An EEMSF Educative Session: Safety for Power Electronic Converters

Australian Industry Group invites you to participate in the next Electrical Equipment Manufacturers and Suppliers Forum (EEMSF) Educative Session – Safety for Power Electronic Converters, with reference to IEC AS 62477-1 and insights from Committee EL-027 Power Electronics.

About the session

This session is designed to share the body of knowledge underpinning electrical standards development, helping to build technical capability across the standards and product regulation ecosystem. The objective of this session is to transfer knowledge from standards development committees and strengthen understanding of how technical standards are structured, applied and interpreted in practice.

Presenters

Per Grandjean-Thomsen is Principal at GT Power Electronic Consulting. Per is an industrial power electronics professional with expertise in R&D, engineering design, manufacturing, quality control, service, technical training and development of international standards for uninterruptible power systems (UPS). Per holds a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering with majors in Telecommunications from the University of São Paulo, and has completed postgraduate studies in Power Electronics at the Technical University of Copenhagen. He is a Chartered Professional Engineer (MIEAust, CPEng, NER, APEC Engineer, IntPE(Aus)).

Ron Jackson is Director of Zener Varidrive Solutions, an Australian company specialising in variable speed drives and soft starters. With decades of experience in power electronics and motor control technology, Ron leads the development of innovative drive solutions that improve industrial performance and energy efficiency. For more than 40 years, the Zener team has delivered custom engineering solutions for demanding applications and environments worldwide.

What the session will cover

This session will focus on the foundational knowledge behind power electronic converter safety standards, including key concepts needed to understand how these products operate and how safety is addressed. 

Agenda

• Introduction
• A brief overview of power electronics technology
• Hierarchy of standards: Basic, horizontal, and product standards
• Horizontal safety standards for power electronic converters, including the transition from IEC 60950 to IEC 62477-1
• Application in practice: How IEC 62040-1 (UPS safety standard) references IEC 62477-1 and incorporates additional UPS-specific requirements
• Why product standards should not stand alone: avoiding duplication and conflicts with horizontal standards

Who Should Attend

This session is intended for engineers and technical professionals, compliance and regulatory specialists and subject matter experts with strong technical backgrounds.

It is particularly suited to those who have limited or no prior knowledge of the topic and are keen to build their understanding.