Introducing power electronics technologies into the aerospace engineering undergraduate curriculum

Power electronics technologies will play a vital role in the aerospace industry in the years to come and all emerging technologies are already an important part of the industry either at R&D or in many cases production level. It is recognised that aerospace engineering and avionics students need to be aware of these technologies and in a position to work as a team member with development of power electronics technologies addressing specific needs. The paper discusses pioneering initiatives undertaken and the newly introduced course of power electronics and related technologies into the undergraduate aerospace engineering curriculum at the University of Glasgow, UK. The various components of the course are described in detail, along with the laboratory programme which is based on a "closed-loop" approach for the understanding of the various concepts. The views of the students regarding their experiences, especially in the laboratory environment, are critically discussed.