Campus Courses
EE 113/213A – Power Electronics
This course covers how electric power is converted between different forms. By the end of the course, students will understand the operation of solar inverters (dc-dc and dc-ac), laptop or electric vehicle chargers (ac-dc), and modern drive systems for an electric car (dc-dc, dc-ac). Moreover, students will learn how to design a transformer and inductor – from first principles – and will know how to analyze a number of power converter topologies. Finally, practical considerations are explored, such as choice of semiconductor technology (Si, SiC, GaN, etc.), gate driving, and parasitic inductance in circuits.
EE 137A – Introduction to Electric Power Systems
Overview of conventional electric power conversion and delivery, emphasizing a systemic understanding of the electric grid with primary focus at the transmission level, aimed toward recognizing needs and opportunities for technological innovation. Topics include aspects of a.c. system design, electric generators, components of transmission and distribution systems, power flow analysis, system planning and operation, performance measures, and limitations.
EE 137B – Introduction to Electric Power Systems
Overview of recent and potential future evolution of electric power systems with focus on new and emerging technologies for power conversion and delivery, primarily at the distribution level. Topics include power electronics applications, solar and wind generation, distribution system design and operation, electric energy storage, information management and communications, demand response, and microgrids.
EE 290 – Advanced Power Electronics
This course covers advanced topics and design techniques in power electronics, including small signal modeling, state-space analysis, current-mode control, inductor/transformer design, switched-capacitor power converters, multi-level converters, hybrid switched-capacitor converter, and high frequency design considerations. Numerous application examples and practical power electronics concerns will be examined, such CMOS power management, advanced ac/dc and dc/ac converters, EMI/EMC, and low-voltage power delivery challenges.
Upcoming Courses
EE 108 – Introduction to Electric Power and Renewable Energy
This course is designed to provide an introduction to electric power conversion, distribution, and generation with renewable energy sources. A focus of the class is to develop the technical skills to understand the practical challenges and opportunities associated with a transition from legacy power generation plants to distributed energy resources. The course will introduce fundamental concepts in the area of electric power, such as complex and reactive power, phasors, impedance, magnetic circuits and transformers, power factor, power quality, three-phase power, ac-dc conversion, and a conceptual overview of renewable energy and the integration of sustainable energy sources on the electric grid. Real world applications, ranging from ground-fault circuit interrupters to residential power distribution and solar photovoltaic dc-ac inverters will be explored in live lecture demonstration, with a focus of understanding the basic underlying physics and engineering that enables these technologies.
EE 213B – Power Electronics Design
This course is the second in a two-semester series to equip students with the skills needed to analyze, design, and prototype power electronic converters. While EE 113/213A provides an overview of power electronics fundamentals and applications, EE 213B focuses on the practical design and hardware implementation of power converters. The primary focus of EE 213B is time in the laboratory, with sequential modules on topics such as power electronic components, PCB layout, closed-loop control, and experimental validation. At the end of the course, students will have designed, prototyped, and validated a power converter from scratch, demonstrating a skill set that is critical for power electronics engineers in research and industry.