ECE4055 Power electronic converters
Faculty of Engineering
ECE4055 Power electronic converters is a level 4, 6-credit-point, undergraduate unit from the Faculty of Engineering, offered in 2026 in Semester 1 at Clayton. It needs ECE2131.
- Credit points
- 6
- Offered in 2026
- Semester 1
- Clayton
- Assessment
- Exam 50%
- and 5 other tasks
- Workload
- 144 hours
- per semester
This is the 2026 handbook entry. See the 2027 entry.
Reviews
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Requisites
Before ECE4055
Prerequisites
Pass these before you enrol.
Prohibitions
You can't enrol if you have passed any of these.
After ECE4055
No unit lists ECE4055 as a prerequisite in the 2026 handbook.
Equivalent units
The same content under another code. Only one of them counts.
Overview
The unit presents a structured treatment of the design of switched-mode power electronic converters. The unit starts with passive diode rectifiers followed by thyristor rectifiers. Introducing various semi-conductor active switches, commutation cells and pulse width modulation techniques, various active power electronics converters including DC/DC buck and boost converters, flyback converters, resonant converters, two-level DC/AC converters, and three-level DC/AC converters will be studied in detail. Finally, a few real-world applications such as variable speed drives and power filters are presented as examples.
Offerings in 2026
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| First semester | Clayton | On campus |
Assessment
- Pre-lab knowledge checkDemonstrationThreshold hurdle5%
- Experimental lab reviewDemonstrationThreshold hurdle15%
- Lab reportWrittenThreshold hurdle10%
- PSCAD reviewDemonstrationThreshold hurdle10%
- Mid-semester testQuiz / TestThreshold hurdle10%
- Final assessmentExaminationThreshold hurdle50%
Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.
Learning outcomes
When you finish this unit, you should be able to:
- 1
Identify power semiconductor devices and use them to implement power electronic converters.
- 2
Analyse two-level/three-level DC/AC converters and isolated/non-isolated DC/DC converters.
- 3
Construct simulations of two-level/three-level DC/AC and isolated/non-isolated DC/DC power converters.
- 4
Implement two-level DC/AC and non-isolated DC/DC power converters.
- 5
Use power electronic converters in a wide range of applications.
- 6
Identify pulse width modulation techniques and use them in DC/AC and DC/DC power converters.
Workload and teaching
- Laboratories24 hours
- Practical activities24 hours
The minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of 3-6 hours of scheduled learning activities and 6-9 hours independent study per week. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher-directed learning, peer-directed learning and online engagement. Independent study may include associated readings, assessment and preparation for scheduled activities.
Where it fits
ECE4055 is part of 3 areas of study in the 2026 handbook.
- ECSYSENG04Core List AElectrical and computer systems engineeringNo reviews yet
- PWRENSYS02Studying electrical and computer systems engineering specialisationPower and energy systems engineeringNo reviews yet
- ROBMCTRN04Robotics and mechatronics engineering technical electivesRobotics and mechatronics engineeringNo reviews yet
Contacts
- Chief Examiners
- Associate Professor Behrooz Bahrani
- Unit Coordinators
- Associate Professor Behrooz Bahrani
Common questions
What are the prerequisites for ECE4055?
You need ECE2131 before you enrol.
When is ECE4055 offered?
In 2026, ECE4055 runs in Semester 1 at Clayton.
How much work is ECE4055?
The handbook expects about 144 hours of study across the semester. No students have rated its difficulty yet.
Does ECE4055 have an exam?
Yes. The exam is worth 50% of the final mark, alongside 5 other tasks.
Which majors and minors include ECE4055?
ECE4055 is part of Electrical and computer systems engineering; Power and energy systems engineering; and Robotics and mechatronics engineering.