
Course Overview
Designed to accommodate busy professionals, this one-week course (four, 6-hour days) combines theory with practical applications, examples, and hands-on demonstrations. Participants will gain foundational knowledge in power electronics, exploring topics such as DC/AC inverters, rectifiers, electric vehicle chargers, and EMI considerations. With real-world examples from diverse industries, attendees will leave equipped with the essential tools to navigate this rapidly expanding field.
Who Should Attend
- Engineers and technical professionals looking to gain foundational knowledge in power electronics.
- Professionals working in industries like renewable energy, electric vehicles, and motion control systems.
- Engineering managers and system designers seeking to understand the integration of power electronics in advanced technologies.
Learning Outcomes
- Understand the fundamental principles and applications of power electronics in modern systems.
- Learn key concepts such as DC/AC conversion, thermal management, and EMI reduction for enhanced performance.
- Apply power electronics knowledge to practical applications, including electric vehicles, renewable energy, and precision motion control.
Course Outline
- Introduction to Power Electronics and Applications/PE Overview
- DC/AC Inverters
- Rectifiers
- Fundamentals of Capacitors and Inductors in Power Electronics
- Basic DC/DC Converters
- Electric Vehicle Chargers
- EMI for Power Electronics I
- EMI for Power Electronics II
- Reliability Engineering for Power Electronics I
- Reliability Engineering for Power Electronics II
- Thermal Engineering Practice for Power Electronics I
- Thermal Engineering Practice for Power Electronics II
- Controls and Dynamics
- Insulation and Dielectric Design
- Introduction to Wide Bandgap Devices
- Examples of Power Electronics in EVs/HEVs
Instructors
Thomas Jahns
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.
Tim Burress
Tim Burress, Electric Machines Team Leader, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Burress has led developments of motor controls and drives as well as comprehensive dynamometer evaluations for over 10 years. He also leads novel machine design projects for transportation applications.
Upcoming dates (1)
Fundamentals of Power Electronics
Location: Online
Course #: RA01185-E276
Fee: $1,895
interpro.wisc.edu/RA01185
Fee
- $1,895
Fee covers course materials and online instruction
Discounts
Wisconsin Electric Machines and Power Electronics Consortium, College of Engineering, UW-Madison member course fee: $1695. We will verify your affiliation. Get 10% off per person if you also registered in the Electrified Systems Certicate series.
Credits
- CEU: 2
- PDH: 20
Schedule
Registration Date/Time:
10/19/2026 08:00am Central Time
Event Dates/Times:
- 10/19/2026 8:30am - 3:00pm Central Time
- 10/20/2026 8:30am - 3:00pm Central Time
- 10/21/2026 8:30am - 3:00pm Central Time
- 10/22/2026 8:30am - 3:00pm Central Time
Course Notes
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, Ahmad Khan, Steven Fredette
Location
This is an online course.
Cancellation Policy
Once you have accessed the online course, exam and/or materials, no cancellations or refunds are permitted.
