IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON POWER ELECTRONICS, VOL. 15, NO. 3, MAY 2000 439
The Evolution of Power Electronics
Thomas G. Wilson, Life Fellow, IEEE
Abstract—Distinctive attributes of power electronics equipment
are high power capability, controllability and static switching to
meet the goals of high efficiency and high dependability. Aspects
of the early history of power electronics are traced from ic
amplifiers, thyratrons, and ignitrons to power semiconductors.
Index Terms—AC–AC power conversion, AC–DC power conver-
sion, DC–AC power conversion, DC–DC power conversion, his-
tory, ic amplifiers, power conversion, power electronics.
Fig. 1. To control the flow of electric energy between a source and one or more
loads requires an intervening variable impedance.
I. INTRODUCTION
OWER electronics has a history that is much older than
that the author is neither a historian nor even what might be
many of us practicing in the field today are likely to re-
P described as a serious student of history. The author is one who
alize. As we will see, its growth and development have not been
considers himself a serious engineer, who has had more than
what one would call smooth and orderly. The “life changing”
forty years of experience in government, private industry and
episodes that have brought about the most dramatic changes in
teaching, concentrating most of hi
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