Elements of Power Electronics and Its Roles as the Key Technology

전력전자의 요소기술 과 요소기술로서의 전력전자

During the last three decades power electronics has gone through energetic technical evolution. The technical needs from wide area such as in industrial, commercial, consumer, aerospace and environmental applications have driven the environment favorably for the power electronics. In the future, two extreme technology-expansion trends are expected: one into low power, and the other into very high power. The former is based on the high frequency and the circuit miniature using VLSI circuit and surface mounting aiming for the system-on-chip (SOC) technology. The latter includes the application areas of power utility such as HVDC, FACTS and SVC and large science area of electrophsycal apparatus such as thermonuclear fusion, acclerators, and electric guns. This paper describes the technology status of some major elements which are available today and the key roles of the power electronics from view points of applications. The author would like to take this opportunity to raise discussions about the future technology development trend of power electronics in our country with the fellow power electronics engineers.