电力电子技术是一门新兴的应用于电力领域的电子技术，就是使用电力电子器件（如晶闸管，GTO，IGBT等）对电能进行变换和控制的技术。电力电子技术所变换的“电力”功率可大到数百MW甚至GW，也可以小到数W甚至1W以下，和以信息处理为主的信息电子技术不同电力电子技术主要用于电力变换。
简介
电力电子技术分为电力电子器件制造技术和交流技术（整流，逆变，斩波，变频，变相等）两个分支。
现已成为现代电气工程与自动化专业不可缺少的一门专业基础课，在培养该专业人才中占有重要地位。
电力电子学（Power Electronics）这一名称是在上世纪60年代出现的。1974年，美国的W.Newell用一个倒三角形（如图）对电力电子学进行了描述，认为它是由电力学、电子学和控制理论三个学科交叉而形成的。这一观点被全世界普遍接受。“电力电子学”和“电力电子技术”是分别从学术和工程技术2个不同的角度来称呼的。
一般认为，电力电子技术的诞生是以1957年美国通用电气公司研制出的第一个晶闸管为标志的，电力电子技术的概念和基础就是由于晶闸管和晶闸管变流技术的发展而确立的。此前就已经有用于电力变换的电子技术，所以晶闸笯@鱿智暗氖逼诳沙莆缌Φ缱蛹际醯氖非盎蚶杳魇逼凇?0年代后期以门极可关断晶闸管（GTO），电力双极型晶体管（BJT），电力场效应管（Power-MOSFET）为代表的全控型器件全速发展（全控型器件的特点是通过对门极既栅极或基极的控制既可以使其开通又可以使其关断），使电力电子技术的面貌焕然一新进入了新的发展阶段。80年代后期，以绝缘栅极双极型晶体管（IGBT 可看作MOSFET和BJT的复合）为代表的复合型器件集驱动功率小，开关速度快，通态压降小，在流能力大于一身，性能优越使之成为现代电力电子技术的主导器件。为了使电力电子装置的结构紧凑，体积减小，常常把若干个电力电子器件及必要的辅助器件做成模块的形式，后来又把驱动，控制，保护电路和功率器件集成在一起，构成功率集成电路（PIC）。目前PIC的功率都还较小但这代表了电力电子技术发展的一个重要方向。
利用电力电子器件实现工业规模电能变换的技术，有时也称为功率电子技术。一般情况下，它是将一种形式的工业电能转换成另一种形式的工业电能。例如
Power electronic technology is a new branch of applied to power field is to use the electronic technology, power electronics device (such as thyristor and GTO, IGBT etc.) to the electric power for transformation and control technology. Power electronic technology "power" which transform the power can be big to hundreds of MW GW even, also can small to several W even under and 1W leds, the information processing as information electronic technology different power electronic technology is mainly used in electric power transformation.
introduction
Power electronic technology into power electronics device manufacturing technology and communication technology (rectifier, inverter, the chopper, frequency conversion, covert, etc.) two branches.
Has become a modern electrical engineering and automation major indispensable specialized fundamental course, a door in cultivating the specialized talented person occupies an important position.
Electric Power Electronics (Power Electronics) this name is in the 1960s appear. In 1974, the United States with a fall W.N ewell (pictured) to power a triangle electronics are described, think it is by the power of science, electronics and control theory formed three course cross. This view is the world generally accepted. "Power electronics" and "power electronic technology" are respectively from the academic and technical engineering 2 different Angle to call.
Generally, the birth of power electronic technology in 1957, the American general electric company developed first thyristor for marks, the power electronic technology concepts and foundation was that the thyristor and brake canal converter technology development and establish. It has been used in power transformation of electronic technology, so thyristor can be called the period before appearance of power electronic technology prehistoric or dawn period. In the late 1970s with the door very can shut off the thyristor
