Intermediate Power Electronics Power Converter Topologies, Modeling & Control

Day 1

Session 01: Future Trends and Applications of Power Electronics Technology

Key trends driving size reductions and efficiency improvements.

Session 02: Rectifiers

Applications and types of rectifiers, focusing on the electric vehicle industry.

Session 03: Single Phase Pulse Width Modulation (PWM)

Introduction to PWM algorithms for DC and single-phase AC applications.

Session 04: DC to DC Converters (Part 1)

Basic principles, including buck and boost converters, interleaving, and bi-directional power flow.

Session 05: DC to DC Converters (Part 2)

Advanced DC-DC converter concepts, including flyback and isolated topologies.

Day 2

Session 06: DC to DC Converters (Part 3) – Modeling & Simulation

Average and switching models for DC-DC converters, with simulation exercises.

Session 07: DC to AC Inverters (Part 1)

Fundamental topologies for single-phase and three-phase AC waveform generation.

Session 08: Three Phase Pulse Width Modulation (PWM)

PWM strategies for three-phase applications, with harmonic analysis.

Session 09: DC to AC Inverters (Part 2) – Multilevel

Overview of multilevel inverters, modulation techniques, and harmonic performance.

Session 10: DC to AC Inverters (Part 3) – Simulation & Advanced Topics

Advanced topics in AC/DC and DC/AC converters for DC motors and three-phase loads.

Day 3

Session 11: Switching Transistors for Power Electronics

Differentiate between switching transistor technologies and optimize their performance in power converter designs.

Session 12: Gate Drive for Power Transistors

Design and optimize gate drive circuits considering power stage requirements and isolation technologies.

Session 13: PCB Layout for Gate-Drive Circuits

Apply PCB layout principles to minimize inductance, improve EMI performance, and enhance reliability of gate-drive circuits.

Session 14: PCB Layout for Power Transistors

Design PCB layouts to optimize thermal and electrical performance in power transistor applications.

Day 4

Session 15: Thermal Engineering Practice for Power Electronics

Basics of thermal design, conduction/switching losses, and cooling methods.

Session 16: Insulation Design

Electrical insulation materials, standards, and failure mechanisms in applications.

Session 17: Reliability Engineering for Power Electronics

Reliability concepts, failure mechanisms, and accelerated testing for power electronics. 

Session 18: Course Review & Roundtable Wrap-up

Summary and interactive roundtable discussion to consolidate learning.

Registration Date/Time:
2/23/2026 7:30am Central Time

Event Dates/Times:

• 2/23/2026  8:30am - 5:00pm Central Time
• 2/24/2026  8:30am - 5:00pm Central Time
• 2/25/2026  8:30am - 5:00pm Central Time
• 2/26/2026  8:30am - 5:00pm Central Time

This is a live online course that uses the Zoom and Canvas platforms. 

The registration confirmation will guide students through accessing the Canvas course site.

Students will create and log in to the Canvas course site with a NetID. Course assets such as instructional materials, participation certificates, and course evaluations will be available to all students through the Canvas course site.

The course materials are all digital and only available on the Canvas course website. 

Online attendees will access sessions via the Zoom web conferencing platform. The Zoom link will be provided a few days before the course.

Please watch the email address that you provide during registration for release dates and pre-course information. 

• Instructors

  Thomas Jahns

  Grainger Professor of Power Electronics And Electric Machines

  Dr. Thomas M. Jahns received his bachelors, masters, and doctoral degrees from MIT, all in electrical engineering.

  Dr. Jahns joined the faculty of the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1998 in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.  He served for 14 years as a Co-Director of the Wisconsin Electric Machines and Power Electronics Consortium (WEMPEC), a world-renowned university/industry consortium in the electrical power engineering field.  Since 2021, he is the Grainger Emeritus Professor of Power Electronics and Electrical Machines.

  Prior to coming to UW-Madison, Dr. Jahns worked at GE Corporate Research and Development (now GE Global Research) in Niskayuna, NY, for 15 years, where he pursued new power electronics and motor drive technology in a variety of research and management positions. His current research interests at UW-Madison include integrated motor drives and electrified propulsion for both land vehicles and aircraft.

  Dr. Jahns is a Fellow of IEEE.  He received the 2005 IEEE Nikola Tesla Technical Field Award “for pioneering contributions to the design and application of AC permanent magnet machines”.  Dr. Jahns is a Past President of the IEEE Power Electronics Society.  He was elected to the US National Academy of Engineering in 2015 and received the IEEE Medal in Power Engineering in 2022.

  Eric Persson

  Executive Director

  Eric Persson is Executive Director of GaN Applications Engineering at Infineon Technologies. He is a semiconductor industry veteran with 15 years at International Rectifier, and a hands-on power electronic design engineer for 20 years before that. He has presented more than 70 seminars, tutorials and short courses on power electronics at various conferences and Universities around the world.

  Steven Fredette

  Associate Teaching Professor

  Fredette is an associate teaching professor in the Electrical and Computer Engineering department at UW-Madison. He is interested in the design, simulation, modeling, controls, and development of power conversion systems for alternative energy (wind, solar PV, fuel cells) and industrial (HVAC, elevator, traction) applications. Fredette has delivered innovative, producible solutions to the industrial, aerospace, and alternative energy fields.

  He has acquired a wide range of industrial experience through work for United Technologies, Vestas Technology R&D, and American Superconductor (AMSC). He has a PhD from UW-Madison.

  Weijun Yin

  Weijun earned her Ph.D. from the University of Connecticut in 1993. She has an extensive background in creating electrical insulation materials and systems for various power generation and coversion applications, including electrical machines and drives, wires and cables, and transformers.

  Prior to her retirement in September 2022, Dr. Yin held the position of Senior Principal Engineer at the GE Global Research Center in New York. There, she led the development of advanced electrical insulation systems tailored for high voltage and high power density electrical systems. She also served as the chair of SAE AE-11 and played a pivotal role in the recent publication of AIR 7374. Dr. Yin holds more than 30 US patents, alongside numerous patent applications.

  Currently, Dr. Yin contributes her  expertise as a consultant, focusing on the development and design of dielectric materials and electrical insulation systems for high voltage and high power density electrical systems.

• Program Director

  Erick Oberstar

This course is part of the Electrified Systems Certificate series. Course may be taken individually as well.

Fee covers course materials and live online instruction.

When three or more sign up from same employer, your course fee is $1795.50 each. Team affiliation will be verified

WEMPEC members received $200 off the course fee. Membership affiliation will be verified. 

If you are planning to attend an Interdisciplinary Professional Programs course, payment is required at the time of registration. Below are the payment options:

Pay by Credit Card

Enroll online and pay by credit card.

• Search for the course on the website and then click on the Enroll Now button from the course webpage.
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Enroll over the phone and pay by credit card.

• Call CERC Registrations at 608-262-2451.
• Provide the registrations representative with:
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• You will receive either a mailed document or an email to confirm successful enrollment payment.

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Mail in a completed registration form and check payable to UW Madison.

• Fill out a registration form (found either in the back of the course brochure you received in the mail or here).
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• Mail the registration form and check to: CERC Registrations 21 N Park St, Ste 7101 Madison, WI 53715
• You will receive either a mailed document or an email to confirm successful enrollment and payment.

Pay by Purchase Order

• Request Purchase Order information from interpro@union.wisc.edu
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Military

If using SF-182 form, please call our registration number at 608-262-2451 or email interpro@union.wisc.edu for details and instructions.

Event Cancellation

We reserve the right to cancel a course due to insufficient enrollment or unforeseen events. If we cancel a course, participants will be notified via email or phone and will be given the option for a full refund or to transfer their registration and any fees paid to another course. We are not responsible for non-refundable plane tickets, hotel reservations, and other travel related expenses. For enrollee Course Cancellation, refer to notes on course page.

Once you have accessed the online course, exam and/or materials, no cancellations or refunds are permitted.