Page 188 - Power Electronic Control in Electrical Systems

//SYS21/F:/PEC/REVISES_10-11-01/075065126-CH005.3D ± 176 ± [153±176/24] 17.11.2001 10:15AM

176 Power semiconductor devices and converter hardware issues

tronic systems. Snubberless operation of fully controlled semiconductors at high
values of current and voltage and their rates of change will be realizable in the near
future. New emerging applications of these semiconductors in areas such as Power
Transmission and Distribution and High Voltage Industrial Motor Drives will be
possible. The thyristor will remain the only component for certain applications, due
to its unmatched characteristics. However, expected improvements of the GTO and
IGBT technology and emerging new devices may replace it sooner than later. New
applications and use of improved semiconductors may be possible. The next ten to
twenty years will therefore see design and use of power electronic systems towards the
`silicon only' with `no impedance' reactive power compensators and a totally
electronically controlled power system as will be discussed in the following chapters.