IEEE Power Electronics Magazine - December 2014 - 38

the IEEE and google launch Dc-ac
Inverter Design competition

he IEEE Power Elctronics
Society (PELS), in cooperation with search engine giant
Google, has launched an open dc-ac
power inverter design competition
called the "Little Box Challenge."
The prize is US$1 million and will be
awarded to an individual or a team
that can design and demonstrate a
kilovolt-ampere-scale dc-ac inverter
with a conversion efficiency of >95%
and a power density of 50 W/in3 or
higher. By designing a much smaller,
higher-efficiency inverter, the Little
Box Challenge plans to make a
big impact on the future of power
electronics.
In reality, the intent is to spur innovation that can drive a 10× or greater
reduction in the size of power inverters, leading to higher efficiency, in-

Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/MPEL.2014.2360632
Date of publication: 18 December 2014

creased reliability, and lower energy
costs. For example, a smaller inverter
could help create low-cost microgrids
in remote parts of the world or allow
people to keep the lights on during a
blackout via their electric car's battery.
"We are very pleased to present
this important initiative together with
Google to encourage innovation. By
participating in this challenge, members of industry and academia can
play a pivotal role in a technological
innovation that could have a major
impact on the world," said IEEE PELS
President Don F.D. Tan.
The Little Box Challenge supports
the IEEE's mission to foster technological innovation and excellence for
the benefit of humanity. As part of the
competition, individuals selected by
the IEEE and Google will judge the submissions, technical approach, and final
tests of the entrant devices and select
a winner.

Interestingly, the Little Box Challenge Web site pushes the use of
wide-bandgap (WBG) semiconductors, such as gallium nitride (GaN)
and silicon carbide, to achieve
higher power densities and efficiencies. In addition, it provides a list of
WBG device suppliers. Since Google
is an investor in GaN supplier Transphorm, its Web page describes how
Transphorm's GaN power switches
can be used to compete in the Little
Box Challenge.
Those who have registered must
submit a technical approach and
testing application by 22 July 2015.
Up to 18 finalists will be notified of
their selection for final testing at the
testing facility. They are required to
bring their inverters in person to a
testing facility in the United States
by 21 October 2015. The grand prize
winner will be announced sometime
in January 2016.

Fukuoka section's PEls Japan chapter
wins 2014 Best chapter award

o recognize the excellent service of the IEEE Power Electronics Society (PELS) Chapters or joint PELS Chapters in the
power electronics community, the Best
Chapter Award was established in 2000.
It is awarded annually to the Chapter

Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/MPEL.2014.2361539
Date of publication: 18 December 2014

IEEE PowEr ElEctronIcs MagazInE

that is ranked the best, using several
criteria. These include the number of
members, the number of technical
activities, and the use of the PELS supporting capabilities, such as the Distinguished Lecturer Program. In addition,
the Chapters are evaluated based on
activities such as organizing conferences, operating a Web site, and promoting
power electronics technology.

z December 2014

Traditionally, the PELS Best
Chapter Award is presented during
one of the major PELS conferences.
Accordingly, this year, the award
was given at the IEEE Energy Conversion Congress and Exposition
2014, held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (14-18 September), for the overall Chapter activities in 2013 and
plans for 2014.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IEEE Power Electronics Magazine - December 2014