Energy Transition Technology: The Role of Power Electronics
José Rodríguez, Frede Blaabjerg, Marian P. Kaźmierkowski
Abstract
Over 100 years have passed since the invention of the mercury-arc rectifier-the first ever power electronic device-by Hewitt in 1902 [1]. This technology enabled numerous applications, such as the electrification of railways utilizing dc motors. Nevertheless, the modern era of power electronics starts with the introduction of semiconductor devices. Thyristors were first commercialized by General Electric in 1958 and remained the main power electronic device for 20 years [2], More recent history of highfrequency converters started with the invention of insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) by General Electric in 1983, which resulted in the appearance of commercial products from Toshiba, Fuji Electric, and Mitsubishi Electric in 1985, 1986, and 1987, respectively. At about