Abstract
Power electronic converters are “hidden heroes” in numerous modern energy systems, such as wind turbines, Photovoltaics (PV), Power-to-X, electric vehicles, data centers, mobile phones, and smart homes. In contrast to CPUs/GPUs that process digitalized information, power electronic converters process electrical energy by efficiently converting voltage, current, or frequency. They are ubiquitous in electricity generation, transmission, distribution, and consumption, forming a critical part of the infrastructure for the green transition. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly solving optimization, regression, and classification problems within the energy sector, where deep electrification and digitalization intersect. This presentation focuses on the application of AI in the design, control, and condition monitoring of power electronic components and converters. Specifically, it covers the following aspects: 1) a brief introduction to power electronics and its pivotal role in modern energy systems; 2) an overview of AI research spanning from the 1990s to the present day, focusing on diverse power electronics applications; 3) discussions on the unique challenges faced when applying AI to power electronics compared to other domains, as well as the gaps between current academic research and industry applications; 4) a few illustrative examples that highlight the potential opportunities for employing AI in the field of power electronics.
Biography
Huai Wang is a Professor at the Department of Energy, Aalborg University in Denmark. He leads the Reliability of Power Electronic Converters (ReliaPEC) group and chairs the Mission of Digital Transformation and AI at AAU Energy, with 13 affiliated research groups. His research addresses the fundamental challenges and application issues related to efficient, reliable, and cognitive power electronic converters. Prof. Wang actively collaborates with companies throughout the value chain, from power electronic materials and components to systems. He has initiated four short-term industrial/PhD courses, which have been attended by over 500 PhD students and industry engineers. In addition, he has delivered more than 30 international conference tutorials and given over 100 invited talks.
Prof. Wang received his PhD from the City University of Hong Kong in 2012 and his B.E. from Huazhong University of Science and Technology in 2007. He has also conducted research as a short-term visiting scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 2013 and ETH Zurich in 2014. In addition, he was with the ABB Corporate Research Center in Switzerland in 2009. In recognition of his contributions, Prof. Wang received the Richard M. Bass Outstanding Young Power Electronics Engineer Award from the IEEE Power Electronics Society in 2016 and IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics 1st Prize paper award in 2021. Furthermore, he was Chair of the IEEE IAS/IES/PELS Chapter in Denmark from 2018 to 2020 and currently serves on the editorial board of 4 journals from IEEE, Springer Nature, and Elsevier. In 2023, he was elected as a member of the Danish Academy of Technical Sciences.
