Power Electronics: A New Beginning By Slobodan Ćuk, TESLAco
Power Electronics progress depends on the progress in its two constituent areas: System Technology and Power Management Technology, which had been traditionally developed in the past in companies specializing in either one or the other area of expertise. System Technology companies, or Power Supply companies relied heavily on the use of the components (switches, drive and control circuits) developed by Power Management companies.
The System Technology popularly known as converter topologies has changed very little in last 50 years and is, in fact, the key reason why the Power Electronics as whole has progressed much less despite the tremendous advances made by Power Management companies in developing the new switching devices with ever increasing switching devices power and speed improvements and high performance digital control circuits.
The conventional topologies are analyzed and the sources of their deficiencies are established. This, in turns, leads to the new switching methods and the corresponding novel switching converter topologies which are overcoming all these deficiencies. However, no incremental change will do, but a fresh new look is needed. Hence what is needed is: Power Electronics: A New Beginning!
Dr. Slobodan Ćuk
Dr. Ćuk received his bachelor degree from Belgrade University, Yugoslavia, 1970, MSEE degree from University of Santa Clara, USA 1974 and her Ph.D. from Caltech, California , USA, 1976.
Dr. Ćuk was the full-time Professor of Electrical Engineering at the California Institute of Technology until January 1, 2000 where he conducted research and taught courses in Power Electronics and Fundamentals of Energy Processing. During his 25 years at Caltech, more than 35 students obtained Ph.D. degree in Power Electronics under his guidance. More than dozen of his former students are Professors of Power Electronics in U.S. and abroad while others are leading researchers in the industry.
For the invention of Integrated Magnetics Dr. Ćuk obtained a 1991 Edward Longstreth Medal from Franklin Institute which was for the first time in its 100 years history awarded to researchers in Power Electronics. His publications include over 100 scientific papers in the Power Electronics field and a three-volume book on Switched-Mode Power Conversion.
Over a span of 20 years, Dr. Ćuk has taught a number of public and in-house courses in United States, Europe and Far East, which were attended by over 4,000 Power Electronics specialists. In 1979, Dr. Ćuk founded TESLAco. He holds over 20 patents in switching power conversion filed. Over dozen patents on Ćuk Optimum Power Conversion technology are pending or are currently in preparation.
Dr. Ćuk’s Inventions and Discoveries
1. Optimum Topology Converter, known as the ĆUKconverter (1974)
2. Coupled-Inductor and Integrated Magnetics method (1975)
3. State-space averaging method (1975)
4. TESLAconverter (2000)
5. Hybrid-switching and Storageless-Switching Method (2009)
6. New DC-DC and Bridgeless AC-DC converter topologies (2010):
