Power electronics for propulsion

Power electronic systems are being applied to an increasing variety of propulsion systems for terrestrial vehicles. Particularly important are the applications to electric cars, trains, and maglev. The author discusses design methodology, identifies important issues, and explores design alternatives. He also describes existing propulsion systems and ideas for future improvements, with a particular emphasis on cost reduction for systems in the range from 20 kVA to 20 MVA. It is concluded that new devices and better ways of using existing devices will probably have the most dramatic impact. A sustained effort on relevant basic research would is recommended