Development in Power Electronics and Motion Controls

Abstract

Power Electronics and Motion Control has emerged as a very important field in the latest trend of Industrial Automation. This field is multi-disciplinary in nature which includes Power semiconductor devices, Electrical machines, Control theory, Converters, Inverters, Signal Electronics & Microcomputers. Keeping up with the fast technological changes in the above areas is indeed a challenge. A review of a brief history, present position and future scenario including various innovative trends within the country and outside, relating to the development in a few of the areas such as Power Semi-conductor devices, converter circuits and servo control techniques are discussed.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

LI Dubey

LI Dubey obtained his Diploma in Industrial Electronics (DIE) in the year 1976. He started his career with the Static Control Group of M/s Larsen & Toubro, in 1976 and subsequently joined the Power Electronics Group of R&D Dept. of M/s Tata Power Company Ltd. where he worked for several years on development activities relating to various types of dc drives. A few major systems in this area were Planer Table Control using reversible regenerative converters, 2-Hi/4-Hi cold rolling mills for M/S Ahmedabad Advance Mills, Navasari, stainless steel slitting line for M/S Salem Steel Plant, Salem, etc.

At present Mr Dubey is working as Senior Executive Engineer in the Strategic Electronics Division of M/s Tata Power Co Ltd and is mainly associated with various programmes handled by Servo Control Group. A few major projects in the area of servo controls where he has been involved include development of Antenna/Weapon Launch Platforms such as Akash & Trishul missile launchers under Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP) of DRDO, an highly accurate platform positioning system for Multi-barrel Rocket Launcher ‘PINAKA’, Antenna Retraction &Servo Systems(ARSS) for project Samyukta- a development programme of DRDO, etc.

AK Mokal

AK Mokal obtained his BSc degree in the year 1967, He completed his Diploma in Electronics and Radio Engineering (DERE)in the year 1969. He started his career on Variable Energy Cyclotron project with BARC, Mumbai and worked till 1973. He joined the Industrial Systems Dept of M/s Hindustan Engg. Corporation in 1973 and worked till 1974.

Shri Mokal joined R&D Dept of M/s Tata Power Co. Ltd., in the year 1974, where he worked on development activities relating to reversible regenerative dc drives for various industrial applications, in the Power Electronics Group for several years. This also included the circulating and non-circulating current type anti-parallel converters using thyristors and H-Bridge type reversible regenerative transistorised switching amplifiers working from dc source. This technology was later extended for use in servo drives for accurate positioning of two-axis platforms. At present, Shri Mokal is working an Assistant Manager in the Strategic Electronics Division of M/s Tata Power Co. Ltd. and is mainly associated with various programmes handled by Servo Control Group.

A Bashir

A Bashir obtained his BE degree in Electrical Engineering from Visvesvaraya Regional College of Engineering, Nagpur, in 1974. He went on to obtain his MTech and PhD degrees in Electrical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai.

Starting his career in 1976 with the R&D Department of the Tata Power Company as a Design Engineer in the Power Electronics Group, Dr Bashir made significant contributions in the design of Power Electronics Systems, notable among them being a Rugged Parallel Inverter for the Indian Navy and a 35 KVA UPS System for P&Ts Earth Stations.

He was soon nominated as a Project Leader in the Power Electronics Group responsible for co-ordinating the design activities on Static Exciter for Synchronous Condensers for the Tata Power Company's own power system, High Current Stabilized DC Power Supplies, SMPS and Disturbance Recorder Units for applications in power line monitoring and analysis.

Dr Bashir's most fruitful years were his tenure as the Head of the Power Electronics Group during 1984 to 1997, when he successfully steered the efforts of his team of engineers in the development of several Servo Control & Drive Systems for Antenna / Weapon Launch Platforms. Such systems developed for the ‘Akash’ and ‘Trishul’ Missile Launchers under Integrated Guided Missile Development Program of DRDO are the hail-mark of Dr Bashir's achievements. One of his significant contributions has been the Automatic Levelling Outrigger Systems and the high accuracy Platform Positioning System for Multi-Barrel Rocket Launcher ‘PINAKA’. In the recent years, his contribution has been essentially directed towards Strategic Electronic Systems with specific accent on control-electronics and data processing, meeting with very stringent physical and electro-magnetic environmental specifications.

Concurrent to his achievements in the field, Dr Bashir has authored several technical papers in leading national and international journals such as JEE and JIETE of India, International Journal of Electronics (UK) and IEEE (USA), for which he received commendations by way of CDIL Award for Industry. Through his continued contributions in the field of R&D, he has been awarded Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya Gold Medal, Bimal Bose Award for achievements in the field of Power Electronics, BV Baliga Award for contributions in the field of Electronics and Communications, National Design Award from Institution of Engineers for outstanding contribution in the field of Engineering Design and recognition by international WHO's WHO Historical Society, Boston, USA, for his professional and civic achievements.

Today, Dr Bashir is the General Manager for Strategic Electronics Division of The Tata Power Company Limited and oversees its activities entailing Management of Technology through product formulation, technology forecasting and strategic planning.