Power converters

Modern power converters use either thyristors or transistors as the power switching devices. Thyristors are used in high power applications while transistors produce more economic converters at low power. Advances in power transistors during the past few years have pushed the change over level upward. Frequently, power transistors are now used in converters with ratings up to and exceeding 100 kw. This session includes papers on both thyristor and transistor power converters in a wide range of applications. In addition, it includes one paper which involves SCR's, triacs and transistors in a single converter, and another paper which utilizes saturable cores in the control of a transistor PWM inverter. This approach is one which was pursued quite vigorously in the early 1950 ls when power transistors first began to be available and when magnetic amplifiers were still struggling for their survival.