Less expensive, lighter, and smaller than its electromechanical counterparts, power electronics lie at the very heart of controlling and converting electric energy, which in turn lies at the heart of making that energy useful. From household appliances to space-faring vehicles, the applications of power electronics are virtually limitless.

Until now, however, the same could not be said for access to up-to-date reference books devoted to power electronics. Written by engineers for engineers, The Power Electronics Handbook covers the full range of relevant topics, from basic principles to cutting-edge applications. Compiled from contributions by an international panel of experts and full of illustrations, this is not a theoretical tome, but a practical and enlightening presentation of the usefulness and variety of technologies that encompass the field.

For modern and emerging applications, power electronic devices and systems must be small, efficient, lightweight, controllable, reliable, and economical. The Power Electronics Handbook is your key to understanding those devices, incorporating them into controllable circuits, and implementing those systems into applications from virtually every area of electrical engineering.

Initially, the only electric loads encountered in an automobile were for lighting and the starter motor. Today, demands on performance, safety, emissions, comfort, convenience, entertainment, and communications have seen the working-in of seemingly innumerable advanced electronic devices. Consequently, vehicle electric systems require larger capacities and more complex configurations to deal with these demands. Covering applications in conventional, hybrid-electric, and electric vehicles, the Handbook of Automotive Power Electronics and Motor Drives provides a comprehensive reference for automotive electrical systems. This authoritative handbook features contributions from an outstanding international panel of experts from industry and academia, highlighting existing and emerging technologies. Divided into five parts, the Handbook of Automotive Power Electronics and Motor Drives offers an overview of automotive power systems, discusses semiconductor devices, sensors, and other components, explains different power electronic converters, examines electric machines and associated drives, and details various advanced electrical loads as well as battery technology for automobile applications. As we seek to answer the call for safer, more efficient, and lower-emission vehicles from regulators and consumer insistence on better performance, comfort, and entertainment, the technologies outlined in this book are vital for engineering advanced vehicles that will satisfy these criteria.