Construction of an elementary education system using power devices

Abstract

Energy saving and efficient power conversion technology are pressing concerns in today's society[1]. In order to use electrical energy efficiently, the technical development of power electronics - or power conversion technology - is urgently needed[2]. In response to this need, our aim is to nurture power electronics engineers. To this end, we have constructed an education system that presents the complete picture to students from the basic structure of power devices through to their application circuits. By performing simulations using TCAD (Technology Computer Aided Design), this education can be provided at low cost because there is no need to create actual functioning devices. The proposed system deepens the understanding of students by clearly showing them the internal structure and impurity concentrations of power devices, something that is difficult to illustrate using real devices. In addition, the system also deepens understanding of circuits by having students design and create circuits using power devices and then having them consider the resultant waveforms.