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EEE 514 Power Electronics

Here are the key parameters of DC-DC converters: 1. Efficiency (η) - Ratio of output power to input power, expressed as a percentage. Higher efficiency means less power is lost as heat. Typical efficiencies range from 80-95%. 2. Regulation - Ability to maintain a constant output voltage despite varying load or input conditions. Good regulation is 1-2% variation from no load to full load. 3. Ripple/noise - AC voltage ripple or noise present on the output due to switching action. Lower ripple is better, typically less than 50mV peak-to-peak. 4. Load regulation - Percentage change in output voltage with varying load current. Tight

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99 views

EEE 514 Power Electronics

Here are the key parameters of DC-DC converters: 1. Efficiency (η) - Ratio of output power to input power, expressed as a percentage. Higher efficiency means less power is lost as heat. Typical efficiencies range from 80-95%. 2. Regulation - Ability to maintain a constant output voltage despite varying load or input conditions. Good regulation is 1-2% variation from no load to full load. 3. Ripple/noise - AC voltage ripple or noise present on the output due to switching action. Lower ripple is better, typically less than 50mV peak-to-peak. 4. Load regulation - Percentage change in output voltage with varying load current. Tight

Uploaded by

Joshua Obed
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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EEE 514 - Power Electronics

Power electronics is best defined as the application of solid-state electronics for the control and
conversion of electric power.
Prior to the 1950s, power control has been by the use of several machine stages and dissipative resistors;
this led to high system cost, low speed and very poor efficiency. The evolution of power semiconductor
devices (PSDs), in the late 1950s, made electric power control cheaper, more efficient and effective.
Power semiconductor devices constitute the heart of modem power electronic control and conversion
apparatus. They are used in power electronic control to convert power from ac-to-dc (rectifier), dc-to-
dc (chopper), dc-to-ac (inverter), and ac-to-ac at the same frequency (ac controller) or different
frequencies (cycloconverter).

The three main categories of power semiconductor devices are:


a. Power diodes: These are unidirectional uncontrolled switches.
b. Thyristors: These are unidirectional controlled switches, and are also known as Silicon
controlled rectifiers (SCRs).
c. Power transistors.
Power diodes
These are unidirectional uncontrolled switches for power rectification. They are very useful in
applications such as battery charging, electroplating, anodizing, welding, power supplies (dc and ac),
variable frequency drives as well as the feedback and freewheeling functions of converters and
snubbers. A typical power diode has P-I-N structure, that is, it is a P-N junction (anode-cathode
junction) with a near intrinsic semiconductor layer (n--layer) in the middle to sustain reverse voltage.
Figure 1 shows the symbol and structure of a power diode.

A C A C
p+ n- n+

Figure 1: The symbol and structure of a power diode.

They are of three types which are:


i. General-purpose or low-speed diodes
ii. High-speed diodes
iii. Schottky diodes
A diode conducts when the potential at the anode terminal is higher than that at the cathode terminal. If
on the other hand the cathode voltage becomes higher than the anode voltage, then the diode is said to
be in its blocking mode. Power diodes are silicon rectifiers that can operate at high junction
temperatures.
Thyristors
Thyristors, or silicon-controlled rectifiers (SCRs) have been the workhorses for industrial power
conversion and control. The term "thyristor" came from its gas tube equivalent, thyratron. The thyristor
has a four layer p–n–p–n structure with three terminals, anode (A), cathode (C), and gate (G), as shown
in Figure 2. The thyristor is in a conduction mode when the anode is at a higher potential than the
cathode and a small current is passed through the gate to the cathode terminal. Once in the conduction
mode, the forward voltage drop is very small, typically between 0.5V to 2V, and the thyristor continues
conducting unless it is turned off by making the cathode potential to be equal or higher than that of the
anode. This means that the gate circuit has no control over the thyristor when the device is in the
conduction mode.

A C A C
p+ n- p+ n+

G
Figure 2: The symbol and structure of a thyristor.

Methods that may be used to switch-off the thyristor include:


i. Reduction in the forward anode current.
ii. Reversal of the polarity of the anode voltage.
iii. Supply of a reverse (negative) current to the gate.
A thyristor that is switched off in the anode circuit is known as a semiconductor-controlled rectifier; on
the other hand, a thyristor that is switched off by supplying a reverse current to the gate circuit is known
as a gate turn-off (GTO) thyristor. Thyristors can be classified as the standard or slow phase-control-
type and fast-switching type.
Power transistors
A transistor is a three-layer p-n-p or n-p-n semiconductor device with three terminals and two junctions.
This type of transistor is known as a bipolar junction transistor (BJT). The three terminals of the device
are called the collector (C), the base (B), and the emitter (E). The collector and emitter terminals are
connected to the main power circuit, and the base terminal is connected to a control signal. It is a self-
controlled device since the collector current is under the control of the base current. If the base current
is zero, the transistor is in its off state and behaves as an open switch (cannot conduct). Conversely, if
the base current is sufficient to drive the transistor into saturation, then the transistor is in its on state
and conducts. In other words, the base current that determines the conduction state of the device.
The high voltage and current ratings of power transistors makes it difficult to create a p-n-p or n-p-n
structure with a thin base. Therefore, the n+-p-n−-n+ structure is used for power bipolar transistors. The
lightly doped n− layer is the high-resistance region of the collector. The structure and symbol of a power
bipolar transistor are shown in figure 3.

E C
B n+ p n- n+

E
B
Figure 3: The symbol and structure of power bipolar transistor (power BJT).

Power transistors switch on and off much faster than thyristors, hence they can be used in high
frequency (≥50 kHz) applications. These devices are, however, very delicate, and often fail under
certain high-voltage and high-current conditions. They should therefore be operated within specified
limits, known as the safe operating area (SOA). The SOA is partitioned into four regions defined by the
following limits:
▪ Peak current limit
▪ Power dissipation limit
▪ Secondary breakdown limit
▪ Peak voltage limit
A pictorial classification of PSDs is shown in figure 4.

PSDs

Power Diodes Thyristors Power Transistors


Low-speed RCT BJT
High speed TRIAC MOSFET
Schottky GTO IGBT
GATT SIT
SITH
MCT
LASCR
Figure 4: Pictorial classification of PSDs

All these devices are power semiconductor switches which can only be operated in two modes when
connected in a power circuit. The two modes are the ON-mode and OFF-mode.
ON-mode: In this mode, the device forward conducting voltage drop is negligible; however, the device
rated current must not be exceeded.
OFF-mode: In this mode, the device conducting current is zero, whereas the voltage has a value equal
to or less than the breakdown voltage.
DC to DC Converters
These are used for power supplies to electronic and communication gadgets, industrial AC and DC
motors and/or devices as well as for battery charging. The functional block diagram is shown below.

is
+ +
vs (Unregulated dc input) DC to DC Converter (Regulated dc output) vo
- -
Figure 5: Functional block diagram of DC to DC Converter

The unregulated dc input voltage is conditioned by the converter to produce regulated and/or variable
dc output voltage. The converter is capable of a step-up or -down (boost or buck) action. This
unregulated input can be any of the following sources:
DC generator, Solar array as well as Rectified and filtered AC source.
The three types of DC to DC converters are:
i. The buck converters: In this type, the converter output voltage must be less than the input
voltage. There are three types of buck converters, viz:
a. One quadrant
b. Two quadrants
c. Four quadrants
ii. The boost converters: In this type, the converter output voltage must be greater than or equal
to the input voltage.
iii. The boost/buck converters: In this type, the converter output voltage can be either equal to, less
or greater than the input voltage.
Test 1

1. “POWER SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES!” What do you understand by the term?

2. Write a small history on the development/evolution of PSDs.

3. Enumerate and explain the 3 main categories of PSDs.

4. What do you understand by the term safe operating area (SOA)?

Parameters of DC–DC Converters

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