The Role of Power Electronics and Energy Harvesting in the Future of Batteries

Contributed Commentary by Brian Zahnstecher, Sr. Member of the IEEE, and the Principal of PowerRox

October 5, 2017 | In just about any application in the world of electronics, energy storage plays an important factor.  Whether it be a battery that limits charge time or life of portable electronics, a Telecom’s capacity to sustain hold-up in a catastrophic situation, a data center’s ability to reduce the power bill, or a sensor’s ability to capture, analyze and transmit key telemetry data from a very harsh, potentially inaccessible environment.  In just about any market or vertical we have encountered at PowerRox or in previous, professional lives, there is a maniacal focus on increasing the density of energy storage solutions (as well as power electronics density) in electronic gizmos.  Thanks to some very high-profile incidents with lithium-ion batteries, safety is a receiving an ever more scrutinizing eye, but this can still come somewhat at odds with the desire to push energy densities. Read more about The Role of Power Electronics and Energy Harvesting in the Future of Batteries

A New Power-Cycling Strategy for Testing the Reliability of Power Electronics Modules

Dr. John Parry, Mentor Graphics Corp.

The particular power cycling strategy you choose for high-power semiconductor devices, such as power transistors, diodes, MOSFETs, and IGBTs, during reliability tests can have a significant effect on predicted lifetime results even if the tests have similar initial parameters. Also, how you set up the measurements can affect the results of the power cycling tests. Read more about A New Power-Cycling Strategy for Testing the Reliability of Power Electronics Modules

A New Power-Cycling Strategy for Testing the Reliability of Power Electronics Modules

Dr. John Parry, Mentor Graphics Corp.

The particular power cycling strategy you choose for high-power semiconductor devices, such as power transistors, diodes, MOSFETs, and IGBTs, during reliability tests can have a significant effect on predicted lifetime results even if the tests have similar initial parameters. Also, how you set up the measurements can affect the results of the power cycling tests. Read more about A New Power-Cycling Strategy for Testing the Reliability of Power Electronics Modules