IEEE Power Electronics Society

IEEE Power Electronics Society
Name	IEEE Power Electronics Society
Founded	1960s
Type	Professional association
Headquarters	Piscataway, New Jersey
Region served	Worldwide
Parent organization	Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

IEEE Power Electronics Society

The IEEE Power Electronics Society is a professional association within the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers dedicated to power electronics research, development, and application. It serves an international constituency of engineers and scientists working on converters, inverters, motor drives, renewable energy interfaces, and electric power conversion systems, fostering collaboration among members affiliated with institutions such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, University of California, Berkeley, Tsinghua University, and Technion – Israel Institute of Technology.

History

The society traces roots to mid-20th century developments in semiconductor and converter technology that involved organizations like Bell Labs, General Electric, Siemens, Mitsubishi Electric, and Texas Instruments. Early milestones intersected with conferences such as the IEEE Conference on Power Electronics Specialists and collaborations with entities including NASA, Argonne National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Fraunhofer Society, and CEA (France). Influential figures associated with the field include inventors and researchers from Fairchild Semiconductor, Intel, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, CERN, University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign, and Tokyo Institute of Technology, while technological progress paralleled efforts by companies such as ABB, Schneider Electric, Nidec, Hitachi, and Renesas Electronics.

Membership and Organization

Membership draws engineers from corporations like Ford Motor Company, Toyota, General Motors, Volvo Group, Siemens Gamesa, and Vestas Wind Systems as well as academics from Imperial College London, ETH Zurich, University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, and EPFL. The society's governance aligns with IEEE structures involving the IEEE Board of Directors, regional units including IEEE Region 1, IEEE Region 8, and IEEE Region 10, and technical committees modeled after committees of the National Academy of Engineering and advisory groups similar to panels at National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Local chapters and student branches are present at institutions like Purdue University, University of Michigan, University of Tokyo, Seoul National University, and Monash University.

Technical Activities and Conferences

Technical activities include working groups, standards committees, and symposiums that coordinate with conferences such as IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition, IEEE International Symposium on Industrial Electronics, IEEE Applied Power Electronics Conference, IEEE International Electric Machines & Drives Conference, and regional events in partnership with organizations like European Power Electronics Association and Asia Pacific Electric Vehicles Conference. Collaborations extend to research consortia and funding agencies including European Commission, Japan Science and Technology Agency, National Science Foundation, DARPA, and Horizon 2020 programs. The society engages with industry alliances including SEMI, EPRI, UL Standards, and trade shows like Electronica and Hannover Messe.

Publications and Standards

The society publishes peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings contributing to literature alongside periodicals from Nature Electronics, IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics, IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics, IEEE Transactions on Energy Conversion, and publications affiliated with Springer Nature. Editors and authors commonly come from institutions such as Carnegie Mellon University, Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, Columbia University, and University of Toronto. Standards and recommended practices have been developed in coordination with bodies like IEEE Standards Association, International Electrotechnical Commission, IEC TC 22, ISO, and National Electrical Manufacturers Association, addressing interfaces used by vendors including Schneider Electric, ABB, Siemens, Eaton, and Rockwell Automation.

Awards and Recognition

The society administers awards patterned after academic and professional honors similar to those given by IEEE Medal of Honor, IEEE Fellow elevation, and recognitions akin to prizes from Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and National Academy of Engineering. Laureates often hail from labs and companies such as Los Alamos National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, Microsoft Research, Google X, Tesla, Inc., and Bosch Research. Award ceremonies intersect with flagship conferences similar to gatherings at Palais des congrès de Montréal, San Diego Convention Center, Kyoto International Conference Center, and ExCeL London.

Outreach and Education

Education efforts include tutorials, webinars, and short courses run in partnership with universities and organizations like Coursera, edX, IEEE Educational Activities Board, UNESCO, and International Renewable Energy Agency. Student competitions and scholarships engage institutions such as California Institute of Technology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Delft University of Technology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. The society collaborates with standards educators and accreditation bodies including ABET and professional development programs akin to those from IEEE PES and CIGRÉ.

Category:Professional associations Category:Power electronics