Thyristors, key components in power electronics, control electrical power with high efficiency. Featured in the Power Electronics Handbook for Electrical Engineers, thyristors enable precise regulation of current, essential for diverse applications. Their ability to handle high voltages and currents makes them invaluable in controlling power systems.
Thyristors are a class of semiconductor components exhibiting hysteresis, that property whereby a system fails to return to its original state after some cause of state change has been removed. A very simple example of hysteresis is the mechanical action of a toggle switch: when the lever is pushed, it flips to one of two extreme states (positions) and will remain there even after the source of motion is removed (after you remove your hand from the switch lever). To illustrate the absence of hysteresis, consider the action of a ”momentary” pushbutton switch, which returns to its original state after the button is no longer pressed: when the stimulus is removed (your hand), the system (switch) immediately and fully returns to its prior state with no ”latching” behavior.
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