Supercapacitors in Transportation Applications at APEC 2015
The Applied Power Electronics Conference 2015 (APEC 2015) celebrates its 25th year in Charlotte, NC. The conference opens on March 15, 2015 and is focused on power electronics. The schedule of technical sessions range from industry experts to students presenting research papers. APEC’s exhibit floor is usually packed with every vendor in the power electronics supply chain. This is one of the largest electrical engineering shows in North America—and I’m excited to announce I will be presenting in one of the industry sessions!
My past APEC experiences
From the first time I attended APEC, I have continued to be impressed with the quality of the growing conference. While my early career was focused on digital and RF design, my recent career has me focused on power supplies. My applications now range from DC-DC converters to high power Solar Inverters—the same coverage provided at APEC!
Attending conferences like APEC is critical if you have any interest in electronics. Everything needs a power converter at some point, so understanding how they work is important
It doesn’t matter if you are a professional or a hobbyist. There is something here for both.
For the Professional APEC 2015 Attendee
One of the struggles many of us deal with at work is finding technical training to expand our electronics knowledge. Let’s be honest, watching a one-hour WebEx alone isn’t enough to push our skills forward. We like to ask questions and engage in technical conversations.
Attending a conference surrounded by like-minded colleagues sparks a new level of thinking. The technical and industry sessions can bright to light new solutions to problems you might be dealing with today.
One of the things I really like about APEC is that even the “Industry Sessions”, which are the vendor’s chance to present whatever they want, still are deeply technical conversations. Of course, I am a bit biased since I am participating in the Capacitor Industry Session this year with my presentation on Supercapacitors for Transportation Applications.
Hobbyist can Benefit from APEC 2015 too
The registration fees for APEC aren’t cheap. Professional conferences can be hard to swallow if electronics is just a hobby. But! Don’t let that deter you.
The Exhibit floor is still a wealth of information. Vendors are on hand with their technical sales team to answer questions about their products or services, and how they can help with our projects.
My suggestion, is to be up front if you aren’t working on a commercial project. Let them know it is a personal project, or one with limited sales. Here’s the great thing—if they still talk to you, they’re actually interested in what you’re doing and NOT just what they can sell you! And it never hurts to have allies in the industry!
(Note, at the same time, if they’re rude to you once learning you are passionate and not a ripe sales opportunity, find one of their competitors that do want to talk to you.)
Baldengineer’s Presentation: Supercapacitors in Transportation
Stop by the Capacitor Industry session (IS09) on Wednesday March 18th. The session runs from 2:00 until 5:30 and I, get the honor of being the last presentation of the day! I promising to make the presentation energizing. (See what I did there?)
My topic is on how Supercapacitors are used in the Transportation Industry. These are the large can, 3000F style capacitors commonly found in breaking/regenerative applications like those in metro city busses and trains.
If you don’t have a budget that gets you into the Industry Sessions, I’ll be at the KEMET Electronics Booth most of the time the Exhibit Floor is open. Ask anyone there for James (or the bald engineer.) It’s booth #1229. Mention this blog post, I have a special gift for you!
