Quote: “In the low-power regime, the way these power converters work, it’s not based on a continuous flow of energy,” Paidimarri says. “It’s based on these pack

Quote: “In the low-power regime, the way these power converters work, it’s not based on a continuous flow of energy,” Paidimarri says. “It’s based on these packets of energy. You have these switches, and an inductor, and a capacitor in the power converter, and you basically turn on and off these switches.” To me that's a failed attempt to create a layperson-accessible explanation. In my NASA Space Shuttle work in decades past I also created efficient power supplies and I used similar methods -- but I think I can explain it more effectively. The trick to making a modern power supply efficient is to control the phase relationship between voltage and current. This is normally performed in reactive elements like an inductor, a capacitor, or both. Put another way, instead of changing a voltage level with a resistance (which would waste power), you need only manipulate a reactive element so the phase angle between voltage and current is something other than zero degrees. For example, at a phase angle of 90 degrees, you can have substantial voltage as well as current, but no power dissipation (except where it's needed). That's the secret to power supply efficiency -- change the voltage without using any power-dissipating elements.