From the computer we are now using to the Internet-of-Things devices that increasingly permeate our everyday reality (see Fig. 1); from variable speed drives (see Fig. 2) to renewable energy systems (see Fig. 3); from automobiles (see [BM11, Ch. 4], [Bad13, Sec. 3.4], [Ras18, Ch. 32]) to aircraft (see [KE01, WB14, SM15]); from particle accelerators (see Fig. 4) to satellites (see Fig. 5), power electronics is everywhere.
Wherever there is a need to electrically power a device or system in a certain way, there is a need for power electronics.
Applications of power electronics are too many to list exhaustively, but most textbooks provide a list — check the bibliography at the end of each lecture!
Below, Table 1 has a list of applications taken from [Ras14, TABLE 1.1].
Table 1: Some applications of power electronics [Ras14, TABLE 1.1].
Those who are not content with Table 1 are encouraged to browse relevant journals, e.g.,
T. Geyer, Model predictive control of high power converters and industrial drives, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119010883.
[KE01]
M. D. Kankam and M. E. Elbuluk, A Survey of Power Electronics Applications in Aerospace Technologies, Technical Memorandum NASA/TM-2001-211298, IECEC2001-AT-32, NASA, November 2001. Available at https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/20020013943.
[KKM13]
P. E. Kakosimos, A. G. Kladas, and S. N. Manias, Fast photovoltaic-system voltage- or current-oriented MPPT employing a predictive digital current-controlled converter, IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics60 no. 12 (2013), 5673–5685. https://doi.org/10.1109/TIE.2012.2233700.
B. Sarlioglu and C. T. Morris, More electric aircraft: Review, challenges, and opportunities for commercial transport aircraft, IEEE Transactions on Transportation
Electrification1 no. 1 (2015), 54–64. https://doi.org/10.1109/TTE.2015.2426499.
[Tex20]
Texas Instruments, Wireless ECG, SpO2, PTT and Heart Rate Monitor Reference Design for Medical and Consumer Wearables, Design Guide: TIDA-01580 Rev. B, October 2020. Available at https://www.ti.com/tool/TIDA-01580.
[WB14]
P. Wheeler and S. Bozhko, The more electric aircraft: Technology and challenges, IEEE Electrification Magazine2 no. 4 (2014), 6–12. https://doi.org/10.1109/MELE.2014.2360720.