ABSTRACT
Extreme electronics in energy production and utilization covers a very wide range of professional fields, technologies, areas of expertise, and industries in general. The topics include downhole logging and energy exploration tools, power plant and turbine instrumentation, and power electronics conversion in renewable energy sources and electric distribution. As the global search for new and undiscovered fossil fuel reserves continues to increase in urgency and difficulty, the implementation of high-tech tools in the industry is quickly growing paramount. Conventional steam power plants all use the same thermodynamic principals to create electricity, namely, a heat source produces steam which in turn spins a turbine. The mechanical energy from the rotating turbine is transformed into electricity via an electrical generator. The significant majority of electronics found in the electric power transmission and distribution systems are either high voltage switch gear or high voltage power electronic substations.
