Crash Course on Power Electronics
Step one is an overview tutorial on power electronics. This means basic explanations of multipuropose controller and its connection to power-handling elementsThen, explanations of:
- How to control current output from any AC or DC input
- How to control voltage level coming out of any AC or DC input
- Managing between going from AC to DC for various purposes.
Explaining stock components, such as PWM generators, and corresponding power handling elements, and how to wire them up.
The above should address full modularity, and scalability. By modularity - we mean plugging in additional units for added power, or added voltage.
The practical tools should also be explained, in terms of open source software for:
- Designing and modifying circuits
- Generating fabrication files
- Producing them/getting them produced
Thus, the above should cover conceptual and some practical understanding of building, at all scales from watts to 500kW (the scale we deem sufficient on all counts for a full, resilient community):
- Inverters
- Converters
- Charge controllers for windmills/other generators feeding a microgrid
- Inverter welder power supplies
- Welder power supplies.
- Plasma cutter power supplies
- Induction furnace power supplies
- DC, AC, and stepper motor controllers
- Battery chargers
The point is to start with conceptual understanding of an integrated framework for handling applied power electronics, and then moving to particular applications. If presented conceptually, in a modular, open source design fashion - with modules for functionality and for scalability - I don't see why a non-expert like myself cannot pick up on the material to be very proficient in creating/building real-world applications.
Specifically, here are some examples of the needs of OSE:
- a low-cost, high-power windmill cannot be designed properly without mastery of power electronics for handling power that fluctuates widely.
- Mastery of power electronics is essential for building a robust charge controller for a steam engine feeding a microgrid or a battery bank - especially if the steam engine is powered via fluctuating solar concentrator power
The end point of this is a Crash Course on Power Electronics for Evolving to Freedom, in the general framework of our approach to creating resilient communities.