r/ECE • u/free_man_555 • 1d ago

Seeking Advice from Power Electronics Engineers and Researchers

I’m interested in Power Electronics, but I’m struggling with one particular aspect: developing a strong physical intuition for how a circuit works before diving into the equations. My difficulty isn’t memorizing formulas or solving problems; it’s understanding why a circuit behaves the way it does in the first place.

For example, why are inductors and capacitors placed in specific positions within a circuit? How can I understand their behavior in context and predict current paths and waveforms before writing the equations? How did engineers originally come up with familiar converter topologies such as Buck and Boost, and how can we move from analyzing existing circuits to developing new topologies?

I’d really appreciate advice based on your actual experience:

  • What learning path would you recommend for developing a deep physical understanding of Power Electronics?
  • Which books, courses, and practical exercises have genuinely helped you?
  • How can I learn to think like a designer who understands circuits and can develop them from scratch, rather than simply analyzing existing designs?

I’d especially appreciate insights from engineers working in power converter design and researchers in the field, including the resources and learning approaches that have proved most useful in practice.

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u/RFchokemeharderdaddy 1d ago

How can I learn to think like a designer who understands circuits and can develop them from scratch, rather than simply analyzing existing designs?

You don't. Follow the recipe, don't get ahead of yourself.

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u/free_man_555 21h ago

Why I feel like i'm not understanding  The real problem is that I can't find anyone who explains the circuits themselves. Everyone focuses on calculating the average output voltage and power, while the books don't focus enough on the physical understanding of how the circuits actually work.

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u/RFchokemeharderdaddy 21h ago

while the books don't focus enough on the physical understanding of how the circuits actually work.

This is not true, every power electronics book I have ever come across focuses significant time on how the circuits work in detail. They assume some familiarity with basic components and circuit theory, and require your attention. You cannot skim them.

Hell, even the Wikipedia page for buck converters provides pretty good detail, have you tried there?