1. APEC 2023 Returns to Orlando
   
2. PSMA 2022 Annual Meeting
   
3. Committee Chairs Report at PSMA 2022 Annual Meeting
   
4. Fred Weber Elected to Two-Year Term as Chair of PSMA Board
   
5. Message from the PSMA Executive Committee
   
6. Meet Your Directors
   
7. About Our Members
   
8. Welcome to PSMA
   
9. The 2022 PSMA Power Technology Roadmap is Now Available
   
10. PSMA and IEEE Engage with Young Professionals, Women in Engineering at APEC 2022
    
11. PSMA/PELS Sponsor 2022 Capacitors in Power Electronics Workshop
    
12. 2022 PSMA Magnetics Committee and IEEE PELS High Frequency Magnetics Workshop
    
13. Vehicle Electrification – The Latest Trends and Technologies
    
14. EnerHarv2022: The Second International Energy Harvesting Workshop
    
15. International Workshop on Integrated Power Packaging (IWIPP 2022)
    
16. The Fourth International Symposium on 3D Power Electronics Integration and Manufacturing
    
17. The 9th IEEE/PSMA Workshop on Wide Bandgap Power Devices & Applications
    
18. PSMA Capacitor Committee Survey: Want to Learn More About Capacitors? Let us Help
    
19. Power to Space Farming!
    
20. A Highly Valuable Guide to EMC Troubleshooting and Pre-Compliance Testing
    
21. Events of Interest – Mark Your Calendar

If you or anyone in your company is interested in getting on the distribution list for future issues of PSMA UPDATE, please send e-mail to: power@psma.com. Be sure to include your name and the name of your company.

Previous issues of update: Q3_2021 | Q4_2021 | Q1_2022

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PSMA UPDATE is published and distributed via e-mail quarterly by the Power Sources Manufacturers Association. Send editorial information and comments to:

Permission to reprint information and articles as published is granted: a courtesy line is appreciated.

Membership in PSMA is open to any organization or corporation involved in the power sources and supplies industry. For membership information, visit our website or contact us by fax, telephone or email.

If you or anyone in your company is interested in getting on the distribution list for future issues of PSMA UPDATE, please send e-mail to: power@psma.com. Be sure to include your name and the name of your company.

 

lanning is underway for APEC to return to Orlando, March 19-23, 2023. It will have been 11 years since APEC was last held in Orlando and a lot has changed over that time. APEC 2012 was one of the last to be held in a "hotel environment" as the event has since grown ever larger and now requires a "convention center" venue. APEC attendance has steadily increased from around 2,000 to over 5,000 in 2019.  Because of the COVID pandemic the APEC events have gone through a very difficult period as we strove to support our industry's need for information and education while not being able to meet in person. This year, APEC 2022 finally allowed us to get back together at an in-person event in Houston. While attendance was lower than in 2019, APEC 2022 still exceeded the attendance for the 2012 conference, and there was a palpable sense of excitement about finally returning to a face-to-face environment.

The expectations for APEC 2023 in Orlando, now that we better understand how to deal with this new environment, is that we will be back to increasing attendance. Exhibitors have already booked 80% of the exhibit hall space and the Conference Committee is planning for a full and exciting program.  Please visit https://www.apec-conf.org/ for the latest program updates. You can also see the latest list of exhibitors and have an opportunity to book one of the remaining exhibit booths.

CALL FOR PAPERS:

Technical Sessions - Opens June 15

Submissions of technical papers for consideration are due by mid-August. Prospective authors are asked to submit a digest explaining the problem that will be addressed by the paper, the major results, and how this is different from the closest existing literature. Technical Papers presented at APEC must be original material and not have been previously presented nor  published. The principal criteria in selecting digests will be the usefulness of the work to the practicing power electronic professional. Reviewers also value evidence of completed experimental work. 

Professional Education Seminars – Opens in Early July

Professional Education Seminars at APEC2023 will address the need for in-depth discussion of important and complex power electronics topics. Submissions are due by early September. Professional Education Seminars are three-and-a-half hours (including breaks) in length, the scope can range from broad to narrow, and can vary from introductory to advanced technical levels. Topics should address the practical issues of the specification, design, manufacture and marketing of power electronic components, products, and systems.

Industry Sessions – Opens in Early July

The Industry Sessions are run in parallel with the Technical Sessions and have proven to be very popular. Submissions are due in early September. Interested Speakers are not required to submit a formal paper – only a PowerPoint presentation. The target audience for the Industry Sessions include system engineers/designers/architects as well as business-oriented individuals such as purchasing agents, information technologists, regulatory agencies, and others who support the power electronics industry.

Make your plans now to be part of APEC2023. Be sure to mark this important event on your calendar and to include it in your budget for next year. You are also invited to consider volunteering to be on the peer-review panel in areas where you are technically qualified. 

See you in Orlando!

Provided by Greg Evans, APEC 2023 Publicity Chair

Photo: Courtesy of Visit Houston

ver 40 PSMA members and guests attended the PSMA Annual Meeting, held at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, TX. The buffet breakfast before the meeting start provided attendees an opportunity for networking and meeting colleagues. The outgoing Chair Mike Hayes officially opened the meeting by welcoming all the attendees and asked each to briefly introduce themselves. Among those present were many of the recipients of the APEC Student Attendance Support. This is the eleventh year the support was provided jointly by IAS, PELS and PSMA.

Tim McDonald, Treasurer

One new revenue generator introduced in 2021 is an Underwriting Program for the Power Technology Roadmap Webinars. To date the program has had moderate success and will be continued for the next Power Technology Roadmap Webinar series that will begin in third Quarter 2022. Meanwhile there has been a hold on financial support for Special Projects by the Technical Committees until the financial situation improves. In addition, the Board is considering an increase in Member Dues starting in 2023 as a way to increase revenues to support Special Projects.

Tim McDonald presented the assumptions for the six-quarter financial forecast and included two scenarios, with and without a dues increase, to show the potential financial impact to the Association. He emphasized that it is important to have the funding to support Special Projects for the benefit of the membership and industry.  

Next on the agenda was the election of four people to the Board of Directors. The following candidates were elected to the Board of Directors for the three-year term (2022-2025):

Mike thanked outgoing board members Stephen Oliver, Ralph Taylor and Matt Wilkowski. Mike Hayes and the attendees congratulated and welcomed all four members to the board.

Mike Hayes, reflected on the actives and progress of the Executive Committee over the past two years including more clearly defining the roles of each Executive Committee member, implementing the Power of the Pillars and strengthening our relationship with other industry organizations.
 
Mike then reviewed some of PSMA's major successes over the past year including:

• The 2022 Power Technology Roadmap publication
• Improved branding (new logo, new web site, new PowerPoint templates)
• Creation of the Energy Storage Committee and additional focus of the Industry-Education Committee
• Successful conferences and workshops (APEC, 3D-PEIM, PwrSoC, WiPDA, and EnerHarv coming soon)
• Publication of the Energy Harvesting White Paper
• Prudential financial management that allowed PSMA to weather the Covid-19 storm to date.

Mike then discussed PSMA's strategic direction – IoT, Energy Storage and Smart Mobility. Mike underlined that PSMA's success comes mainly from the efforts of the technical committees. Volunteers are the greatest assets of PSMA and Mike thanked everyone for their contributions.

After his presentation, Mike introduced the newly elected Executive Committee for the term 2022-2024:

• Chair                           Fred Weber
• President                     Trifon Liakopopolos
• Vice President             Renee Yawger
• Secretary/Treasurer     Tim McDonald

Fred Weber and Mike Hayes

Fred then briefly reviewed the Power of the Pillars noting that this will be continued as a key focus of the Executive Committee with Trifon Liakopoulos, President, leading the effort for the next 2 years.

Trifon Liakopoulos reported on the current efforts to create and track Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Focus areas include Membership Growth, with a target of 3% or more annually, Market Share to help to understand what areas should be targeted for increased growth, and member and industry engagement with PSMA Special Projects, Workshops and Webinars. Trifon reviewed membership trends since 2017, broken down by membership category. Renee Yawger, Vice-President, will be leading the KPI effort for the new Executive Committee.

The Chair recognized the contributions of Steve Carlsen, Frank Cirolia, Ed Herbert and Matt Wilkowski for their outstanding leadership and contributions to Technical Committees over the past several years and presented each with a plaque to express the appreciation of PSMA for their service and continued contributions to the Association. He also recognized and presented a Recognition Award to Stephen Oliver for his contributions and more than 10 years of service on the PSMA board. Finally, Mike Hayes was recognized and received a Special Recognition Award with Gavel for his contributions and leadership as the outgoing PSMA Chair.

Steve Carlsen and Fred Weber

Frank Cirolia and Fred Weber

Ed Herbert and Fred Weber

Matt Wilkowski and Fred Weber

Stephen Oliver and Fred Weber

Matt Kelly, IPC

Omer Onar, APEC 2022 General Chair

Each of the PSMA Committees presented their report for the past year and future plans. You can read more about these on page 3 of this issue.

Omer Onar, General Chair for APEC 2022, provided an update on the overall conference. APEC 2022 marks the return to an in-person conference, the first one since 2019. APEC 2022 has a full program of events. Paper submissions were down from previous years due to both that APEC 2021 was held in June rather than March and the continued impact of COVID-19.  The schedule includes 45 Technical Sessions, 30 Lecture Sessions and 15 Poster Sessions, 25 Industry Sessions and a full complement of Professional Educational Seminars as well as 3 Rap Sessions, 215 exhibitors in the Exhibit Hall and a Social Event. As of Sunday, there were 2600 total registrations with around 950 paid registrations, this represents about 60% of the most recent pre-pandemic attendance numbers. Pradeep Shenoy will be the General Chair for APEC 2023 which will be held at the March 19-23, 2023 in Orlando, Florida.

The invited speaker at this year's Annual Meeting was Matt Kelly, Chief Technologist of IPC. The title of his presentation was "Factory of the Future and Advanced Packaging for Power Electronics: Needs and Collaboration Opportunities."  Matt introduced IPC to the attendees and highlighted their work in standards and how IPC and PSMA can work together for the betterment of the industry.  His presentation was very well received with an energetic Q&A session following the formal presentation.

Before adjourning, Chair Fred Weber asked the attendees for their comments and any suggestions for the future directions and activities for Association that would increase the value of their membership. A number of areas were discussed and will be considered by the Board. Fred thanked all presenters and attendees for their participation and invited interested individuals to attend the March meeting of the PSMA Board of Directors, which immediately followed.

The minutes from the PSMA Annual Meeting have been posted in the Members Only area of the PSMA web site together with the charts from the presentations.

The Annual Meeting, PSMA Committee meetings, as well as the technical sessions, seminars, Industry Presentations, exhibits and other events kept PSMA members busy all the week. The APEC social event gave everyone a chance to relax and enjoy themselves.

There was a full exhibit hall at APEC 2022. Many of the PSMA member companies exhibiting participated in a "Passport" game in which attendees who visited their booths had their passport booklets stamped. Attendees turned in their completed passports for a chance to win prizes donated by Passport Sponsors Rubadue Wire, Premier Magnetics, Microchip and Navitas Semiconductor as well as bonus prizes provided by Power Integrations. Traffic to members' booths was brisk and the lucky winners were very happy with the prizes.

ach of the PSMA Technical Committees provided updates on the recent activities of their committees at the Annual Meeting that was held at APEC 2022 in Houston, TX. In addition, each Committee also held individual face-to-face meetings during the week of APEC 2022.

Fred Weber, Capacitor Committee Co-Chair, reported that the committee meets monthly with 10-12 people attending. The 3 Capacitor Committee co-chairs are each responsible for different activities: APEC Industry Sessions, webinars and organizing the annual Capacitor workshop.

The committee organized and held a successful in-person workshop prior to APEC2022 and has organized a4-Speaker APEC Industry Session The committee made contributions to the 2022 Power Technology Roadmap and to the associated Webinar Series. They plan to restart the Capacitor Fundamentals Educational Webinar series with updated material.

Mike Hayes and Brian Zahnstecher, Energy Harvesting Committee Co-Chairs, reported that committee membership continues to grow, and they now have over 50 members from 4 continents, including adding 8 new members in the past year. One of the key activities for the committee this year was the publication of a White Paper, Energy Harvesting for a Green Internet of Things, which was published  in September of 2021. The White Paper was very well received and has been cited in several industry publications since being released.

The Committee also provided several contributions to the 2022 Power Technology Roadmap Report and associated Webinar Series. For APEC2022 they have organized an Industry Session including both presentations and live demos. Finally, the Energy Harvesting Committee has organized and will host the 2022 EnerHarv Workshop in Raleigh, NC two weeks after the conclusion of APEC.

David Chen, PSMA Energy Management Committee Chair

The Committee is currently working on an Appliance Energy Efficiency Regulations Roadmap project which is intended to be a slide-deck presentation with staged releases as part of a 2022 webinar series. Committee collaborations include the PSMA Transportation Electronics Committee and the Emerge Alliance. In addition, the Committee oversees both the Energy Efficiency Database and the Safety and Compliance Database which have had continued growth.

Energy Storage Committee Co-Chair Ed Herbert reported the committee began as a subcommittee of the Capacitor and Energy Management Committees and became an official stand-alone Technical Committee in 2021. The Committee organized Industry Sessions for APEC 2021 and APEC 2022. Committee meetings include participation from IEEE PELS TC 5 and Tyndall National Institute which help strengthen PSMA's relationships with other organizations involved with Energy Storage.

John Horzepa reviewed the objectives of the Industry-Education Committee to promote interaction between students and the power electronics industry, to promote opportunities in power electronics to university and pre-university students, and to support young power electronics professionals entering the industry. The committee has been very active over the past year with activities including the APEC Student Attendance Support Program and providing resources on the PSMA website including Student Resumes, University Resources, and Educational courses. The committee initiated a Seminar Series in 2021 with IEEE PELS, with 3 sessions held to date focused on providing helpful information geared to young professionals and more planned for 2022. The Committee will also participate in Young Professionals outreach at APEC 2022 including the IEEE PELS and IAS Young Professionals Social Event and the Women in Engineering Breakfast sponsored by IEEE PELS. 

Ed Herbert, Magnetics Committee Co-Chair, reported that the committee has held monthly meetings this past year with an about 15 committee members attending. The Committee provided several contributions to the 2022 Power Technology Roadmap Report including 3 webinars. The committee has organized an Industry Session for APEC 2022. 

Under the leadership of Matt Wilkowski, George Slama and Ed Herbert, the committee, with technical support from IEEE PELS, organized the seventh pre-APEC high frequency magnetics workshop. The workshop returned to an in-person format in 2022 after holding virtual workshops the past 2 years. An eighth workshop is being planned for APEC 2023.

Greg Evans, PSMA Marketing Committee Co-Chair

Power Packaging and Manufacturing Committee Co-Chair, John Bultitude, reported that the committee has about 25 active members, with 10-15 attending each monthly meeting. The Committee has organized a seven presentation Industry Session for APEC 2022 and is also supporting several upcoming Workshop events, including IWIPP 2022, 3D-PEIM 2023 and PwrSoC 2023. Committee members continue to participate in the collaborative efforts between PSMA and IPC and iNEMI. The Committee also contributed to the 2022 Power Technology Roadmap Report and Webinar Series.

The Packaging and Manufacturing Committee sees a need in the industry for a Special Project Technology Report focused on Integrated and Embedded Magnetics for Power Sources. This Special Project could be a done in conjunction with the Magnetics Committee when financial resources become available.

Dhaval Dalal and Conor Quinn, PSMA Power Technology Roadmap Committee Chairs

At APEC2022, there will be a Plenary Presentation presented by Ritu Sodhi on the evolution of the PSMA Power Technology Roadmaps. Conor and Dhaval extended their appreciation to all who helped make the 2022 Power Technology Roadmap a success. The committee will be meeting during APEC2022 to discuss plans for the next Roadmap effort.

Brian Zahnstecher, Reliability Committee Chair, reported that the committee meets monthly with 17 members on the committee distribution list. Brian announced that he is stepping down as Chair and a new Chair is needed.  He thanked everyone on the Committee and the PSMA Board for their support during his time as Chair. The Committee recently sponsored an EPSMA webinar that was very well attended and has facilitated the collaboration with IPC for a new Standard (IPC 2701) with and in person meeting scheduled for the week of APEC. The Committee also contributed to the 2022 Power Technology Roadmap Report and Webinar Series.

John Horzepa reported that the Safety & Compliance Committee is currently dormant and in need of new leadership. The Committee hosted two webinars in 2021on EMC that were presented by Recom Power which were well received with excellent attendance.  A Committee meeting is scheduled during APEC to see if there is interest in reviving the committee.

Reenu Garg, PSMA Semiconductor Committee Co-Chair

The committee has also provided support to the 2022 Power Technology Roadmap including organizing a component section and contributing several webinars to the Roadmap Webinar Series. The committee supports the Workshop on Wide Bandgap Power Devices and Applications (WiPDA) which was held virtually in 2021 and plans an in-person workshop in Redondo Beach, CA in 2022.

Fred Weber, Transportation Electronics Committee Co-Chair, reported the committee meets monthly with 12-15 people attending each meeting. The committee has been very active this past year and has organized an Industry Session for APEC 2022 "Transportation Electronics, Faster, Cheaper, Lighter." The Committee is currently planning a virtual Workshop on Vehicle Electrification to be held in 2022. The workshop is collaborating with IEEE Transportation Electrification Conference (ITEC) to cross promote both events. A critical focus for the Committee is to extend their reach into Autonomous Vehicle Technology.

More information about the PSMA committees was made available during the week at the individual committee meetings. PSMA members and guests were encouraged to attend these meetings to learn more about the committees and to help plan activities for the coming year.

All PSMA Technical Committee meetings are held via a monthly one hour webconference and are open to individuals interested in learning about and participating in the work of the committees. You can see the schedule of upcoming meetings at https://www.psma.com/news/meeting-schedule. This is an excellent way to network with others and to influence the technical direction of the committees.

The Twelve-member Board of Directors brings together industry leadership and expertise covering the gamut of technological advances impacting the power sources industry

he Power Sources Manufacturers Association (PSMA) is pleased to announce that a new slate of officers has been elected to lead its Board of Directors for the 2022-2024 term. The new officers are Fred Weber (Future Technology Worldwide), Chair; Trifon Liakopoulos (EnaChip Inc.), President; Renee Yawger (Efficient Power Conversion (EPC)), Vice President; and Tim McDonald (Infineon Technologies), Secretary/Treasurer.

Fred Weber expressed appreciation for Mike Hayes' leadership as Chair from 2020-2022. "The past 2 years have been difficult due to the unprecedented challenges of the pandemic and resulting impact on APEC2020 and 2021 and the many workshops sponsored and co-sponsored by the PSMA Technical Committees. Mike not only navigated these challenges but also focused the PSMA Executive Committee with a number of innovative and lasting projects."  Fred looks forward to continuing this work and noted "PSMA's success relies on the active participation of our members, especially through the many Technical Committees. The Board welcomes and encourages all companies in our industry to become part of this unique industry organization."

The twelve members of the Board are elected by the member company representatives to serve three-year terms, with four members rotating off each year. The full board of directors for 2022-2023 are:

• Fred Weber, Future Technology Worldwide - Chair
• Trifon Liakopoulos, EnaChip Inc. – President
• Renee Yawger, Efficient Power Conversion (EPC) – Vice President
• Tim McDonald, Infineon Technologies – Secretary/Treasurer
• Ada Cheng, AdaClock
• Dhaval Dalal, ACP Technologies LLC
• Thomas Foulkes, Pacergy LLC
• Reenu Garg, Microchip Technology
• Ajay Hari, onsemi
• George Slama, Wurth Electronics
• Llew Vaughan-Edmunds, Navitas Semiconductor
• Brian Zahnstecher, PowerRox, LLC

Hello Members and Friends of PSMA.

hat an exciting year! APEC was back as an "in-person" event. I was thrilled to be able to see everyone again. Although with virtual events we were able to share information with the industry, nothing replaces face-to-face interactions and networking.

I am honored to be elected as Chair of PSMA accompanied by an extremely strong Executive Team comprising Trifon Liakopoulos (President), Renee Yawger (Vice-President) & Tim McDonald (Secretary/Treasurer).

I would like to thank our previous Chair, Michael Hayes for his dedication and focus leading PSMA during the past 2 very difficult years. His outstanding leadership allowed PSMA to successfully navigate a very challenging period of time.

PSMA intends to continue and to strengthen many of the policies that have been put into place the past few years. Our focus on becoming more applications specific continues. We are targeting several key industries: Smart Mobility (Transportation), Internet of Things (IoT), and Energy Storage. We are also continuing our efforts to foster alliances with other organizations. Our history with IEEE PELS and IEEE IAS is well known, as the three of us co-sponsor APEC. We also work closely with IPC, iNEMI, EPSMA, and CPSS on several cross promotional projects. Our latest alliance is with the IEEE Transportation Electrification Community (ITEC). ITEC recently held their annual Conference and Exhibition, in Anaheim CA, June 15-17, and is a technical co-sponsor for PSMA's Transportation Workshop, "Vehicle Electrification Workshop - Design Trends and Technologies for 2022 and Beyond" to be held in early September (see article in this Newsletter). This workshop is an excellent example of an applications specific offering that includes an alliance with a strategic organization.

One of our key internal strategies will be to facilitate more cross communication between the PSMA Technical Committees. PSMA functions largely around the efforts of the volunteers that support our 14 Technical Committees that organize Special Projects, our APEC Industry Sessions, Educational Webinars, support the Power Technology Roadmap, and other activities. With the advances in technology there is often an overlap in the focus of the committees, that can be better fostered. As an example, the focus and interests of the Transportation Electronics Committee has direct overlaps with the focus of the Energy Storage, Energy Management, and Semiconductor Committees. By joining forces, anything these groups offer will be enhanced. In order to encourage and to enable better communications, we are developing a liaison system for data and idea sharing to improve the end results of the Committee activities.

Finally, please let us know what you would like to see in the PSMA UPDATE newsletter. Suggestions are always welcome!

– Fred Weber, PSMA Chair

our members of the Board of Directors are elected at the PSMA Annual Meeting held every year, usually during the APEC conference. Each Director serves a three-year term and is eligible to be reelected for one additional term.

At the PSMA Annual Meeting in March 2022, Trifon Liakopoulos was elected to his second term and new board members Thomas Foulkes, Reenu Garg and Llew Vaughan-Edmunds were elected to the Class of 2025. In this issue we would like to introduce you to Thomas, Reenu and Llew.

Thomas Foulkes, Ph.D. is the founder and CEO of Pacergy LLC and its various subsidiaries. He received his B.S. in Electrical & Computer Engineering with a minor in Applied Mathematics from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in 2015. He earned his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) in 2017 and 2020, respectively. As a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow while at UIUC, his research explored directed cooling techniques (both single-phase and two-phase) as well as multilevel capacitor-dominated topologies to enable transformative increases in the volumetric density and efficiency of power electronics for more-electric vehicles and renewable energy systems.

Thomas has fond memories volunteering with the IEEE PECI conference organizing committee and the IEEE PES/PELS/IAS society committee organizing the power and energy themed STEM outreach exhibits for the Engineering Open House throughout his time at UIUC. He is the author or co-author of eight IEEE conference prize paper and best presentation awards, over 85 publications, and 15 granted or pending US patents. Thomas' service to the Rose-Hulman community as an alumnus and early-career contributions to the engineering profession were acknowledged by the Rose-Hulman Board of Trustees with the 2020 Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Distinguished Young Alumnus Award. Furthermore, his impact as a scholar and leader were recently recognized in 2020 by the Siebel Foundation when he was named as one of nine recipients from around the world as a Siebel Scholar for Energy. In 2021, Thomas was named an Innovation Crossroads Entrepreneurial Fellow at Oak Ridge National Lab where he is currently working with collaborators in the National Transportation Research Center (NTRC), the Center for Nanoscale Material Science (CNMS), the ORNL Manufacturing Demonstration Facility (MDF), and the ORNL Summit & Frontier Supercomputer Facilities inside of the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility (OLCF). Utilizing training from the UIUC Technology Entrepreneur Center, VentureWell, the national NSF I-Corps, LaunchTN, the Tennessee Advanced Business Council Energy Mentor Network and the Indiana PTAC south-central region, he has been commercializing advanced technology and tackling problems related to the sustainable design of large electrical systems like the US power grid, aircraft, off-road vehicles, hypersonic vehicles, and data centers.

Provided by Thomas Foulkes, Founder and CEO, Pacergy LLC

Reenu Garg is Senior Device Manager at Microchip Technology, developing low voltage Si and high voltage SiC power devices. She has more than fifteen years of semiconductor industry experience in various device and technology development positions. Reenu previously contributed to Infineon's CoolGaN™ program and (prior to being acquired) International Rectifier's GaNpowIR™ team, where she was responsible for design, architecture, device characterization and product aspects of MV and HV GaN on Silicon devices. She has also worked as device engineer for microcontroller technologies used in consumer applications. Reenu's educational background includes MS in Computer Engineering and Ph.D. in Semiconductor Device Reliability from New Jersey Institute of Technology, NJ.

Reenu joined PSMA in 2019 and has organized PSMA sponsored Industry Sessions at the Applied Power Electronics Conference every year since then. She has been serving as co-chair of Semiconductor Technical Committee since 2020, providing leadership to several committee activities. Reenu's inspiration to join the PSMA Board of Directors is driven by the desire to contribute to power electronics ecosystem, to create meaningful alliances between stake holders for society benefits, to enhance collaboration between industry and academics for the development of future generations of technologies and engineers, to drive PSMA activities to combine common goals towards solving industry problems and to generate synergies between cross-disciplinary committees. Reenu wants to give back to community she has learned from.

Provided by Reenu Garg, Senior Device Manager, Microchip Technology

Llew Vaughan-Edmunds is currently Senior Director of Marketing at Navitas Semiconductor. He has over 20 years of power semiconductor experience at Infineon, International Rectifier, ON Semiconductor, and Applied Materials. He has been responsible for strategy, engineering, and product line ownership for Gate Drivers, IGBTs, Diodes, and Wide Band Gap (SiC/GaN). He holds an MBA from Chapman University, BS in Applied Electronics from Liverpool University, and a patent in GaN device technology. He is currently Chairman for PowerAmerica and holds various board positions in power semiconductor companies and consortiums.

Llew is very active in the power device industry, from supporting all the leading device manufacturers with their next generation devices and processing requirements, to regularly speaking at conferences to discuss current and future markets, systems, and devices. He is also the author of articles on power semiconductors, discussing everything from key manufacturing challenges to next generation system requirements.

Provided by Llew Vaughan-Edmunds, Senior Director of Marketing, Navitas Semiconductor

MEAN WELL – Your Reliable Power Partner. 

ounded in 1982, MEAN WELL is one of the world's few manufacturers dedicated to standard power supply products. It is ranked the 4th in global power supply (DC output) makers according to a report by Micro Technology released in March 2021. 99% of MEAN WELL sales are of standard power supply products sold under the MEAN WELL brand name.

MEAN WELL has been growing and getting stronger for three decades. The global headquarters is located in New Taipei Industrial Park, Taiwan, with other branches and sales offices in Guangzhou, , China; California, USA; and Netherlands, Europe, as well as four production bases in New Taipei City, Taiwan; Huadu District, China and Bangalore, India.

MEAN WELL Headquarter’s Management Team

MEAN WELL USA Sales Team

MEAN WELL's niche market is providing small or medium volume customers industrial standard power supply products, "more variety at less volume." As such, MEAN WELL is required to meet the different power supply requirements of scores of industries with comprehensive product lines, production flexibility, planned stock, and global channels. MEAN WELL's 10,000+ standard models launched as of 2018, serve a wide range of industries including LED signage/lighting, industry automation/control, information/telecom/commercial, medical, transport, and green energy. With international safety regulation compliance and full-spectrum one-stop-shopping power supply solutions, MEAN WELL is helping customers cut new product development verification time and costs by entering target markets early.

Upholding the idea of "your reliable power partner" and devoted to offering the best power supply products and service, MEAN WELL is now able to provide fast, localized services around the world with its global distribution network fostered by continuous effort and hard work. Over 65% of MEAN WELL's total revenue is from sales to customers with accounts older than one decade. Average annual sales grow 10% each year, demonstrating customers' very strong brand loyalty.

Products

• Up to 10,000 models in over 1,000 standard product series
• Standard, modified and CDM (cooperate design manufacture) products
• One stop shopping and total solutions for customers and dealers

Quality

• Advocating total quality management (TQM)
• 100% quality control (QE, IQC, IPQC, PQA, QA) and complete production test process (Q1~Q5)
• High reliability and quality indicator—10% lower defect rate each year

MEAN WELL has been dedicated to the power supply industry for the development, manufacturing, and sales of standard power supply products for more than three decades. MEAN WELL aims to balance technology, culture, and environmental protection into a corporate citizen for innovation, harmony and a healthy Earth. With the perspective of a world leader in standard power supply products, MEAN WELL is dedicated to offering customers quality power supply products and services. 

For more information, visit www.meanwellusa.com.

Provided by Ivy Chang, Marketing Coordinator, MEAN WELL USA

Editors Note: We would like to feature your company in a future issue of the Update. Please contact the Association Office for information about how to submit an article for consideration.

AiSHi Capacitors
Nick Visic
6046 Fm 2920 #205
Houston, TX  77379
Telephone: 281-235-0294
E-mail: nick.visic@aishi.us
Web Site: www.aishi.us

AiSHi Capacitors, a part of The Aihua Group, is a technology company focused on the design, development, manufacturing and sales of aluminum electrolytic capacitors.  Established in 1985, with manufacturing facilities in China, AiSHi Capacitor makes over 12,000,000,000 capacitors annually including Radial Leaded, Surface Mount, Snap In, Screw Terminal, Radial Polymer, SMT Polymer and Multi-Layer Polymer capacitors.

AiSHi Capacitor has an enterprise objective of environmental protection and sustainable development and focuses on energy and resource efficiency and recycling in their manufacturing processes.  Their manufacturing process have been certified to meet ISO14001 specifications.

David Arnold
University of Florida
213 Larsen Hall
Gainesville, FL  32611-6200
Telephone: 352-392-4931
E-mail: darnold@ufl.edu
Web Site: www.img.ufl.edu/darnold

David P. Arnold is the George Kirkland Engineering Leadership professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Florida. He also holds an affiliate appointment in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. He is currently Associate Chair for Research for the ECE department and also Deputy Director of the NSF Multi-functional Integrated System Technology (MIST) Center. His research focuses on magnetic thin/thick films and magnetic micro/nanostructures; magnetic microsystems and electromechanical transducers; and compact (<100 W) power/energy systems.

Dr. Arnold is an active participant in the magnetics and MEMS communities, serving on conference committees for the MEMS, PowerMEMS, Hilton Head, Transducers, Sensors, MMM, and Intermag meetings. He was the technical program co-chair of the 2009 PowerMEMS and is currently on the editorial board of J. Micromechanics and Microengineering and Micromachines. His work has been recognized with several prestigious awards, including the 2008 Presidential Early Career Award in Science and Engineering (PECASE) and the 2009 DARPA Young Faculty Award. Dr. Arnold is the current UF chapter faculty advisor and member of the Eta Kappa Nu ECE engineering honor society. He is also a Senior Member of IEEE and a member of Tau Beta Pi.

CapXon Technology Limited
Stephan Menzel
5F, 157, Sec. 2, Datong Rd.
Xizhi Dist. New Taipei City 22183
Taiwan R. O. C.
Telephone: +49-7121-1452703
E-mail: sales@capxon-usa.com
Web Site: www.capxongroup.com

Founded in Taiwan in 1980, the CapXon Group has become a leading manufacturer of electrolytic capacitors. The product portfolio covers the full range of liquid electrolytic, solid conductive polymer and hybrid conductive polymer capacitors.

CapXon has developed technology to reliably achieve higher performance. Their broad product portfolio can support any kind of application including consumer electronics, industrial systems, renewable energy, automation and drives, medical applications, automotive, lighting, communication, smart devices and more. CapXon has always invested in the future and steadily increased the production of capacitors to meet increasing market demand.

DiscoverEE
Shishir Rai
100 Pine St Suite 1250
San Francisco, CA 94111
Telephone: 310-906-7933
E-mail: rai@discoveree.io 
Web Site: www.discoveree.io

DiscoverEE is a market research and product intelligence platform that serves the power electronics industry. DiscoverEE deploys a team of software engineers, data scientists, device physicists, hardware engineers and business managers who combine their expertise one product category at a time.  DiscoverEE believes in providing powerful, data-driven product and market insight to hardware designers, engineers, marketers, sellers and purchasers to enable them to design and purchase awesome products.

By creating detailed and objective standardized product databases, DiscoverEE helps organize the unstructured hardware product landscape.  Their databases offer an unprecedented level of insight to makers and users of hardware products enabling them to focus on things that matter most to them.

Marc Herniter
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
5500 Wabash Ave
CM123
Terre Haute, IN  47803-3920
Telephone: 812-249-0159
E-mail: herniter@rose-hulman.edu
Web Site: www.rose-hulman.edu

Dr. Marc Herniter specializes in analog electronics, power electronics and automotive systems and has taught an introductory-level, model-based systems design course in China.  He has served as an expert witness on several high-profile cases involving Porsche Cars North America, Texas Instruments and Samsung Electronics.  Dr. Herniter advises Rose-Hulman's NXP Cup Model-Based Design club and has implemented high school autonomous vehicle competition that enbable students to learn design process, microcontrollers, programming and image recognition.

Dr.Herniter has experience in analog electronic systems, hybrid electric vehicle systems, switching power supplies and system simulation with SPICE and MATLAB.  He received the Outstanding Faculty Advisor award for the ChallengeX Advanced Automotive Vehicle Competition and received degrees from Boston University and the University of Michigan.

Ideal Power
Jeffrey Knapp
5508 Highway 290 West
Suite 120
Austin, TX 78735
Telephone: 512-697-3904
E-mail: jeff.knapp@idealpower.com
Website: www.idealpower.com

Ideal Power is pioneering the development of its broadly patented bidirectional power switches, creating highly efficient and ecofriendly energy control solutions for electric vehicle, electric vehicle charging, renewable energy, energy storage, UPS / data center, solid-state circuit breaker and other industrial and military applications.

The company is focused on its patented Bidirectional, Bipolar Junction Transistor (B-TRAN™) semiconductor technology. B-TRAN™ is a unique double-sided bidirectional AC switch able to deliver substantial performance improvements over today's conventional power semiconductors. Ideal Power believes B-TRAN™ modules will reduce conduction and switching losses, complexity of thermal management and operating cost in medium voltage AC power switching and control circuitry.

Pacergy LLC
Thomas Foulkes, Ph.D.
1503 Ohio Street
Terre Haute, IN  47807
Telephone: 812-240-3475
E-mail: foulkes@pacergy.com

Pacergy is an engineering company endeavoring to create a more sustainable, electrified future.  Pacergy focuses primarily on serving customers electrifying large systems such as data centers, off-road vehicles, renewable systems and aircraft.

Pacergy was founded in October of 2020 by Thomas Foulkes after finishing his PhD in Electrical Engineering, Power Electronics and Phase-Change Heat Transfer at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.  Pacergy offers consulting services to customers and participates in a number of workshops focusing on electrifying the future and entrepreneurship.

Premium PSU
Miguel Angel Fernández
C/ C/ Dolors Aleu, 19-21, Pl. 2ª
L'Hospitalet de Llobregat
Barcelona 08908 Spain
Telephone: +34932232685
E-mail: mafernandez@premiumpsu.com
Web Site: https://www.premiumpsu.com

Premium PSU offers power conversion systems to the industrial market for high-tech machinery, transportation, energy or extreme environments applications. With over 40 years of experience and a highly trained team, Premium PSU has become a technological leader in power solutions.

Premium PSU's product range includes DC/DC converters, uninterrupted power supplies, DC/AC inverters, AC/DC power supplies and any solution that requires high reliability from 50W to 60kW. In addition to standard products, they have developed over 900 custom-made designs over the years guaranteeing quality starting in the design and throughout the manufacturing process with the most advanced testing systems. All projects, from the concept, design to the final product, are carried out in Barcelona.

Wise-Integration
Thierry Bouchet
87 rue Philémon Laugier
83400 Hyères
France
Telephone: +33665173829
E-mail: thierry.bouchet@wise-integration.com
Web Site: www.wise-integration.com

Wise-Integration is a fabless company that develops innovative GaN integrated solutions to minimize power supplies and improve energy efficiency.  Headquartered in France, Wise-Integration spun off from CEA-LETI in 2020.

Their products combine a GaN component (WiseGan) and an advanced AC-DC system architecture with software (WiseWare).  The result is a charger up to three times smaller, three times more energy efficient and three times lighter than chargers based on traditional technologies ranging from 30 Watts to 3 Kilowatts.

Wise-Integration targets three markets – consumer, e-mobility and data center servers. Wise-Integration manages all the industrialization flow from device specification to system assembly. Reference designs are based on patented system architecture and then are adapted to the specifications of the customer.

Yole, Inc.
Jeffrey Perkins
300 Brickstone Square
Suite 201
Andover, MA 01810
Telephone: 650-906-7877
E-mail: jeff.perkins@yole.fr
Web Site: www.yole.fr

Yole, Inc. is a market research firm for the semiconductor industry with a strong focus on compound semiconductors and power.  Yole provides market research, technology analysis, strategy consulting, targeted media and financial advisory services.  Yole's field of expertise includes Photonics and Sensing, Power and Wireless and Semicondoctors and Software.

Yole's team of analysts include PhD and MBA qualified industry experts who collect and analyze information to identify trends, challenges and emerging markets in a competitive environment.  Over the past 20 years Yole has worked on more than 2,300 projects, interacted with technology professionals and high level opinion makers from the main players in the industry, conducting over 5,000 interviews per year.

he Power Sources Manufacturers Association (PSMA) announces the 2022 edition of the Power Technology Roadmap. This 780-page report forecasts the power technology and power delivery trends through 2026. The report is available as a feature-rich USB memory drive containing the report together with a record number of twenty-two recorded webinars with up-to-date explanations of the information contained in the final report. The webinars add much to the presentation materials because the listener can hear and understand the context and the subtext of the original presentation in the speaker's voice. The recordings also capture the interesting and informative question and answer periods.

This twelfth edition of the report largely follows the format of and keeps the improvements made in the 2019 report. In this edition, the chapter on University Research in Power Electronics has been strengthened to include contributions from twenty-eight universities compared to fourteen in 2019. The Product Technology chapter has been expended by including two new segments related to Electric Vehicle Power Electronics. The Component Technology chapter has also been enhanced by the inclusion of magnetics and packaging technology trends. The APEC 2022 Plenary Session included a presentation by Ritu Sodhi on the history of the PSMA Power Technology Roadmap Report. The presentation is available in the Report and to stream here.

The 2022 PSMA Power Technology Roadmap Report offers a consolidated view of the latest trends in the management, control, and delivery of state-of-the-art technologies by integrating the most recent inputs from webinars, surveys, analyses and discussions. The report is divided into five sections:

• Application Trends
• Component Technologies
• University Research
• Webinar Presentations
• Power Supply and Converter Trends

For more details and the Table of Contents on the report see the Report Preview.

Conor Quinn, Co-Chair of the Power Technology Roadmap Committee, noted that "This report is the collaborative effort of more than one hundred volunteer participants who are recognized as leading experts in their respective fields. The breadth and depth of the presentations, commentary, and discussions have been outstanding and together have captured the technical trends and issues facing the power sources industry."

Dhaval Dalal, Co-Chair of the Power Technology Roadmap Committee also commented "With a greater diversity contained in the 22 webinar presentations, and richer Applications Trends, Power Supply and Converter Trends, University Research and Component Technologies chapters, this edition of the roadmap provides an even more comprehensive look at the emerging trends in power electronics technology and captures the interdependency between technology, products, components and applications."

PSMA Regular Member companies have each been sent one copy of the USB flash drive of the 2022 edition as a benefit of their membership. Members can access the webinars on line at no cost and purchase additional copies of the full report for $290. The non-member price is $4,490. For information about purchasing the report, please to the PSMA website at: www.psma.com/publications.

PEC 2022 marked a return from the pandemic to an in-person event, and PSMA partnered with IEEE PELS and IEEE IAS to engage with Young Professionals and Women in Engineering during the conference. On Tuesday, March 22 representatives of several PSMA Technical Committees and the PSMA Office attended the IEEE IAS/PELS Young Professionals Reception.  The event provided an opportunity for IAS, PELS and PSMA committee representatives to interact with young professionals excited to attend the in-person conference. PSMA was represented by Mike Hayes, Energy Harvesting Committee; Frank Puhane, Capacitor Committee; Jaume Roig, Semiconductor Committee, Brian Zahnstecher, Reliability Committee; and John Horzepa, PSMA Office.  On behalf of PSMA, Mike Hayes provided attendees with an introduction to PSMA at the beginning of the event.  After the introductions of each organization, the reception provided the Young Professionals an informal opportunity to network and mingle. All of the PSMA representatives were impressed by the Young Professionals they met and felt they had good conversations with this next generation of Power Electronics Professionals. They look forward to future engagements in the PSMA committees with these Young Professionals.

The next morning, March 23, PSMA was invited to attend the Women in Engineering (WiE) breakfast sponsored by IEEE PELS.  John Horzepa of the PSMA office and PSMA Vice President Renee Yawger represented PSMA.  Stephanie Watts-Butler, WiE Steering Committee Member, introduced the various organizations represented and encouraged the attendees to talk to as many groups as possible.  John and Renee had several good conversations with the women (and men!) attending the breakfast and encouraged all of them to become active in PSMA committees and activities.  There was a lot of interest in what PSMA is doing and how the attendees can engage.

Both events were a welcome opportunity to be out and interacting with new potential members in a live face-to-face setting instead of via a Zoom call.  There was a lot of excitement from the attendees to understand what PSMA is doing and how PSMA can help them advance their careers.

We look forward to continuing the interactions with these groups during APEC2023.

"How Materials and Environmental Effects Influence Capacitor Performance"

he PSMA Capacitor Committee and IEEE PELS held the fifth annual pre-APEC Capacitor Workshop "How Materials and Environmental Effects Influence Capacitor Performance" on Saturday March 19, 2022 at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, TX. The workshop participants and presenters from around the world came together for the program which included 14 presentations and 4 demonstration tables where experts showed many applications and measurement methods. The 2022 Workshop was successful and notable in that we were finally able to meet our customers, colleagues and friends in-person again after holding virtual workshops in 2020 and 2021.

After breakfast in the Demonstration Area, the Workshop began with a keynote presentation "The Next Decade Capacitor Requirements" from Tomas Zednicek, President of EPCI - European Passive Components Institute, who discussed the future of capacitor technologies with a special focus on materials, reliability and sustainability. This was followed by a presentation by William Greenbank from Centre for Industrial Electronics (CIE), University of Southern Denmark, who provided insight into the latest academic research on capacitor materials for the green transition. Frank Puhane, Würth Elektronik, rounded out the first session with a summary of the differences for Class 1/Class 2 MLCCs with a special look at the terminations.

The second session focused on Electrolyte and Tantalum Capacitors. Stephan Menzel from CapXon showed aluminum e-cap solutions for applications with demanding environmental conditions including increased operating temperatures or vibrations where designing a power supply requires a bulk capacitor to ensure good performance. Daniel West from Kyocera-AVX presented an overview of different options and trends to select the right bulk capacitor with a focus on reliability. When the application requires the highest possible volume capacitance, the solution favors tantalum capacitors, and it was a great honor to have Philip Lessner, CTO of KEMET, to guide us through the world of tantalum capacitors. In the final presentation of the morning, Nihal Kularatna from the University of Waikato explained how Supercapacitors could be used for renewable energy and DC micro grid applications. The session concluded with a panel discussion including many of the morning's presenters.

After this wealth of information, it was time for a joint lunch with attendees from the concurrent Power Magnetics @ High Frequency Workshop in the demonstration area. Workshop participants were able to visit the demonstrations from both workshops, discuss the morning program with the presenters and other workshop attendees, and to network with friends and colleagues.

Building on the technologies, trends and selection procedures that had been reviewed in the morning sessions, the first afternoon session focused on the influences of environmental conditions on capacitor applications. This session included not only how temperature and humidity affect capacitors performance, but also the impact of other influences such as the AC voltage and the packaging.  Frank Puhane showed how the different capacitor technologies behave under temperature influences and Philip Lessner explained how capacitors behave in a high humidity environment. Since the characteristics of MLCCs will change not only through DC bias, but also through AC bias, the session concluded with presentations by two well-known experts on capacitors presenting on this topic. John Bultitude from KEMET gave us insight into the MLCC rating for AC Applications and Douglas C. Hopkins from North Carolina State University then went on to discuss packaging for higher AC voltages and future trends in high power converters.

The final technical presentation session focused on the measurement and characterization of capacitors. Measurement and characterization should always be considered together since how the capacitors are measured is crucial for making comparisons. Therefore, Jon Izkue Rodriguez from Würth Elektronik showed how to interpret data sheets and how different components are measured. This topic was further demonstrated in a related demonstration station. High power converters, as described by Douglas C. Hopkins, use DC link capacitors which should have a very low parasitic inductance (ESL). Measuring the ESL can be a challenge and Ronald Alexander from Zurich Instruments presented on how to accomplish this. The final presentation, provided by Marcus Sonst from Rohde & Schwarz, was on how to determine the aging in an AC/DC flyback application using an oscilloscope.

The information-packed day concluded with a joint Capacitor and Magnetics Rap Session moderated by Alexander Gerfer, CTO of Würth Elektronik. The panel members Douglas Hopkins, Philip Lessner and Tomas Zedineck representing Capacitors and Mike Arasim, Fair Rite Products Corporation; Alex Hanson,University of Texas at Austin; and Chema Molina, Frenetic representing Magnetics had very interesting and exciting discussions on the topic of selection, sustainability and applications of passive components.

Many thanks to Pierre Lohrber who has led the organizing effort for all of the PSMA/PELS Capacitor Workshops starting with the first workshop in 2018 and has now moved on to new opportunities. Also, a big thank you to all presenters: Tomas Zednieck, William Greenback, Frank Puhane, Stephan Menzel, Daniel West, Phil Lessner, Nihal Kularatna, John Baltitude, Douglas Hopkins, Jon Izkue Rodriguez, Ronald Alexander and Marcus Sonst.

We hope to see you and many more at our next Capacitor Workshop being planned for March 18, 2023 in conjunction with APEC 2023 in Orlando, Florida. More details regarding the agenda for the 2023 Capacitor Workshop as well as registration information for the workshop will become available on the PSMA website (http://www.psma.com/technical-forums/capacitor/workshop) in the coming months.

Provided by members of the Capacitor Workshop Organizing Committee:
Frank Puhane, Wurth Electronics
Fred Weber, Future Technology Worldwide

PSMA Magnetics Committee and PELS TC2 High Frequency Magnetics Workshop
Power Magnetics @ High Frequency
Saturday March 18 2023
Prior to APEC 2023
Orange County Convention Center
Orlando, FL 32819

he PSMA Magnetics Committee and IEEE PELS are currently planning to conduct the eighth "Power Magnetics @ High Frequency" Workshop on Saturday, March 18, 2023, which is offered the day before and at the same venue as APEC 2023 in Orlando, FL. The purpose and focus of this workshop are to identify the latest improvements in magnetic materials, coil (winding) design, construction and fabrication, evaluation and characterization techniques and modelling and simulation tools. The Workshop will target the advancements that are deemed necessary by the participants for power magnetics to meet the technical expectations and requirements of new market applications being driven by higher operating frequencies and emerging topologies together with continuous advances in circuits topologies and semi-conductor devices.

The 2023 workshop will build on the successful return to in-person of the 2022 Power Magnetics @ High Frequency Workshop that was held on Saturday March 19 in Houston, TX in conjunction with APEC 2022 - after two years of virtual workshops. The morning technical lecture session of Saturday June 19 focused on Effects of Core Geometries on Magnetic Characteristics with presentations by Charles Sullivan and Thomas Guillod, Dartmouth College; Juan Aguarón, Frenetic; Rico Wach, TRIDELTA Weichferrite; JC Sun, Bs&T; and Alex Hanson, University of Texas – Austin. The afternoon technical lecture session focused on Magnetics Design for Manufacturability, Reliability and Safety with presentations by George Slama, Wurth Elektronik; Vladimir Alexiev, Power Integrations; Matt Dvorak, BH Electronics; and Dennis Feucht of Innovatia Laboratories. Student poster presentations by Ping Wang, Princeton; Diego Serrano, Princeton; Michael Solomentsev, University of Texas; and Moien Mohamadi,University of Illinois at Chicago were available during the breakfast and lunch sessions. Technology demonstrations by Chema Molina, Frenetic; JC Sun, Bs&T; Arturo Mediano, University of Zaragoza; Dheeraj Jain, Wurth Elektronik; Brad Yourish, Magnetics; James Lau, Coil Winding Specialists; Adrija Stupar and Tom Wilson, SIMPLIS Technologies; Mark Rine, Hitachi Metals; and Mike Arasim, Fair-Rite were available during the breakfast and lunch sessions. The technical program closed with a summary overview "Best of the Best" by Alexander Gerfer of Wurth Elektronik of the technical presentations, poster presentations and technology demonstrations. Alex Hanson, Mike Arasim and Chema Molina represented the Magnetics Workshop during the joint Capacitors and Magnetics Rap Session during the networking hour to close out the workshop.

The target audiences for the 2023 Power Magnetics @ High Frequency workshop include the designers of power magnetic components for use in electronic power converters responsible to implement the most technologically advanced power magnetic components that are necessary to achieve higher power densities, specific physical aspect ratios such as low profile, higher power efficiencies and improved thermal performance. The target audiences also include people involved in the supply chain for the power magnetics industry ranging from manufacturers of magnetic materials and magnetic structures, fabricators of magnetic components, providers of modelling and simulation software as well as manufacturers of test and characterization equipment.

The theme of the 2023 Power Magnetics @ High Frequency will be magnetic component design across applications ranging from milliwatts to megawatts. The workshop will address applications areas such as IoT, servers, integrated voltage regulators (IVR), transportation electrification, wireless charging for mobile and electric vehicles and solid-state transformers. The workshop will also include presentation and demonstrations to address specific technical issues relative to high voltage and high current design such as corona, insulation, encapsulation, etc., that were identified in the post workshop survey for the 2022 workshop. As with past workshops, the morning and afternoon sessions will open with keynote presentations that cover a wider range of topics and issues followed by lecture presentations on specific application areas or technical issues. In addition to the brief Q&A period after each individual lecture presentation there will be a panel of the presenters at the end of the session who will address topics requiring more detail as deemed by the workshop attendees.

During breakfast, lunch and the networking hour at the end of the workshop there will be an interactive session of tabletop technology demonstrations each addressing specific technical disciplines and capabilities consistent with the workshop agenda. Each technology demonstration station will include a ten-minute presentation at fifteen-minute intervals. Interaction between the attendees and the presenters is highly encouraged during this portion of agenda as a segue from the opening keynote presentation and the technical issues session.

If you would like to participate as a presenter for the technical demonstration session, please contact the organizing committee through PSMA via e-mail to power@psma.com with a description of your proposed technical capabilities topic. We are limited to no more than ten technology demonstration stations.

The specifics for the workshop structure and the presentations are currently in progress and are not finalized. If you are interested in being considered as a presenter  on the impact of magnetic core geometry, physical dimensions, manufacturability, reliability and safety agency requirements on magnetic component design, characteristics, and parameters, please contact the organizing committee through PSMA via e-mail to power@psma.com .

The successful return of the 2022 workshop to the in-person format provides the enthusiasm and momentum for a successful 2023 workshop. More details regarding the agenda for the 2023 Power Magnetics @ High Frequency Workshop as well as registration for the workshop will become available on the PSMA website (www.psma.com/technical-forums/magnetics/workshop) over the coming months.

Organizing Committee
Steve Carlsen, Independent
Ed Herbert, PSMA
Chema Molina, Frenetic
Rodney Rogers, Allstar Magnetics
George Slama, Wurth Elektronik
Fred Weber, Future Technology Worldwide
Chuck Wild, Dexter Magnetic Technologies Inc.
Matt Wilkowski, EnaChip

he PSMA Transportation Electronics Committee will offer an extraordinary Virtual Workshop in September 2022 which will be focused on the latest technologies, and future trends surrounding vehicle electrification. This two Session Workshop will be held on Tuesday September 13 and the following Tuesday September 20, both sessions will begin at 9:00 AM CDT (2:00 PM GMT). This workshop will be fine-tuned to address the needs of the engineer or manager involved in vehicle electrification. This includes not only those in the consumer Automotive industry, but also those in Off Road, and Heavy-Duty industries.

Each session will lead off with keynote speakers and conclude with Q&A and a roundtable discussion. The first session's Keynote will be offered by KIA motors with a presentation on the "Evolution of the EV Market."

The second Keynote session will include two presentations. The first will be offered by Fernando Slacedo of the Department of Energy (DOE), with an "Overview of Current EV Charging Projects Supported by the Department of Energy." And the second presentaion will be by Oakridge National Laboratory with a presentation on "Materials to help battery life. Recycling, Trends in testing - All chemistries."

There are a wide range of topics that will be addressed by experts in the field during the 2 day workshop, including the latest technologies in fast charging and wireless charging, what to do about high EMI, DC/DC Converter trends, Battery Testing and Management, and much, much more.

Each of the Webinar Sessions will be recorded, including the Q&A and roundtable discussions and will be made available on-demand to registered attendees after the workshop. So, people who register will have the opportunity at their leisure to view any of the presentations missed during the scheduled workshop as well presentations to be seen again.

This workshop is being promoted along with ITEC+EATS 2022 for increased visibility. ITEC+EATS attendees will receive discounted registration for this workshop. Conversely, once you register for this workshop you will receive a discount to register for ITEC+EATS. Be sure to check out the details about the conference here: www.itec-conf.com . The 2022 conference will be held in Anaheim, CA on June 15-17, 2022.

The latest information on the workshop including the agenda and registration information is available on the PSMA website at: https://www.psma.com/technical-forums/transportation-power-electronics/workshop

You don't want to miss this detailed and amazing workshop. This portfolio is unmatched by anything on the market today. Sign up today.

Provided by Fred Weber PSMA Vehicle Electrification Workshop Chair

April 5-7, 2022
ASSIST Center, North Carolina State University

"Building the Ecosystem for Powering the Internet of Things"

EnerHarv 2022 opened each day with keynotes.

• On Day 1, Patrick Mercier, University of California San Diego, gave an insight into the emergence of 'unawareables,' the development and integration of miniaturized energy harvesting, wireless power transfer and related components and the advantages of integration at semiconductor and module levels. Coupled with various novel circuits, architectures and methods of moving and stacking inductors and capacitors, various innovative methods for integration/partitioning of components, circuits and systems were illustrated to minimize size, maximize wearability and usability.  The door is wide open to developers of better passives to migrate and integrate their technologies.

• On Day 2, Veena Misra, ASSIST Center, provided an overview of the activities of the ASSIST Center at NCSU, most notably the development of technologies and demonstrators for wearables. System integration and human interaction considerations are critical. For example, overcoming user forgetfulness can be lifesaving; flexibility and compatibility with working environments are essential. There are a multitude of fluids, enzymes, etc. that can be used for harvesting, storage or sensing. ASSIST has a rapid prototyping group to help create testbeds to drive technologies to higher TRLs (technology readiness levels).

• On Day 3, Baoxing Chen, Analog Devices, described how IoT is riding the third wave of the IT Revolution and gave a 'powering the IoT perspective' in terms of challenges and opportunities, especially bridging the gap between harvester capabilities and load demand. This included some examples of ADI roadmap activities incorporating disruptive technologies particularly in the wearables and Industry 4.0 sectors for sensors, power management and wireless comms. For example, micro-TEG devices at chip scale will be able to give microWatt performance even at very small temperature gradients. Low-leakage, high-cycle supercaps are also in development. Additionally, ADI is looking at sustainability aspects – how to make parts reliable in terms of performance and lifetime.

In the Transducer Session we learned from speakers from Tyndall National Institute, Research Institutes of Sweden (RISE) & Université de Sherbrooke the 'wideband' challenge for vibrational devices and various innovations at MEMS and mezo level with various ways of fabricating parts, integrating magnetics, piezo materials, etc. to address this. Noncritical low data rate condition monitoring of machinery (Industry 4.0, automotive, wind turbines, etc.) popped up in several sessions as an ideal application area for vibrational harvesters.

The System Integration Sessions on Days 1 and 2 gave great insight from both industry and academia into opportunities and challenges.  A very nice methodology to assess storage technologies and their trade-offs, e.g. the use of spider charts was presented by CEA-Leti that could be also adapted for other technologies. A key common need is for easy tuning and multimodal capability for vibrational devices along with other challenges highlighted by the University of Limerick. For wireless power transfer (WPT), neuro-stimulation and telemetry for implantables are two promising areas. Pros and cons of ultrasonic over RF (size, delivery range, power density) were outlined by NCSU. FDA limits must be understood, and appropriate wireless comms protocols selected. Several examples of demonstrators were presented based on LoRaWAN & BLE platforms. Mid Sweden University (MIUN) gave a nice example of the suitability of vibrational harvesting technology for conditional monitoring of rotating machinery with improved sample rate possibilities at higher rotational speeds. In discussion forums, RISE highlighted the need to connect transducers (particularly vibrational) in a manner to give consistent performance. This is key for successful TRL progression and system integration, and we need more industrial and mechanical design people in our ecosystem, particularly at the module level. Several innovative WPT techniques were outlined by the University of Florida. For wearables and implantables we need to watch for biocompatibility, MRI compatibility, wear, stress, corrosion & user safety.

The Energy Storage Session comprised speakers from NAWA Technologies, Penn State University and NCSU. Energy storage was also prominently covered in the System Integration Sessions. A common theme was the use of nanotechnology at various scales from WSN-edge-device micro-batteries to higher-powered ultracaps for data centers and EVs. For example, NAWA uses vertically aligned nanotubes in their ultracaps, which when combined with conventional storage devices can mitigate voltage drops to give longer battery life. Features and trade-offs of different battery chemistries were outlined.

The Power Management Session comprised speakers from ST Microelectronics, Tyndall and ADI (formerly Maxim). Once again innovative power circuits and architectures were on display to assist with impedance matching (to maximize power transfer), cold start, voltage conditioning and digital interfacing to contextually minimize device power consumption. For example, the MISCHIEF circuit from Tyndall offers a modular circuit block approach offering low-risk, fast-time-to-market development and can harvest ambient energies currently unusable in the sub-10 mW area, particularly at low voltages. Several circuits are in development for WPT applications.

Two Panel Sessions were held:

The "Powering the Next-generation WSN Experience" Session on Day 1 had presenters representing a variety of backgrounds representing industry and academia (Wurth, STMicro, Tyndall, Sherbrooke).  They had a fruitful discussion on the challenges, gaps, and opportunities associated with bringing the ubiquitous sensor and IoT/IIoT deployments of the near term to mainstream applications.  Those closer to the field in industry highlighted the challenges associated with measuring very-low currents and matching the tech not to the "killer app" but rather to the "killer customer" to help catapult visibility.  Those closer to the academic side highlighted the sustainability opportunities, the shifting landscapes of business models (i.e. – "data is the new oil") and need to collaborate with other communities and ecosystems (also a fantastic segue into the Day 2 panel).

The Power IoT Ecosystem Session on Day 2 had representatives from various groups (ASSIST, CONNECT, EnABLES) all contributing to creating synergies and fostering collaborations between stakeholders in difference ways. The 'ecosystem of stakeholder' image from the EnABLES position paper (enables-project.eu) (highly influenced by the PSMA Energy Harvesting Committee (EHC)) was prominently used throughout the event to encourage and inspire people to participate and also to identify opportunities to add more to our ever-growing community of experts and users. For example, mechanical designers, software engineers and developers of business models were seen as areas where the outputs can find a stronger route to adoption and commercialization. All panelists saw major value in cross-connecting activities to realize synergies, e.g. hosting related events in an adjacent way (time and place) and cross-promoting, e.g. sharing of simulation tools, databases.

In the Demo Session we saw quite a variety of functional demonstrations of energy-harvesting (and related) technologies. As something the PSMA EHC has felt very strongly from putting together numerous events over the years, these lectures and discussions are far more fruitful and impactful when complemented by REAL demos people can touch and see work before their eyes.  Such demos covered the use of transducers, energy storage, PMICs (along with the development environments to immediately utilize), and sensor telemetry data from various WSN implementations.  Supporting aspects of the ecosystem, such as battery characterization, were demonstrated along with some real-world (shipping and proof-of-concept) products and applications.

10 Posters were on display from academic institutes, research centers and industry partners in Europe and US, primarily based on transducers, PMICs and energy storage solutions. Each poster presenter was given an opportunity to do an elevator pitch and it proved to be a great mechanism to stimulate dialogue and discussions between attendees on future potential collaborations. ASSIST & CONNECT already have leveraged funding mechanisms in place to stimulate collaborations, particularly wearables and Energy-Source-in-Package (eSIP) based WSN energy harvesting demonstrators. EnABLES is already funding many free of charge feasibility studies and subsequently leading to several project proposals and project starts. At future EnerHarvs, we anticipate successful outcomes from this with stronger links between poster and demo session content as we see our technologies progress in TRL level.

It was not all business as deep, technical discussions of the day turned into pleasurable, social and networking events in the evening.  The first night was capped by a formal dinner at the Park Alumni Center located right on the NCSU campus.  The team then piled onto a bus the second night for a social event at the Raleigh Beer Garden, which boasts the planet's largest selection of draft beers.  Needless to say, much energy was harvested by all, as the pictures indicate.

The ASSIST Center (also acting as host) was well-represented by Veena Misra (Director) and EnerHarv General Chair, Mehmet Ozturk, who did a wonderful job with their team (Karen, Candice & Adam) organizing the entire event at their impressive venue in a highly professional and friendly manner. ASSIST provided a keynote, several attendees, presentations and contributed to the panel sessions.

Tech sponsor EnABLES had a strong presence with three posters, four technical presentations and participation in the 'power IoT ecosystem' panel session. EnABLES was cited as a great mechanism to help kick-start initiatives amongst stakeholders and is particularly helpful for SMEs with there being a clear need for such a service. A 'carousel' of 15 of EnABLES TA (Transnational Access) feasibility studies was on display triggering many ideas amongst participants.

Organizer and sponsor PSMA was represented by its Energy Harvesting Committee Co-chairs (& EnerHarv Co-founders) Mike Hayes (Tyndall National Institute) & Brian Zahnstecher (PowerRox) as well as Lisa & Karalyn supporting from the PSMA office. We also leveraged heavily from Technical Co-chair Shad Roundy from University of Utah, both his extensive knowledge and reputation in this area as well as network of contacts.

Finally, some takeaways. These are just a few teasers, and why you need to attend EnerHarv 2024 and beyond to get a deeper insight!

• Whilst there will be a need for billions/trillions of IoT edge devices there is still no 'killer application' and every application has different needs. This reinforces the need for our technologies to be standardized and interoperable so that it will be easy, cost effective and low risk to mix, match and adapt our tech platforms to create custom solutions.
• Life cycle costs are not being fully taken into account. We need to educate the entire ecosystem on this – labor cost, downtime implications, environmental impact, sustainability, etc. and bring in stakeholders that can convey this message.
• Regulations can help change the attitude of the adopter.
• People will always be greedy and use all the power we give them…and more. We need to illustrate the criticality of minimizing power consumption as a means to extend battery life (in harmony with energy harvesting and better batteries/storage devices).
• We need more than just software – we need LOGIC (architecture and intelligence to dynamically collect data in the leanest possible way to meet application need)
• We need to have tools and databases to help better predict battery life and give people assurance of reliable and autonomous operation even in the face of intermittent energy sources.
• Like any good collection of technology and supply chain resources, we all agree we are most in need of end-users.  Not just people to buy parts, but industry partners that share an equal passion to address the pain points and bring harvesting (and related) technologies to the mainstream to deliver the perpetually self-powered IoT ecosystem.

Proceedings are already available on the EnerHarv website to attendees and will become publicly available within the next 6-8 months. To get a taste for what you missed, the proceedings of the inaugural EnerHarv 2018 are available on the website (http://www.enerharv.com/). EnerHarv 2024 is likely to return to Europe by which time we hope a future evolution of EnABLES will be in place to continue to build our power IoT community.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank our EnerHarv Workshop Committee (EWC), Organizer and Financial Sponsor PSMA, our Industry Sponsors Analog Devices, UBITO and Wurth Elektronik, Technical Co-sponsors EnABLES, ASSIST, IEEE PELS & CPSS as well as our Media Sponsors Bodo's Power Systems and How2Power.

Many seeds were sown for future collaborations and we look forward to 'harvesting' these at future EnerHarv workshops!

Provided by: PSMA Energy Harvesting Committee Co-Chairs
Mike Hayes, Tyndall National Institute				Brian Zahnstecher, PowerRox

egistration is now open for IWIPP 2022, a PSMA and IEEE sponsored hybrid workshop, which will be held August 24-26, 2022, at the World Trade Center in Grenoble, France, and hosted by G2E Labs. IWIPP is a growing and successful power technology packaging workshop offering well known experts and excellent speakers along with international networking opportunities.

Under the leadership of General Chairman Dr. Francesco Iannuzzo, Aalborg University, IWIPP brings together industry, academic and government researchers in the field of power electronics components, electrical insulating materials, and packaging technologies to facilitate and promote the development and commercialization of high-density and high-efficiency power converters. The invited presentations and contributed papers will address a range of topics, including power module design, magnetic and dielectric materials technology, component performance, and application-level impacts of packaging technology. Presenters will address important challenges and present solutions to increase product reliability and manufacturability while targeting improved performance with reduced size and system cost.

Technical Chairman Nick Baker, University of Alabama invites you to this year's outstanding technical program which includes an exciting set of power technology and packaging Keynote addresses including:

1. "Packaging, Integration and Fast switching: what has been achieved and what´s next?" - Eckart Hoene, Chief Expert Power Electronics, Fraunhofer IZM, Germany

Only close interaction between packaging end circuit engineers will bring power electronics to the next step. This presentation will give an overview on achievements in packaging and its implementation into commercial products as well as new concepts intended to reduce the technological market barrier.

1. "Environmental Trends and Challenges on Power Packaging" - Garron Morris and Chris Genthe, Senior Principal Engineer, Rockwell Automation, USA

This keynote covers the challenges of increasing power densities, coupled with new environmental stresses stemming from changing customer locations, behaviours, and applications.

1. Insulation Materials and Systems for Power Electronic Modules: Challenges and Future Research Needs, Mona Ghassemi, Assistant Professor, Virginia Tech, USA

This presentation critically reviews recent research on electrical insulation materials and systems used in power electronics devices and focuses on electrical treeing in silicone gel, PD modelling, and mitigation methods.  In particular, it shows that the investigations carried out to date are in their infancy regarding the working conditions targeted for next-generation WBG power devices.

Packaging and related technologies are the key to creating reliable and cost-effective high-density power sources. Attendance at this important workshop can keep you and your colleagues on the cutting edge of packaging technologies and practices. Registration is now open for this important event at Registration – IWIPP.  If your company would benefit from meeting and interacting with the attendees, there are also opportunities available for partners and exhibitors.  The event is available for both in person and virtual attendance. Additional information regarding the workshop can be found at the conference website: https://iwipp.org/ .

Sponsored by:
Power Sources Manufacturers Association (PSMA)
IEEE Power Electronics Society (PELS)
IEEE Electronic Packaging Society (EPS)
IEEE Dielectrics and Electrical Insulation Society (DEIS)
European Center for Power Electronics (ECPE)

Provided by Brian Narveson,
IWIPP 2022 Publicity Chair

February 1-3, 2023
Hosted by Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA

The Symposium will be held February 1-3, 2023, at Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA., offering the chance to get a "winter warm-up" on Florida's enticing beaches.

Created and supported by the PSMA's Packaging & Manufacturing Committee, 3D-PEIM will feature invited papers highlighted by plenary and keynote addresses and contributed presentations by Industry and Academia experts. Speakers will address mechanical, materials, reliability, and manufacturability issues. There will also be Exhibits and an Exhibit Sponsor's Session.

The General Chair is Prof. Markondeyaraj Pulugurtha of the Florida International University (FIU); Technical Program Co-Chairs are Dr. John Bultitude of Kemet, a Yageo Company, and Dr. Vanessa Smet from Georgia Tech. The Chairs are assisted by an Organizing Committee of leading experts in this field.

Program at a Glance:

• IVR for Computers and Servers; Chair: Siddarth Ravichandran, Chipletz
• Multiphysics Design & Tools; Chair:            Rajen Murugan, Texas Instruments
• Additive Manufacturing; Chair:Peter Friedrichs, Infineon
• Manufacturing Technologies; Chair:   Jason Rouse, Corning
• Materials I Interconnects & Lead Attachments; Chair: Andy Mackie, Indium Corporation
• Materials II Substrates & Encapsulants; Chair: Ninad Shahane, Texas Instruments
• High Power Module Integration; Chair:Cyril Buttay, Laboratoire Ampère, Lyon
• Thermal Management and Reliability; Chair:Patrick McCluskey, University of Maryland
• Passive Component Integration; Chair: John Bultitude, KEMET Corporation
• Low Power & Telemetry; Chair: Shubhendu Bhardwaj, Florida International University
• Tour of FIU Labs; Chair: Markondeyaraj Pulugurtha, Florida International University

Plenary Speakers
Professor Fred C. Lee, Virginia Tech, USA, "PCB based Integrated Magnetics."
Professor Katsuaki Suganuma, University of Osaka, Japan "Superior Heat Dissipation by Low-pressure Ag Sinter Joining and Real-time AI Lifetime Prediction for SiC Power Module."
Dr Michael Guyenot, Bosch, "Highly Integrated Low Inductance SiC Power Modules."
Dr. Brandon Passmore, Wolfspeed, "Finite-Element Predictive Modeling for Power Modules."

Call for Contributed Papers
If you would like to submit a contributed paper for presentation at the Symposium, the Call for Papers is currently open at www.3d-peim.org/call-for-papers. The abstract Submission opened June 1, 2022, and closes on August 12, 2022, Industry, Academia, and Government are invited to submit abstracts on the following technology topics:

Registration Will Open on August 1st, 2022. Check back with us at http://www.3d-peim.org

You are invited to sign up for Partnership Tabletop Exhibit Opportunities
Each Exhibit Partner has the opportunity to present products at the Symposium and on a 3D-PEIM Virtual Tabletop Website page. To learn more and sign up as an Exhibit Partner, visit http://www.3d-peim.org/sponsors-exhibitors/.

Provided by Arnold Alderman,
3D-PEIM 2023 Publicity Chair

November 7 – 9 2022

he organizing committee for the 9th Annual IEEE / PSMA Workshop on Wide Bandgap Power Devices and Applications (WiPDA) is looking forward to returning to an in-person event from November 7 – 9, 2022 at the Sonesta Redondo Beach and Marina in Redondo Beach, California.

The workshop is sponsored by the IEEE Power Electronics Society (PELS), the Power Supply Manufacturer's Association (PSMA), and the IEEE Electron Devices Society (EDS) and will provide engineers and scientists with opportunities to share their expertise in wide bandgap (WBG) semiconductor technology.

The workshop will feature tutorials as well as keynote sessions, panel sessions, technical sessions, and a poster session that cover multiple technical tracks including silicon carbide (SiC) power devices, SiC applications, gallium nitride (GaN) power devices, GaN applications, Gallium Nitride (GaN) RF devices and applications and International Technology Roadmap for Wide Bandgap Power Semiconductors) (ITRW).  Topics in emerging WBG materials will also be solicited. 

The General Chair, Andrea Gorgerino, Director of Global FAEs at Efficient Power Conversion, and the Organizing Committee are excited to provide our sponsors and valued audience members with an opportunity to share the latest in device and applications of WBG technology.  We look forward to seeing everyone in person in Redondo Beach!

Please subscribe to stay informed of the latest news and receive deadline reminders for WiPDA 2022. For sponsorship opportunities contact exhibitsatwipdaus@gmail.com. Also, join the conversation with the WiPDA group on LinkedIn.

Provided by Renee Yawger WiPDA 2022 Publicity Chair

he world is constantly changing and along with this comes developments and changes in electronic applications and technologies in the field of capacitors. The PSMA Capacitor Committee is a group of volunteers from the industry who are knowledgeable about capacitors and power electronics. Members include people from capacitor makers, the power electronics industry, people from academia and leading consultants. Through the PSMA Capacitor Technical Committee you can have access to excellent resources for designers and users of capacitors.

The PSMA Capacitor Committee, through Workshops, Webinars and APEC Industry Sessions, shares knowledge and insight explaining how capacitors can be used best, as well as techniques on how to overcome challenges through the proper capacitor choices to help you find the best solution for your application. Over the last few years, the Committee has addressed topics such as basic fundamentals, influences on materials, evolving new technologies, challenging applications and current trends. As we plan the PSMA Capacitor Committee activities for the coming year, we would like your input so we can meet your needs. Please take a few minutes to complete the PSMA Capacitor Survey.

Please feel free to share the survey link with colleagues and friends. The more feedback we receive the better we can plan our next steps for educational webinars, workshops as well as other committee actions to support all capacitor users in the best possible manner.

Thank you very much for your input and support.

Stephan Menzel, Andrew Mikulski, and Frank Puhane
PSMA Capacitor Committee Co-Chairs

Figure 01 - O’Neill Cylinder interior - Painting by Rick Guidice (Source: PRBX/NASA)

t the APEC 2022 Plenary Session, John H. Scott, Principal Technologist, Power and Energy Storage, NASA Space Technology Mission Directorate presented a very interesting topic: 'On the Moon to Stay', covering the various aspects of power electronics that would be required to make that statement feasible. Space exploration has not only been a dream and a source of imagination, but also an amazing research area seeking to break 'unbreakable' limits, and in the processing providing benefits to many applications we are now using daily on planet Earth.

From Earth indoor farming to Space
Feeding 10 billion people on Earth
Let's start by looking at Earth.  If we consider the latest estimation, Earth's population is expected to reach 10 billion by 2050. Simultaneously we are facing climate changes that could impact the complete food ecosystem and require significant modifications to the ways in which we produce and consume food.

Figure 02 - Solid State Lighting to grow vegetables in indoor farming (source PRBX / asharkyu-Shutterstock)

Considering all the parameters and requirement to produce food with the highest respect for the environment, in 1999, Dr. Dickson Despommier with his students developed the idea of modern indoor farming, revitalizing the terms coined in 1915 by the American geologist Gilbert Ellis Bailey: "Vertical farming." We have all heard about it and even read articles about industrial buildings that were converted into vertical farms, but from the early days using fluorescent or halogen lighting to Solid State Lighting (SSL), there have been an amazing number of technological innovations that contribute to the effort to optimize the energy delivered to the plants for optimal growth. With these advances, the benefits of indoor farming multiplies. If we consider space utilization, 100 times more food could be produced per square meter compared to traditional agriculture, reducing water utilization by 90% and hazardous chemicals to none. Indoor farming is very attractive but to be really efficient such agriculture requires a very efficient lighting system (Figure 02).

Not all vegetables can grow with limited soil and nutrition by impregnation but for the ones compatible with this farming method, the results are impressive and can be further improved by using modern lighting technologies that are computer-controlled. This is very interesting area which for power designers to explore, combining advanced power electronics and modern agriculture, while keeping software in mind.

Since its introduction, indoor farming engineers conducted research to determine the spectrum and energy required by different plants to grow efficiently. From wide spectrum fluorescent or halogen lamps to narrower spectrum, the conventional lighting industry innovated a lot but these technologies are not flexible nor efficient enough to respond to the demand.

Figure 03 - The light spectrum to grow plants and vegetables typically starts at 450 nm (blue light) and goes through 730 nm (far red) (source PRBX)

Figure 04 - Light energy required ranges from 50 micromoles (µmol) for mushrooms up to 2.000 micromoles for light intensive plants (source PRBX)

In Japan from 2005-2008, agronomical researchers experimented with different lighting methods to adjust spectrum and energy to specific plants. Researchers concluded that the optimal light spectrum to grow plants and vegetables typically starts at 450 nm (blue light) and goes through 730 nm (far red) (Figure 03). The Photosynthetic Photon Flux Density (PPFD) required ranges from 50 micromoles (µmol) for mushrooms up to 2,000 micromoles for plants like tomatoes and some flowers that thrive in full summer light (Figure 04).

Agricultural experts advise that for optimal results different plants require different light spectra as well as differing light balances and intensities at different stages of growth, from seedling through harvest. This often results in the need for the artificial light to have a number of different spectra channels that are individually adjustable for intensity. Some crop growing practices combine different sources of lighting, including the use of UV flashes to prevent the development of parasites, requiring a power supply able to switch from constant voltage to constant current within a range from almost zero to the maximum (Figure 05). This specification for a power supply is very much what will be required for Space Farming, in addition to a power electronics architecture able to combat the effects of space radiation.

Figure 05 – COSEL power supply with multi-modes for voltage or current constant from max to near zero (Source PRBX/COSEL)

In 2015, NASA in association with the Fairchild Botanical Gardens in Miami began a project called 'Growing Beyond Earth' to define what plants would be suitable for autonomous space-farming. After a series of experiments which took into consideration the full development cycle, the variety of plants that were selected for further research included lettuces, mustard varieties, and radishes. These crops were first grown in a controlled lab on Earth, then in the ISS to study how plants are affected by the micro-gravity and other factors (Figure 06).

Figure 06 - NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson looks at the Advanced Astroculture Soybean plant growth experiment (Source: PRBX/NASA)

The 'Veggie' project included a large number of experimental factors such as "Pick-and-Eat Salad-Crop Productivity, Nutritional Value, and Acceptability to Supplement the ISS Food System (Veg-04A)" and included research on the optimum lighting conditions to grow plants. On the ISS, two light treatments with different red-to-blue ratios were tested for each set of crops to define light colors, levels, and horticultural best practices to achieve high yields of safe, nutritious leafy greens and tomatoes to supplement a space diet of pre-packaged food, and later for Moon or Mars farming. A number of reports have been released including 'Large-Scale crop production for Moon and Mars: Current gaps and future perspectives' published in February in 'Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences' summarizing seven years of experimentation on Earth and in the ISS (Figure 07).

Figure 07 – Examples of Kennedy Space Center 8KSC) prior, current and future space crop production platforms selected and designed to lead to crop production units destined for the Moon or Mars (Source PRBX/NASA)

The importance of optimizing the payload, the weight and size of everything is a big concern for space applications.  For all applications, from low orbit satellites to out-of-space exploration, power supplies have been developed with very advanced technologies to make them smaller and energy efficient.

Wide Band gap (WBG) semiconductors in space applications have formed a part of many research projects, and it's worth mentioning the report presented by NASA, in 2018, at the (RADECS) conference in Gothenburg: 'Radiation and its Effects on Components and Systems'. This identified the strengths and weaknesses of WBG when exposed to radiation. The recent announcement about the newly funded national collaboration led by Penn State to better predict and mitigate radiation-induced damage of WBG semiconductors is interesting. The U.S. Department of Defense awarded the team a five-year, $7.5 million Defense Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative Award. This clearly shows the high level of importance of WBG in space applications and their contribution to the next step.

In parallel, the semiconductor industry is moving forward. One example is the new division and products for space applications launched by Efficient Power Conversion (EPC). For power designers, having access to COTS ruggedized GaN for space applications will reduce the development time and cost when developing power supplies for space applications (Figure 08).

Figure 08 – Efficient Power Conversion (EPC) ruggedized GaN FET for space applications and DC/DC converter (Source: PRBX/EPC)

Conclusions:
Although one of the biggest challenges to in-spaceship farming is sourcing enough water and nutrients and then cycling them as efficiently as possible, there are many other obstacles we don't have to grapple with on Earth that will need to be considered too, such as cosmic radiation, lack of an atmosphere, and low levels of light. From the 2015 'Growing Beyond Earth' project to current advances in 2022, a lot of progress has been made, contributing to a better understanding of space farming, as well as in power electronics. We are in the early stages of a whole new era in which Wide Bandgap semiconductors in power electronics will play an important role.

Exciting time for power designers, isn't it?!

References:

Powerbox (PRBX):
https://www.prbx.com/

The Colonization of Space – Gerard K. O'Neill, Physics Today, 1974
https://space.nss.org/the-colonization-of-space-gerard-k-o-neill-physics-today-1974/

Fairchild Botanical Garden
https://fairchildgarden.org/gbe/

Growing Beyond Earth
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/students-help-nasa-researchers-decide-what-plants-to-grow-in-space

NASA / RADEC 2018
Jean-Marie Lauenstein – NASA GSFC, Greenbelt, MD, USA
Wide-Bandgap Semiconductors in Space: Appreciating the Benefits but Understanding the Risks

Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Science
Large-Scale Crop Production for the Moon and Mars: Current Gaps and Future Perspectives
Published 04 February 2022 / doi: 10.3389/fspas.2021.733944

Efficient Power Conversion (EPC)
https://epc-co.com/epc

Applied Power Electronics Conference (APEC)
https://apec-conf.org/

Provided by Patrick Le Fèvre Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Powerbox

Book Review: Workbench Troubleshooting EMC Emissions (Volume 2): Simple Techniques for Radiated and Conducted Emissions Troubleshooting and Pre-Compliance Testing (EMC Troubleshooting Trilogy), Kenneth Wyatt, Published 2021, 240 pages.

nyone who is aware of EMC topics knows Ken Wyatt. He is one of the top talents in the field with over 35 years of experience. He has shared this experience in several books and numerous technical articles and videos. Besides being a consultant and author, he is also a well-known lecturer. I have had the pleasure of arranging for Ken to be a presenter and teach classes at conferences and his efforts always resulted in rave reviews from the attendees.

Ken's latest book, "Workbench Troubleshooting EMC Emissions," is a follow-up to his earlier work in volume 1, "Create Your Own EMC Troubleshooting Kit". Here in volume 2, which of course builds on volume 1, the goal is to give the reader simple techniques for mitigating conducted and radiated emissions, and troubleshooting the same.

Now, there are certain books which are written with practical methods and useful information so that every engineer should have them on their shelf. Anything written by Ken Wyatt fits into that category. These books need to be distinguished from the thousands of books written by theoretical types. Naturally, those books serve a purpose too. But if your job is to get a product through regulatory testing and into volume production and shipping in a manner so that nothing fails in the field or comes back, then this book—along with volume 1—is for you.

This latest work is useful for any engineer at any level of expertise. That even includes the co-op student or the new engineer whose boss has instructed them to get a product ready so it can pass regulatory and compliance testing. It is also useful to the seasoned veteran who will learn some new tricks and techniques.

Ken has arranged his book in very logical progressions with a great overview and introduction to emissions, definitions of what they are and why they need to be mitigated. Basic EMC concepts are also explained. After the groundwork is set, the author dives into practical troubleshooting for conducted emissions and how to assess and then reduce them in your product under test. This of course logically transitions into troubleshooting radiated emissions with the same tenacity and expert guidance on how to measure and then reduce these emissions so that compliance can be achieved.

After reading both the conducted and radiated emissions troubleshooting sections, I cannot think of anything in my experience which has been left out. What's more, many new techniques are presented that will be of use to the practicing engineer. For example, in the conducted emissions section, the author outlines some simple yet cost effective ways to measure both differential- as well as common-mode currents. These methods employ some test instruments which won't break the bank such as a very cost effective LISN you can put to use immediately in the lab; so, you won't have to scrape your engineering management off the ceiling when you ask to buy the gear.

In the area of radiated emissions, the author explains a proven three-step process for tracking down the sources and mitigating them. He also has an interesting technique using near-field probes to track down the root causes of the interference.

His techniques do not require you to build a screen room in your building. But if you have one, his methodologies and approaches certainly apply. Moreover, they can be used by engineers with any level of expertise. There is something in here for everyone as Ken has done a great job of imparting wisdom and translating his knowledge from decades of work in the field into practical methods we all can perform in the engineering lab without huge monetary investments.

It also warmed my heart to see an entire chapter on pre-compliance testing. Beating the drum on pre-compliance testing is always an important thing as I continue to encounter good people paying big money in the EMC lab flailing helplessly while the test lab's spend-o-meter keeps racking up invoices. That is the last place— and possibly the most expensive place—to learn that you do not pass EMI compliance requirements. I regularly implore engineering managers to let their teams set up pre-compliance testing before they go to the certification labs. Make sure it passes in your lab first.

However, the chapter on pre-compliance testing was not just promoting the fact that engineering managers need to enable their engineers to perform pre-compliance testing at their facility and pass these tests before ever heading over to the lab. Ken outlines the important how-to specifics of pre-compliance testing for both conducted and radiated emissions. That includes how to set up a low-cost temporary lab to make the measurements.

The next chapters cover other EMC measurements, even those relating to the new wide-bandgap devices such as GaN power transistors. The author discusses what these new devices mean in terms of the EMC considerations. This is especially relevant for us in the power electronics world as we are seeing the fast adoption of these parts. Also helpful is a chapter on troubleshooting wireless self-interference, which is the ability of a product (especially one that contains RF links or aspects of them) to interfere with itself. The author then outlines tips on how to mitigate the effects of self-interference.

Another chapter provides case studies to help engineers learn from others' experiences as to what works and what does not. These cover both radiated and conducted examples, and how the problems were solved. Moreover, there is an excellent section of summary and references that contains a plethora of useful information and resources which will come in very handy.

Additionally, the appendices offer examples of industry-standard test setups for typical measurements and known-to-work test setups as well as several do-it-yourself constructions to save time and money. There is also a notable section on using LTspice to evaluate filters which is a big-time saver.

The only subjects not discussed are topics such as ESD and surge protection, which are sometimes treated as EMI-EMC topics. But by no means does this take anything away from Ken's excellent work as the transient and surge topics are subjects unto themselves that deserve their own texts. For example, an excellent work on that subject, "Design of Transient Protection Systems Including Supercapacitor Based Design Approaches for Surge Protection" by Nihal Kuluratna was reviewed in the Spotlight on Safety & Compliance in the January 2022 issue of How2Power Today.

Similarly, I recently obtained a copy of "Lightning Protection and Grounding Solutions for Communications Sites" by Ken Rand. It's an outstanding work covering lighting protection which of course is an extreme version of transient and surge protection.

But for help with EMI and EMC issues, particularly in power electronics, I recommend having Ken's books including this one, on any practicing engineer's bookshelf. It will not sit there gathering dust as you will likely consult it whenever EMI issues arise, or you need to plan ahead for compliance.

Ken knows what he is doing, and we are fortunate that he has chosen to pass on his decades of knowledge and expertise through his books and fine presentations. Do not hesitate to order your copy of this excellent and practical book. You will be glad you did.

Editor's Note: This article was first published in the February 2022 issue of
How2Power Today (http://www.how2power.com/newsletters/index.php).

If you or anyone in your company is interested in getting on the distribution list for future issues of PSMA UPDATE, please send e-mail to: power@psma.com. Be sure to include your name and the name of your company.