Punjab Engineering College holds expert talks on chips, green energy

The Department of Electrical Engineering at PEC organised three industry-academia lectures on Wednesday and Thursday featuring Chetan Som, the founder CEO of Exaleap Semiconductor, Veer Karan Goyal, the head of power electronics at Electrowaves Electronics Limited, and Rajiv Sapra, the former deputy general manager at Delhi Transco.

Chetan Som spoke on the design and requirements of semiconductors in the power sector. He highlighted the evolution of system-on-chip architecture with a focus on RISC-V, an open-source semiconductor IP. He elaborated on rapid advancements in the semiconductor industry, emerging career opportunities, and the expanding role of the open-source ecosystem.

Veer Karan Goyal provided an overview of power electronics design, system design and control strategies. He discussed power electronic inverters and converters for renewable energy utilisation, emphasising their role in improving efficiency and integration. He also shared insights into battery charger design and the evolving requirements of India's battery charging infrastructure.

Rajiv Sapra spoke on load management through the State Load Dispatch Centre in Delhi and achieving uninterrupted power supply in a metropolitan city. Using live data processing, he demonstrated real-time shifting of electrical load across northern states. He explained how temperature variations impact electricity demand in urban areas.

The sessions helped bridge the gap between academia and industry by providing students and faculty with insights into real-world challenges and advancements in power electronics and sustainable energy solutions.