Electric power conversion - wikipedia Electric power conversion For generic power conversion ( e.g., heat to electric energy ), see energy transformation. In electrical engineering, power engineering and the electric power industry, power conversion is converting electric energy from one form to another such as converting between AC and DC ; or just changing the voltage or frequency ; or some combination of these. A power converter is an electrical or electro - mechanical device for converting electrical energy. This could be as simple as a transformer to change the voltage of AC power, but also includes far more complex systems. The term can also refer to a class of electrical machinery that is used to convert one frequency of alternating current into another frequency. Power conversion systems often incorporate redundancy and voltage regulation. One way of classifying power conversion systems is according to whether the input and output are alternating current ( AC ) or direct current ( DC ). Contents 1 DC power conversion 1.1 DC to DC 1.2 DC to AC 2 AC Power Conversion 2.1 AC to DC 2.2 AC to AC 3 Other systems 4 See also 5 References 6 External links DC power conversion DC to DC Main article : DC - to - DC converter A Voltage regulator and Linear regulator convert DC to DC. This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. ( May 2017 ) DC to AC A power inverter is a means of converting DC to AC. This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. ( May 2017 ) AC power conversion AC to DC The following devices can convert AC to DC : Rectifier Mains power supply unit ( PSU ) Switched - mode power supply This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. ( May 2017 ) AC to AC Main article : AC / AC Converter The following devices can convert AC to AC : Transformer / autotransformer Voltage converter Voltage regulator Cycloconverter Variable - frequency transformer This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. ( May 2017 ) Other systems Main article : Three - phase electric power There are also devices and methods to convert between power systems designed for single and three - phase operation. The standard power voltage and frequency varies from country to country and sometimes within a country. In North America and northern South America it is usually 120 volt, 60 hertz ( Hz ), but in Europe, Asia, Africa and many other parts of the world, it is usually 230 volt, 50 Hz. Aircraft often use 400 Hz power internally, so 50 Hz or 60 Hz to 400 Hz frequency conversion is needed for use in the ground power unit used to power the airplane while it is on the ground. Conversely, internal 400 Hz internal power may be converted to 50 Hz or 60 Hz for convenience power outlets available to passengers during flight. Certain specialized circuits can also be considered power converters, such as the flyback transformer subsystem powering a CRT, generating high voltage at approximately 15 kHz. Consumer electronics usually include an AC adapter ( a type of power supply ) to convert mains - voltage AC current to low - voltage DC suitable for consumption by microchips. Consumer voltage converters ( also known as `` travel converters '' ) are used when travelling between countries that use ~ 120 V versus ~ 240 V AC mains power. ( There are also consumer `` adapters '' which merely form an electrical connection between two differently shaped AC power plugs and sockets, but these change neither voltage nor frequency. ) See also Cascade converter Motor - generator Rotary converter Resonant converter References Jump up ^ Electric Power Around the World, Kropla.com Abraham I. Pressman ( 1997 ). Switching Power Supply Design. McGraw - Hill. ISBN 0 - 07 - 052236 - 7. Ned Mohan, Tore M. Undeland, William P. Robbins ( 2002 ). Power Electronics : Converters, Applications, and Design. Wiley. ISBN 0 - 471 - 22693 - 9. Fang Lin Luo, Hong Ye, Muhammad H. Rashid ( 2005 ). Digital Power Electronics and Applications. Elsevier. ISBN 0 - 12 - 088757 - 6. Fang Lin Luo, Hong Ye ( 2004 ). Advanced DC / DC Converters. CRC Press. ISBN 0 - 8493 - 1956 - 0. Mingliang Liu ( 2006 ). Demystifying Switched - Capacitor Circuits. Elsevier. ISBN 0 - 7506 - 7907 - 7. External links ( 1 ). A general description of DC - DC converters. U.S. based 50 Hz, 60 Hz and 400 Hz frequency converter manufacturer GlobTek, Inc. Glossary of Electric power conversion Power Supply Terms Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Electric_power_conversion&oldid=784346088 '' Categories : Electric power conversion Electronic engineering Electric power systems components Hidden categories : Wikipedia articles needing clarification from May 2017 Articles to be expanded from May 2017 All articles to be expanded Articles using small message boxes Talk Contents About Wikipedia Català Dansk Deutsch Español فارسی Қазақша Nederlands Русский Українська 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 7 June 2017, at 20 : 38. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: which device is used to convert ac to dc
Answer: Rectifier