When do 'kids' get taught power electronics?

[lteschler]

Had an interesting experience recently. We ran an informal contest on powerelectronictips.com wherein anyone who aced a ten-question quiz got a free copy of Alex Lidow's new eGaN book. I was surprised that relatively few people even were willing to even take a ***** at the quiz. So here's a question for this group: When do aspiring EEs these days get taught about power semiconductor circuits? Is this something undergrads get into or is it strictly a graduate study topic? (FYI, here is the first guy to ace the quiz: https://www.powerelectronictips.com/meet-first-winner-egan-quiz/)

 

[treez]

In UK, up to age 16, the most power electronics you do at any school is being told that a diode lets your current only flow in one direction......that's it. I think you can do a separate AS level in electronics, and some schools have science teachers that can teach it, but some don't.

 

[PlanarMetamaterials]

Third year course in my undergrad.

 

[treez]

In Canada you dont do any power electronics till 3rd year of an electronics/electrical degree?

 

[PlanarMetamaterials]

I suppose it depends what you mean "power electronics". We covered diodes and transistors in second year.

At my university, the first year of an engineering degree is general (i.e. any type of engineering such as mechanical, civil, etc.), such that we only cover electrical systems starting second year.

 

[treez]

by power electronics I mean electric motors, motor drives and switch mode power supplies, inverters, transformers, etc.
I remember we covered buck converter in year 1 EE degree, but we didn't use the ltspice simulator to see it working in there.

 

[biswaIITH]

In india it is too late...in the first yr of our b.tech degree we r taught a course in basic electrical which consists of some basic concepts related to electrical machines..in third yr of our degree we r taught electrical machines and power electronics and in the final yr electrical drives