetic compatibility.

• Evaluating compliance testing considerations and practical mitigation strategies for reliable operation in electrically sensitive environments.

Module 8: Renewable Energy, Storage, and Electric Mobility Applications

• Designing power conversion interfaces for photovoltaic generation, wind energy, battery storage, and distributed energy resources.

• Understanding maximum power point tracking and converter control techniques for efficient renewable energy harvesting applications.

• Evaluating onboard chargers, DC fast charging, traction inverters, regenerative braking, and bidirectional electric vehicle power flows.

• Integrating battery management, energy storage converters, and grid interfaces to support resilient and flexible energy systems.

Module 9: Emerging Power Electronics Technologies and Issues

• Evaluating grid-forming and grid-following inverter technologies for renewable-rich networks, microgrids, and resilient power systems.

• Exploring solid-state transformers, modular multilevel converters, wireless power transfer, and advanced high-frequency conversion architectures.

• Applying artificial intelligence, digital twins, advanced sensing, and predictive analytics to converter control and asset management.

• Addressing cybersecurity, interoperability, supply-chain constraints, sustainability, and lifecycle challenges affecting intelligent converters.

Module 10: Testing, Troubleshooting, and Practical Design Applications

• Performing structured converter testing using oscilloscopes, power analyzers, thermal instruments, and electrical measurement equipment.

• Diagnosing semiconductor, gate-drive, control-loop, thermal, magnetic, filtering, and protection faults using systematic troubleshooting.

• Conducting converter efficiency, power quality, thermal, and transient performance assessments against specified design requirements.

• Completing practical design and case-study exercises covering industrial drives, renewable energy, storage, UPS, and EV applications.

Training Approach

This course will be delivered by our skilled trainers who have vast knowledge and experience as expert professionals in the fields. The course is taught in English and through a mix of theory, practical activities, group discussion and case studies. Course manuals and additional training materials will be provided to the participants upon completion of the training.

Tailor-Made Course

This course can also be tailor-made to meet organization requirement. For further inquiries, please contact us on: Email: training@upskilldevelopment.com Tel: +254 721 331 808

Training Venue 

The training will be held at our Upskill Training Centre. We also offer training for a group (at a discount of 10% to 50%) at requested location all over the world. The Onsite course fee covers the course tuition, training materials, two break refreshments, buffet lunch, airport transfers, Upskill gift package, and guided tour.

Visa application, travel expenses, dinners, accommodation, insurance, and other personal expenses are catered by the participant

Certification

Participants will be issued with Upskill certificate upon completion of this course.

Airport Pickup and Accommodation

Airport pickup and accommodation is arranged upon request. For booking contact our Training Coordinator through Email: training@upskilldevelopment.com, +254 721 331 808

Terms of Payment:

Unless otherwise agreed between the two parties’ payment of the course fee should be done 3 working days before commencement of the training so as to enable us to prepare better.