A Sequence of Power Electronics Experiments

Chapter 19 -- A Sequence of Power Electronics Experiments
Version 3.01 August, 1997
CHAPTER 19 -- A SEQUENCE OF
POWER ELECTRONICS EXPERIMENTS
19.1 Introduction
19.1.1 Overview
This Chapter lists a series of experiments, with explanatory material, suitable for
exploring power electronics in depth. Four sets of experiments are included: a set of
rectifier experiments that includes a laboratory orientation sequence, a set of dc-dc
converter experiments, inverter experiments, and component experiments. An additional
set, directed toward a dc-dc converter design project, is included as well. The Chapter
in many ways stands alone as a Laboratory Manual; its inclusion here in the text helps
provide a complete context for work in power electronics.
19.1.2 Safety information
The experiments discussed here are designed for relatively low power levels of
about 100 W and below. They therefore can be performed with a minimum investment
in special instrumentation and equipment, and safety concerns are minimized. However,
the risks are not negligible, and it is important to make proper preparations and use due
care in performing the work. Safe lab practice is the responsibility of the experimenter.
It is not possible to perform completely benign power electronics experiments; damaged
components or expensive repairs will be necessary if basic safety rules are not addressed.
It is especially important to be careful when working with spinning motors, and
parts which become hot from power dissipation. Even if rugged equipment is chosen,
many instruments can be damaged when driven beyond ratings. Please follow the safety
precautions listed to avoid injury, discomfort, and lost lab time.
GROUND. Be aware of which connections are grounded, and which are not.
The most common cause of equipment damage is unintended shorts to ground.
Remember that most oscilloscopes are designed to measure voltage relative to
ground, not between two arbitrary points.
RATINGS. Before applying power, check that the voltage, current, and power
levels you expect to see do not violate any ratings. What is the power expected
in a given resistor or other component? Does the device have polarity, and is it
connected in the proper direction?
HEAT. Small parts can become hot enough to cause burns with as little as one
watt applied to them. Even large resistors will become hot if five watts or so are
applied.
19-1
CAREFUL WORKMANSHIP. Check and recheck all connections before

applying power. Plan ahead: consider the effects of a circuit change before
trying it. Use the right wires and connectors for the job, and keep the
experiment area neat. Avoid manipulating circuits or making changes with
power applied.
LIVE PARTS. Most semiconductor devices have an electrical connection to the

case. Assume that anything touching the case is part of the circuit and is
connected. Avoid tools and other metallic objects around live circuits. Keep
beverage containers away from the work area.
Neckties and loose clothing should not be worn when working with motors.
Be sure motors are not free to move about or come in contact with circuitry.
The most common cause of trouble in power conversion experiments is improper

grounding practice. Any circuit can have only one reference node, and the circuit is
altered if a probe or tool introduces an external connection. Ratings and polarities are
also common problems. Electrolytic capacitors, for example, often burn or even explode
if connected in reverse. Small resistors do not tolerate excess power levels very long.
Neatness is an issue as well. A messy, convoluted circuit is extremely hard to debug.
In power electronics, small inductances of wires make a significant difference. A neat,
tight package in general operates much better than a layout with long looping wires.
19.1.3 Equipment assumptions
For the purposes of the experiments discussed here, the following minimum
equipment is assumed:
1.
Oscilloscope (digital preferred), two channels, 60 MHz bandwidth.
2.
Function generator, 10 Hz to 2 MHz, sine and square waves.
3.
True RMS multimeters.
4.
Power supply, 0-24 V, 0-5 A or better.
5.
Power supply, +12 V, 0-0.5 A (for control functions).
6.
Access to standard ac mains power.
7.
FET and SCR control circuits as discussed in Chapter 18, along with
transformers described there.
8.
Leads, connectors, various parts, and a breadboard system for circuit prototypes.
19-2
The following additional equipment is very helpful, and is recommended:

1.
Magnetic current probe, 0-20 MHz.
2.
Digital wattmeter.
3.
Power supply, 0-50 V, 0-10 A.
4.
Isolation amplifier for oscilloscope channels.
5.
Temperature probe for multimeter.
6.
Access to three-phase mains.
7.
A semiconductor curve tracer.
Be sure to be aware of ground connections or other considerations of the instruments.

Many power supplies have ground connections that should be removed before using the
equipment with a power converter.
19.1.4 Keeping a laboratory notebook
A proper laboratory notebook is a crucial tool for work in any experimental
environment. A notebook used in a research lab, a development area, or on the factory
floor is probably the most valuable piece of gear in the engineers arsenal. The purpose
of the notebook is to provide a complete record of practical work. This should help avoid
duplication of effort. Human memory is not perfect, but a notebook is a permanent
record. In industrial practice, the notebook is usually the employers property. Many
companies have specific rules about notebook format and content. The suggestions here
are provided for general guidance, and are not meant to conflict with requirements in
various areas of practice. In general, a notebook should include:
Diagrams of all circuits used in the lab. The important factors are to be able to
reproduce a setup and check for possible errors.
Procedures and actions. The idea is to provide enough information so that the
experiment could be repeated.
List of equipment used, especially if unusual items are involved.
All experiment data. Be sure to include units and scale settings. It is generally
good practice to record data in its most primitive form to avoid errors. Scaling
or other calculations can be done later.
19-3
The date, and the names and signatures of the experimenters.
It is usually permissible to include calculations, observations, and even

speculations in a notebook, provided these are clearly marked and kept apart from
experimental data and actual lab work. A bound book with permanent, pre-printed page
numbers is a good selection for use as a notebook. Loose sheets often get lost or spoiled,
and spiral books offer the temptation to tear out unwanted information. Notebook errors
should be crossed out (not obliterated). A notebook should be kept in ink, consistent with
its function as a permanent record. Keeping a complete lab notebook sometimes seems
inconvenient, but in the long run saves a tremendous amount of time and effort.
19.2 Experiment -- Demonstration of Special Equipment.
19.2.1 Introduction
This experiment tests some of the special equipment discussed in Chapter 18.
It also provides practice with the general equipment of an electronics lab in preparation
for the full sequence of experimental work. As discussed in Chapter 18, three special
equipment items are proposed to support the full range of power electronics experiments
in a standard laboratory:
A low-voltage ac mains supply, from a transformer bank, for experiments with

rectifiers and other circuits. The suggested arrangement supports both singlephase and three-phase power input. A circuit diagram for the combination was
provided in Figure 18.4.
A self-contained SCR control unit. The suggested design contains three silicon
controlled rectifiers (SCRs) and time delay circuits to produce turn-on control
signals. The anodes and cathodes are isolated.
An isolated power FET control box. The FET provides switch action for almost
any type of dc-dc converter. A complete pulse-width modulation block creates
a PWM switching function, with adjustable frequency and duty ratio. As in the
SCR circuit, this means that the terminals of the FET can be connected to any
voltage level up to the device ratings.
The function of these circuits is to support tests of useful power converters. The internal
operation is important and well worth exploring. The circuits will be considered as "blue
boxes" rather than black boxes, meaning that their function is not hidden away.
19.2.2 Demonstration circuits
For this demonstration, both the SCR and the FET will be used in simple
converter circuits. The SCR set will be used in a controlled full-wave rectifier circuit,
19-4
while the FET unit will be used to form a basic dc-dc converter. These circuits are
typical power electronics applications, not too far removed from simple commercial
products.
There are two major ways to form a full-wave rectifier. One is the rectifier
bridge circuit, which converts a single ac voltage source into a full-wave rectified
waveform. The second involves a center-tapped transformer as a two-phase ac source.
This second form requires a more expensive transformer, but needs only two rectifiers.
Both are shown in Figure 19.1. As shown in the Figure, SCRs can be substituted for the
diodes in a full-wave rectifier. The SCRs are operated half a cycle apart, with an
adjustable phase angle delay.
Figure l9.1 -- Basic diode and SCR full-wave rectifier circuits

19.2.3 Procedure
Part 1 -- Rectifiers and the SCR box
1.
Connect the transformer set to single-phase input to provide both positive and
negative outputs. Connect two 1N4004 diodes for full-wave output (anodes to
phase A and B output, cathodes in common to load). See Figure 19.2.
2.
Connect a load of approximately 50 from the common cathode to ground.
What resistor power rating is needed?
3.
Observe the resistor voltage waveform. Observe diode current and comment.
Measure the resistor RMS voltage, RMS current, power, and average voltage.
What is the relevance of each?
19-5
Figure l9.2 -- Two-phase diode rectifier test circuit.

4.
5.
6.
Remove the diodes, and substitute SCRs labelled A and B from the SCR unit.
Set up the SCR box for two-phase operation. Use a 25 load in this case.
What should the power rating be?
Turn the phase delay control to the lowest setting. Double check all connections,
then turn the power on.
Observe the voltage waveform across the resistor. Notice how the waveform
changes with changes in the control setting. Again measure RMS voltage, RMS
current, power, and average voltage, and consider the relevance of each.
Part 2 -- Dc-dc conversion and the FET box

The FET unit will be used in a simple circuit which converts a dc voltage to a
lower level with minimal power loss. In essence, the output is presented with a rapid
switching of the input. The average output level (the dc portion) is lower than the input
since the switch cannot be on more than 100% of the time.
1.
Set up the FET control box as shown in Figure 19.3.
Figure l9.3 -- Simple dc-dc converter circuit.

2.
3.
Observe the drain-to-source voltage. Turn the unit on. Adjust the output for
50% duty ratio and about 50 kHz.
Connect a voltage source of 20 to 30 V to the input. Observe the output
waveform and average voltage. Adjust the duty ratio and notice the change.
Adjust the frequency and notice the change. Explain the results.
19-6
Part 3 -- Power semiconductor devices and the curve tracer

Power semiconductors are important to the field of power electronics. The curve
tracer is a helpful measuring instrument to characterize these devices. Recall the
characteristic curves for diodes, bipolar transistors (BJTs), and FETs. Examples are given
below. The diode shows exponential V-I behavior. Transistors show a family of curves,
dependent on the base or gate input operation. For switching operation, only a small
portion of these curves is relevant. (Which portion would it be?)
The curve tracer is an instrument intended to measure these device curves
directly. The BJT, for example, is characterized by a certain collector-emitter voltage,
collector current, and base current. Recall that the BJT is basically a current-controlled
current source. To measure BJT curves, the curve tracer applies a specified range of
collector-emitter voltage and collector current values. Several discrete base current values
are then applied in steps, and the results are displayed on an oscilloscope. The FET is
a voltage-controlled current source. The drain and source terminals function very much
like those of the BJT collector and emitter. The gate must have a voltage applied relative
to the source, rather than a current. In the procedure below, four classes of devices will
be tested on the curve tracer.
1.
A rectifier diode (1N4004) is to be tested on the curve tracer. Since the defining
characteristics are forward voltage and current, the device should be connected
as if its anode were a collector and cathode were an emitter.
2.
With the curve tracer socket off, set up the unit for limits of about 1 A and 1 W.
The 1N4004 can handle up to 400 V in its off state.
3.
Check your connections. Apply power to the socket and observe the diode
waveform. Notice that the typical model of a constant 0.7 V drop has limited
Figure l9.4 -- Voltage-current characteristic curves of major devices.

19-7
accuracy. A better model would also include a resistor to model the upward
slope of the curve. What resistance and forward voltage provide the most
accurate model for your device?
4.
A BJT is to be tested on the curve tracer. Let us assume that the device is a
generic, unknown part. To be conservative, limit current to 0.1 A, power to 0.5
W, and voltage to 20 V. Connect the part with the socket off.
5.
Double check connections. Allow base current of 0.1 mA per step to be applied.
Turn on the socket. Adjust as necessary to observe the curves. Keep power
levels below 0.5 W in any case if a small device is being tested. Which portions
of the curves are useful for switching action? How much base current will be
needed if the device is to be used to switch 0.5 A?
6.
A power FET is to be tested on the curve tracer. This power part should be
limited to 5 A, 1 W, and 50 V. Connect the part with power off. The drain
terminal should be connected as the collector, source should be connected as
emitter, and gate should be connected as base.
7.
Double check your connection. We want to vary gate-source voltage from

approximately zero to about ten volts.
8.
When ready, apply power to the socket and observe the curves which result.
Which portions are relevant for switch action? As with the diode, a resistance
is often used to model the slope of the curves. What value of resistance provides
a good model when the gate-source voltage is 10 V?
9.
The SCR can be thought of as a diode with an extra gate terminal. When
sufficient gate current flows, the device operates as a diode. Without it, the
device is off. For the SCR here, limits of 10 A, 2 W, and 100 V are appropriate.
To test it, associate the anode with a BJT collector, the cathode with an emitter,
and the gate with a base.
10.
Double check connections. The gate current can be made as high as 0.2 A
without damage, but try values around 50 mA to best see the device curves.
11.
Consider what curves are expected (e.g. diode when on), then apply power. Are
the results what you anticipated? Is there a family of curves, as for the
transistors?
19.2.4 Study questions
In each experiment, a set of questions to guide further study and reports will be
provided.
19-8
1.
In dc output converters, what is the relevance of RMS output voltage? What

about average voltage? (Hint: consider the effects on loads which are purely
resistive, and on loads which consist of a large inductor in series with a resistor.)
2.
For the simple dc-dc converter tested in Part 1 of the above procedures, explain
how to predict the average value of output voltage from the input voltage, the
switching frequency, and the switch duty ratio (the fraction of the time during
which the switch is on).
3.
Which portion of the curve tracer device characteristics would you expect to use
in a switching application? What would the curve tracer display if a currentcontrolled ideal switch were to be measured?
19.3
Experiment -- Basic Rectifier Circuits
19.3.1 Introduction
The objective of this experiment is to provide additional practice with power
electronics measurement techniques. These will be studied in the context of simple
controlled and uncontrolled rectifier circuits. Properties of simple R-C, R-L, and R-L-C
circuits are studied in introductory circuit analysis courses. Properties of D-C circuits
(diode-capacitor circuits) are less well known. Similarly, D-L, D-L-C, and various D-R-x
circuits are not widely studied. The behavior of these circuits provides a practical look
at power electronic converters, both from the standpoint of energy conversion applications
and from the standpoint of laboratory measurements. This is the focus of the Basic
Rectifier Circuits experiment. The operation of the SCR will be examined briefly as well.
An R-C timing circuit for adjusting the phase delay of an SCR will be constructed and
tested.
19.3.2 Basic theory
Consider the simple half-wave rectifier shown in Figure 19.5. The state of the
diode depends on the input voltage polarity -- and also on the load. With no information
about the load, it is not possible to predict either the load current or voltage. With a
resistive load, the load voltage is zero whenever the diode is off. One simple way to find
the circuit action (even though we already know what the circuit does), is to take a trial
method approach as in Chapter 2. Since an off diode cannot block forward voltage, the
diode will be on if and only if the input voltage is positive. The current is given in
Figure 19.6. All currents and voltages in a diode circuit must be consistent with the
restrictions imposed by the diodes. Even a complicated diode circuit combination can be
understood quickly with the trial method.
Now, look at the inductive load of Figure 19.7. Assume that the inductor is
large. If current is initially flowing in the inductor, the diode is on. Inductor voltage VL
will be positive or negative, depending on the input voltage and the inductor current.
19-9
Figure l9.5 -- Basic half-wave

rectifier diode circuit.
Since there is current flow, the diode will stay

on for some time regardless of the Vin value.
If VL = L(di/dt) is negative, the inductor
current will fall, possibly even to zero. The diode must stay on until the current reaches
zero.
Figure l9.7 -- Half-wave circuit with inductive load.
Figure l9.8 -- Half-wave circuit with capacitive load.

Capacitive loads act much differently. Consider the capacitor of Figure 19.8,
fully charged and supplying energy to the resistor. As long as Vin < Vout, the diode will
be off. When Vin becomes larger than Vout, the diode must turn on. But then a large
forward current C(dv/dt) will flow until Vin becomes less than Vout. Brief, large current
spikes are a feature of Diode-Capacitor circuits. Such currents are typical of the simple
dc power supplies in most cheap electronic equipment.
Diodes offer no control means, and a switch capable of blocking forward voltage
is needed to add a control function. The SCR is one provides this function. Nevertheless,
it fulfills the necessary forward-conducting bidirectional blocking characteristic. The SCR
19-10
is called a latching device, because the on-state

is self-sustaining. Once a turn-on command is
applied, the SCR will remain on until the
forward current is removed. This means that
the device is exactly equivalent to a diode once
on.
Figure l9.6 -- Half-wave input

current, resistive load.
Consider the half-wave resistive
circuit of Figure 19.9. Turn-on of the
SCR can be delayed to alter the
waveshape.
The turn-on delay is
traditionally measured in degrees relative
Figure l9.9 -- Basic SCR half-wave circuit to a full diode waveform. The action of
with resistive load.
this control is not hard to determine for a
known load, since the input waveform is
simply being switched on and off.
19.3.3 Measurement issues
In power electronics, measurement interpretation is an important ingredient of
obtaining data and coming to conclusions about circuit behavior. Like any electronics
laboratory, we will use voltage waveforms from an oscilloscope, and voltage and current
magnitudes obtained from meters. Some important additional measurements include
current waveforms and phase angles. Many of the waveforms are not sinusoidal, so the
actual wave shape is important information.
For average and RMS measurements, a typical laboratory multimeter such as the
Fluke model 8010A provides a useful basis for discussion. It displays the average value
of the input whenever it is set for dc. When set to ac, this meter directs the input through
a capacitor, and computes the RMS value of the ac portion which passes through. Some
of the important meter specifications are given in Table 19.1. Many power converter
waveforms contain both dc and ac. The full RMS value might be useful in this case.
With most multimeters, even "true RMS" units, such as the 8010A, the RMS values for
ac and dc portions must be measured separately and combined to give the correct result.
Power itself is important. There are growing numbers of manufacturers offering
digital power meters appropriate for complicated waveforms. One type, which will be
used here as an example, is represented by the Valhalla Scientific model 2101 voltagecurrent-power meter. This instrument samples the incoming voltage and current
waveforms, and computes RMS values as well as the average power. The current is
measured by sensing the voltage across a fixed 0.01 resistor. A meter configured in
this way need not distinguish between dc and ac waveforms, and can provide accurate
power readings over a wide frequency range. A functional symbol is shown in Figure
19-11
Table I -- Summary Specifications of the Fluke 8010A Multimeter

Quantity
Dc voltage
Ac voltage
Dc current
Ac current
Resistanc
e
Measurem
ent
range
1 mV - 1
kV average
1 mV - 750
V RMS
1 A - 10 A
average
1 A - 10 A
RMS
1 - 20
M
Valid
frequencie
s
0 Hz
(rejects ac
above 45
Hz)
45 Hz - 50
kHz (rejects
dc)
0 Hz
(rejects ac
above 45
Hz)
45 Hz - 20
kHz (rejects
dc)
---
Error
0.1% of
reading, 1
digit
0.5% of
reading 2
digits
0.5% of
reading, 2
digits
1% of
reading, 2
digits
0.5% of
reading,
1 digit
Figure l9.10 -- Front panel view of digital power meter, with function block.
19.10. The voltage is sensed across the input. The output connection forces the current
to flow through the sensing resistor. An input signal at 0 Hz or 40 Hz-10 kHz will give
a true RMS display.
Low-impedance sense resistors can be used for complete current waveforms, but
they can introduce grounding problems in a circuit. Industrial laboratories specializing
in power electronics make extensive use of Hall-effect current probes that sense the
magnetic fields around conductors. One major drawback is that the probes have an
internal dc offset which might drift as the temperature changes.
19-12
Timing is critical in the operation of most power converters. Since switches are
the only means of control, the exact moment when a switch operates is a key piece of
information. The SCR provides a typical example. Consider the waveforms in Figure
19.11. A sinusoidal waveform (perhaps the input voltage to a rectifier) serves as a timing
reference. It is straightforward to measure the time shift between this waves zero
crossing and the turn-on rise of the switched signal below it. The example in the Figure
shows two 60 Hz waveforms. The time delay d can be measured directly from the graph
as about 1.25 ms. Since a full 360 degree period lasts 16.667 ms, an angle d can be
calculated from d as
(l9.1)
One important detail in making this measurement is to make sure both oscilloscope traces
are triggered simultaneously. The chop mode of the scope is useful for this purpose.
Figure l9.11 -- Phase delay measurement example.

19.3.4 Procedure
Part One -- The Diode
In this first part, a waveform generator is used as the power source so that higher
frequencies and small components can be used for testing. Please use care in connecting
and operating this instrument. It is not designed to supply high current.
1.
Obtain a toroidal or audio transformer. One alternative is a 60 turn primary and
a 60 turn secondary on a Ferroxcube 500XT400-3C8 ferrite toroid core.
2.
Construct the circuit shown in Figure 19.12. Diodes should be standard 1N4148
19-13
3.
rectifiers, or similar.
Be careful with ground connections. Set the waveform generator for
approximately 1 kHz output at about 10 V peak. Observe Vout with the scope.
Figure l9.12 -- Rectifier test circuit.

4.
5.
6.
7.
Sketch the output waveform under no load conditions (the scope probe gives
a slight load).
Load the bridge with a 500 resistor (compute the necessary power rating first).
Observe and sketch the output voltage waveform. Use a current probe or place
a 10 resistor in series with the transformer output to observe the current out
of the transformer. Sketch the current waveform.
Connect an inductor (a reasonable value is about 25-50 mH) in series with the
resistor. Observe and sketch the resistor voltage waveform and the current into
the bridge. Measure the average resistor voltage with a multimeter.
Remove the R-L load. Instead, attach a 47 resistor in series with an 0.1 F
capacitor. Place a 10 k resistor across the capacitor terminals. Observe and
sketch the capacitor voltage waveform and the bridge input current waveform.
Also measure the average capacitor voltage.
Figure l9.13 -- Rectifier test circuit with RC load.
19-14
Part 2 -- The SCR

In Section 19.2, we saw a simple controlled rectifier example, and the waveforms
which result. The gate control was described as a pulse. In this Section, an R-C delay
circuit for operating an SCR will be examined. It is similar to the circuit used in
commercial lamp dimmers.
1.
Construct the circuit shown in Figure 19.14. The input source is taken from the
25 V transformer set.
Figure l9.14 -- SCR rectifier test circuit.

2.
Use a resistor substitution box or other variable resistor for Rc. Observe the Vg
and Vload waveforms for Rc values of 0, 200, 400, 600, 800, and 1000 .
Sketch the two waveforms for two or three values of Rc. Measure the turn-on
delay by comparing Vg or the gate current with Vload with the oscilloscope set
for line triggering. Also, use a multimeter to measure the average value of Vload
in all cases.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
For part 1, what waveforms would you expect for R, R-L, and R-C loads? Hint:
think in terms of simple filtering.
Compare the actual waveforms with those expected. Compute the actual circuit
time constants, and discuss how they might affect the waveforms.
The R-L and R-C cases of part 1 represent different output filter arrangements
for a rectifier circuit. Discuss the circumstances under which each of these will
be effective and appropriate.
Comment on how the diode forward voltage drop (about 1V) affects the
waveforms.
From part 2 data, tabulate and plot the average load voltage vs. the value of Rc.
Compute the SCR gate circuit R-C time constants. Is the turn-on delay governed
by R-C?
19-15
19.4
Experiment -- Single-phase Rectifiers
19.4.1 Introduction
This experiment examines the properties of single-phase controlled rectifiers.
Converter concepts such as source conversion and switch types will be illustrated.
Popular applications such as battery chargers and dc motor drives will be tested. In
Section 19.3, you had a chance to become familiar with the basic action of the SCR, and
also studied a number of non-resistive rectifier load circuits. Now, the SCR boxes
described in Chapter 18 will be used to study controlled-rectifier action in more depth.
19.4.2 Basic theory
In a switched converter network, KVL will not allow us to connect the utility ac
voltage source directly to a dc voltage source, so a dc current source is needed. Consider
some of the loads studied in Section 19.3. A resistive load is a crude example of current
conversion: the incoming voltage produces a proportional resistor current. This is a far
cry from an ideal current source, but it does result in a conversion function. An inductive
load is a better conversion example: the inductor voltage VL = L(di/dt) resists any change
in current. If L is very large, any reasonable voltage will not alter the inductor current,
and a current source is realized. A capacitive load has the opposite behavior. The
capacitor current iC = C(dv/dt) responds whenever an attempt is made to change the
capacitor voltage. If C is very large, no amount of current will change the voltage, and
a voltage source is realized. Many electrical loads, especially motors, are inductive. As
a result, most circuits behave in such a way that current does not change much over very
short periods of time. In power electronics practice, this behavior, along with the desired
source conversion function, means that most loads are treated as short-term current
sources.
The basic single-phase controlled rectifier is shown in Figure 19.15. If the load
is inductive, there is a KCL problem: the switch cannot be turned off. To see that this
is so, observe what happens to L(di/dt) when an attempt is made to turn the switch off.
The current must approach zero almost instantaneously. The value of L(di/dt) is a huge
negative voltage. In practice, this voltage will likely exceed the blocking capabilities of
the switch, which will be damaged. A simple solution is to provide a second switch
across the load, as shown in Figure 19.16. In simple ac-dc converters, this switch can be
a diode, or it can be a second bidirectional-blocking forward-conducting device.
Two typical loads for ac-dc converters are the dc motor and the rechargeable
battery. The dc motor has an inductive model, as shown in Figure 19.17. The motor
looks rather like a voltage source, but its windings provide a significant series inductance.
A battery is intended as a good dc voltage source. To provide the desired energy
conversion function, something must be placed in series with the battery for current
conversion. A resistor can be used with a loss in efficiency. Alternatively, an inductor
can be used, as in the circuit of Figure 19.18. Analysis of this circuit is not trivial. The
controlled switch is on whenever Vin is positive. When it is on, the output current is
given by
19-16
Figure l9.15 -- Basic single-phase controlled rectifier.
Figure l9.16 -- Single-phase converter with second switch for KCL.
Figure l9.17 -- Basic dc motor circuit equivalent.
(l9.2)
When the controlled switch is off, inductor current is
(l9.3)
If L is large, the current is approximately constant. These differential equations can be
solved to give actual values of current. Charging current is controlled by the resistor
value and also by the phase delay used to operate the SCR.
19-17
Figure l9.18 -- Single-phase battery charger with inductive filter.

The form of circuit expected for single-phase conversion appears in Figure 19.19.
The switches are implemented with an SCR and a diode. In this case, the output voltage
is Vin whenever the SCR is on, and zero when it is off. The SCR turns off automatically
when Vin 0. The voltage waveform is a familiar one: a half-wave rectified waveform,
possibly with a delayed turn-on. The voltage has an average value given by
(l9.4)
Figure l9.19 -- A single-phase ac voltage to dc current converter.

where is the angle of delay before the SCR is turned on. This integral can be computed
to give
(l9.5)
Since the output is a dc current source, average power exists only at dc, and is simply
IoutVout(ave).
19.4.3 Procedure
19-18
Figure l9.20 -- Typical output voltage waveforms.

Part 1: Ideal R-L load
1.
Connect phase A of the nominal 25 V supply, the SCR labelled A in the
SCR box, and a resistive load, as shown in Figure 19.21. Estimate the required
resistor power rating. Record the RMS value of the source voltage.
Figure l9.21 -- SCR test circuit, resistive load.

2.
3.
4.
Set the SCR turn-on for zero delay (i.e. set it to act as a diode). Observe the
output and load voltage waveforms (see the figure). Measure the following
output parameters and sketch the voltage waveform: Vout(ave), Vout(rms).
Repeat #2 for delays of approximately 30, 60, 90, 120, and 150. Sketch just
one or two typical waveforms, rather than the whole series.
Place an inductor, for example 25 mH, in series with the resistor, as shown in
Figure 19.22. Observe the resistor voltage waveform. Repeat #2 and #3 above
for this new circuit, and also record the average and rms values of Vload.
Part 2 -- A battery load

1.
Connect a rechargeable battery in the circuit of Figure 19.23.
2.
Measure battery currents Iout(ave) and Iout(rms). Do this for, and record the phase
delay angle value, at least four different SCR delay angles. Observe and sketch
the resistor current waveform at one intermediate SCR delay angle.
3.
Measure the input power from the ac source.
19-19
Figure l9.22 -- SCR test circuit, series R-L load.
Figure l9.23 -- SCR test circuit with battery charger load.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
19.5
For the simple loads of Part 1, tabulate and plot Vout(ave) and Vout(rms) vs. the
SCR phase delay angles. Compute a theoretical result, and compare it to the
data. Do these agree?
For the battery load in Part 2, tabulate and plot Iout(ave) and Iout(RMS) vs. the
SCR phase delay angle. Again consider whether your results are consistent with
theoretical expectations.
Why is the flyback diode included in these circuits?
Compute the efficiency of the battery charger studied here.
Comment on how the diode and SCR forward voltage drops affect your results.
Experiment -- Polyphase rectifiers
19.5.1 Introduction
This experiment will examine the properties of ac-dc converters with polyphase
input voltage sources. The midpoint converter will be the focus of this experiment, and
will be tested with inductive loads including a dc motor. In the preceding experiment, the
circuits had a single SCR in a half-wave rectifier configuration. A flyback diode was
needed to provide a current path when the SCR turned off. The simple half-wave circuit
transferred energy to the load no more than half of the time. The half-wave circuit seems
19-20
ineffective. Polyphase sources offer a much better alternative.

A three-phase source, the most common polyphase type, has three voltages equal
in amplitude and 120 apart. The definition of polyphase sources also applies to the twophase case -- two voltages, each 180 apart. While this is consistent, a confusing
historical nomenclature has arisen. In communication systems, a quadrature voltage
source is a set of two signals, spaced by 90-- a sine and a cosine. Quadrature sources
were used in many early power systems, and gave rise to an unfortunate use of the term
two-phase for such a source. We will use the term two-phase to refer to a set of two
voltages 180 apart rather than to a quadrature set. In this experiment, the SCR boxes
will be used to study controlled-rectifier action with two and three-phase sources.
19.5.2
Basic theory
When multiple input sources are available for ac-dc converters, it is natural to
use all of them. The circuit of Figure 19.24 shows the most general such converter -- an
m-phase to dc converter. The experiment here considers a simplified version of this
converter -- the one in which there is a common neutral connection between input and
output. This is called a midpoint converter, and appears in Figure 19.25.
Figure l9.24 -- Polyphase ac to dc converter.
In the midpoint converter, the KVL and KCL restrictions require that no more
than one switch may be on at any time, and one switch must be on if the load current is
not zero. This implies that qi 1. If the load is a current source, qi = 1. We want
19-21
Figure l9.25 -- Polyphase midpoint ac-dc converter.

to operate the switches so that the dc value is maximized and the unwanted ac
components are minimized. It can be shown that if the switching frequency is chosen to
equal in, the best choice of switching functions is to follow the polyphase input: each
switch is on 1/m of the time, and switching functions are spaced 360/m apart. The dc
output component can be controlled by adjusting the phase of the switching functions.
The output voltage is given by
(l9.6)
This gives a complicated series, in the form
(l9.7)
The dc component appears in the n=1 term, and is given by
19-22
(l9.8)
This, in turn, can be simplified to give
(l9.9)
Notice that Vout(ave) depends on , where is defined as the delay angle between any
voltage and the switching function associated with it. The result is a controlled rectifier.
19.5.3 Procedure
Part 1: Two-phase converter
1.
Set up the 25 V 60 Hz supply for two-phase output. Remember to connect the
output neutral.
2.
Connect the SCRs labelled A and B in the SCR box with a resistive load,
as shown in Figure 19.26. Estimate the required resistor power rating, and abide
by it. Set the SCR box for two-phase control.
Figure l9.26 -- Two-phase SCR test circuit.

3.
4.
output voltage waveform. Record Vout(rms) and Vout(ave) and sketch the output
voltage waveform.
Repeat #3 for delays of approximately 30, 60, 90, 120, and a delay close to
180. Sketch just one typical waveform, rather than the whole series.
Part 2 -- Three-phase converter

1.
Connect the 25 V 60 Hz supply and SCR box for three-phase operation.
2.
Apply 120/208 V 3 power to the three-phase setup.
3.
output voltage waveform. Measure Vout(ave) and Vout(rms), and sketch the
waveform.
4.
Repeat #3 for delays of approximately 30, 60, 90, and 120. Sketch just one
typical waveform, rather than the whole series.
19-23
Figure l9.27 -- Three-phase SCR converter test circuit.

5.
6.
Repeat #3 with a dc motor as the converter load, except set the delay at about
90 initially. Observe and sketch the motor current and voltage waveforms with
no motor shaft load.
Add a moderate shaft load, and observe how the current and voltage waveforms
change. Record your observations.
1.
2.
3.
4.
19.6
For each of the load and source combinations, tabulate and plot Vout(ave) and
Vout(rms) vs. the SCR phase delay angle. What would you expect in theory?
How well do your results agree with the theory?
For one phase delay angle (pick 60, for instance), plot Vout(ave) and Vout(rms) vs.
the number of input phases (you have data for one, two, and three). What do
you expect to happen when more phases are used?
Why is the flyback diode not included in these circuits?
A bridge converter implements the full switch matrix of Fig. 19. . How would
Vout(ave) be affected by the use of a bridge rather than a midpoint converter?
Experiment -- One-Quadrant Dc-Dc Conversion
19.6.1 Introduction
In this experiment, some common one-quadrant dc-dc converters will be

implemented and tested. The main tool of the experiment is the FET switch control unit.
The circuitry provides direct adjustment of the switching function frequency and duty
ratio. The FET box can be used to generate any of the four common dc-dc one- quadrant
converters (buck, boost, buck-boost, or boost-buck). In this experiment, we will set up
two of these circuits and characterize their operation. The converters we will build are
19-24
similar to commercial applications, with fast switching functions and switching

frequencies as high as 200 kHz.
19.6.2 Basic theory
Dc-dc converters can be depicted as providing energy transfer between two ideal
sources. In practice, one of the sources is almost always implemented as an electrical
energy storage element. For example, the buck converter stores energy in an inductor
when the controlling switch is on, and discharges that energy through the load when the
controlling switch is off. An objective is to keep energy flow into the load nearly
constant as the switches operate. Since most converters apply nearly constant voltages
or currents to the storage elements, much of the analysis is straightforward.
Figure l9.28 -- General dc-dc converter matrix.

The general dc-dc converter is shown in Figure 19.28. The four major onequadrant converters are shown in Figure 19.29. Notice that the indirect converters (buckboost and boost-buck) are shown as two matrices connected together. In each of these
circuits, practical current sources are formed with inductors. Output voltage sources are
formed with capacitors. The average values, governed by the switching function duty
ratios, are of interest. For example, the buck converter below has Vout = q1Vin, which
is just
(l9.10)
The average value of this series is simply D1Vin. Unwanted Fourier components appear
at the switching frequency fswitch and its multiples. The largest unwanted component is
19-25
Figure l9.29 -- Major one-quadrant dc-dc converters.

(l9.11)
In general, as switching frequencies increase, the values of dv/dt and di/dt values also
increase, and smaller inductors and capacitors can be used without sacrifice in
performance.
Figure l9.30 -- The buck converter.

19.6.3 Procedure
Part 1: Buck converter
1.
Set up the FET control box as a buck dc-dc converter. Be sure to provide the
19-26
capacitor shown across the input power supply. The capacitor should be placed
as close to the FET box as possible so that the inductance of the wires to the
FET will be very low.
Figure l9.31 -- Buck converter test circuit.

2.
Set the power supply current limit for about 3 A, and the voltage to 12 V. Set
the duty ratio to about 50%. Observe the load voltage, Vload, and the output
voltage Vout.
Turn on the FET box and the input power supply.
Set fswitch to about 100 kHz. Notice that Vout allows easy measurement of
3.
4.
fswitch.
5.
Confirm that the duty ratio is close to 50%. Sketch the Vout and Vload
waveforms.
6.
Use the oscilloscope to measure the peak-to-peak ripple on Vload at duty ratios
of 10%, 50%, and 90%. The ripple measurement can be performed by setting the
oscilloscope input coupling to ac, and expanding the voltage scale.
7.
Measure average values of Vload and Iin at duty ratios of 10%, 30%, 50%, 70%,
and 90%. Use your multimeter for Vload(ave). Record the input and output RMS
voltage and current as well as the power.
8.
Change fswitch to 5 kHz. Try to measure the waveform time constant during the
voltage fall. Recall that this will be the time for Vload to fall from its peak value
to 36.8% of that value.
Part 2 -- Buck-boost converter
1.
Set up the FET control box as a buck-boost dc-dc converter, as shown in Figure
19.32.
2.
Set the power supply current limit for about 3 A, and the voltage to 12 V. Set
the duty ratio to zero. Connect oscilloscope leads across the load resistor and
across the inductor.
3.
Turn on the FET box and the input power supply. Set fswitch to about 100 kHz.
4.
Confirm that the duty ratio is set to about 50%. Sketch the inductor voltage
19-27
Figure l9.32 -- Buck-boost test circuit.
5.
waveform. Use the current probe to sketch the inductor current waveform.
Observe and sketch the load voltage waveform.
Measure average and RMS values of Vload and Iin at duty ratios of 20%, 40%,
50%, 60%, and 70%. Record power readings as well. The output voltage
becomes high quickly with D>60%, so be careful.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Tabulate your data in an organized fashion. Compare the RMS readings from
the wattmeters with the various average readings. Do they agree?
Compute and tabulate ratios of Vload(ave)/Vin for these converters for your data.
Are the results consistent with duty ratio settings?
Estimate the average input and output power from the average readings of Vload
and Iin for each operating condition. Compare these results to the wattmeter
readings. Calculate efficiency, Pout/Pin, from the wattmeter readings.
Estimate the inductor value from the measurements of fall time in the buck
converter. Use this value to compute an expected load voltage ripple at 100
kHz. How do your results compare with the data? If the inductor value were
to double, how would this affect the behavior of these circuits?
19.7 Dc-Dc Converters for Motor Drives

19.7.1 Introduction
This experiment will examine the operation of dc-dc converters in the context of
motor drives. Motor drives are the most common application of multi-quadrant dc-dc
converters. Dc power supplies are almost always based on one-quadrant circuits: the
output power is intended to be positive at all times, and there is rarely a need to handle
negative output current. Some special-purpose laboratory supplies are designed to handle
multi-quadrant output, but often do not have efficiency as a high priority.
19-28
Large dc motor drives have energy considerations beyond those we have seen so
far: the rotating kinetic energy of a large motor is quite considerable, and in a braking
situation, this energy must be removed. The energy can be converted to heat and lost, as
it is in gasoline engine vehicles, or it can be directed back to the energy source for
recovery. This regeneration energy can be controlled only with multi-quadrant circuits.
Figure l9.33 -- The dc motor equivalent circuit with mechanical model.
19.7.2 Basic Theory

The equivalent circuit of a dc motor is repeated in Figure 19.33. Rotation of the
motor produces a back EMF, equal to kif, where k is some constant, is the motor
shaft speed in rad/s, and if is the field exciting current or some other variable
representing the magnetic field strength inside the motor. If a voltage Vt is applied to the
motor terminals, a current (Vt Vg)/Ra will flow in the steady state. This current sends
power into the motor, which is converted to mechanical energy. The input power
accelerates the motor until the electrical input power exactly balances any mechanical
input into a shaft load.
The power input, and hence the operating speed, of a dc motor can be controlled
easily by altering the value of Vt. Since the actual output power is into some mechanical
load, with its associated inertia, will not change much over short time periods, and Vg
will be nearly constant. The average electrical power into the motor will be determined
by the average value of Vt, even if the inductance is low. For example, a simple buck
converter could be used to control Vt, as in Figure 19.34. The output can vary from 0
to 100% of the input dc source voltage, and thus speed can be altered from near 0 to near
rated speed.
If if is held approximately constant, as it is in separately excited motors or
motors with permanent magnets, the input power is a very direct function of converter
duty ratio, and speed control is made easy. In fact, many converters have feedback
systems built in for this purpose. Consider the unit of Figure 19.35 in which the transistor
duty ratio depends on a low-power input voltage. This voltage could be generated as
shown in the figure, with some reference signal being compared to information from a
tachometer. In this unit, the duty ratio automatically increases if the motor speed drops.
This results in additional input power and is intended to keep running speed nearly
19-29
Figure l9.34 -- Buck converter in a dc motor drive application.\
Figure l9.35 -- Dc-dc converter set up for speed control.

constant. The operating speed can be changed easily by adjusting the reference voltage,
and will be held constant at the desired value.
In the case of a very high power motor drive, a considerable amount of energy
is represented even during a speed decrease. An excellent example is the braking of an
electric vehicle -- an operation which must occur often in any transportation application.
In mechanical systems, the braking energy is converted to heat, dissipated, and lost. This
is not an acceptable situation in battery-powered electrical units, and causes substantial
wear and tear even when batteries are not an issue. Multi-quadrant dc converters can be
used to convert the braking energy back into electrical form. The energy can be
dissipated just as it would be by mechanical brakes, or it can be returned to the energy
source. The dissipation version is called dynamic braking and is often used for very rapid
deceleration of electric motors. The recovery version is called regenerative braking, or
just regeneration, since it uses the motor as a generator during deceleration.
The buck converter is sometimes called a class-A chopper when used as a motor
drive. As we have seen, this converter makes a useful, simple motor control. When
braking, the controlling switch turns off, and only the diode conducts. If inductance is
low, the output current quickly goes to zero, and the motor coasts to a stop. If inductance
is high, the braking energy is dissipated in Ra. Figure 19.36 shows some typical
19-30
waveforms.
Figure l9.36 -- Buck converter current waveforms.

A boost converter can be used to return generated energy from a motor to a
source, provided that the source voltage Vt is less than Vg. Such a converter, shown in
Figure 19.37, can provide regenerative or dissipative braking. It is sometimes referred to
as a class-B chopper.
Figure l9.37 -- Boost converter for braking energy recovery.

A motor could be attached to both a buck and a boost converter, with the buck
converter operating (with Ia > 0) during motoring, and the boost converter operating
(with Ia < 0) during regeneration. Such a unit is called a class-C chopper, and is widely
used for dc motor drives.
To operate a class-C chopper, the boost converter active switch is shut off, and
the buck converter is used to accelerate and provide running power to the motor. When
regeneration is desired, the buck converter is shut off until Ia becomes negative. At that
point, the boost converter can begin operating, and will transfer energy from the motor
back to the source. In effect, the buck and boost converters operate independently.
The general dc voltage to dc current converter shown in Figure 19.39 is not
especially useful for dc motor control, since the inductance value is usually too low for
19-31
Figure l9.38 -- Class-C chopper circuit.
Figure l9.39 -- Two-quadrant dc-dc converter.

useful regeneration. The converter cannot provide negative steady-state voltage to the
motor, and so is no more useful than the class-C chopper above. It is called a class-D
chopper. In many applications, it is necessary to reverse the motor direction, while
maintaining both motoring and regeneration. Two class-C choppers, one for each motor
Vt polarity, can be assembled for this purpose. The resulting class-E chopper is shown
in Figure 19.40.
19.7.3 Procedure
Part 1: Class-A motor drive
1.
Obtain a small dc motor. Use your multimeter to measure Ra for it.
2.
Set up the FET control box as a buck dc-dc converter, with a dc motor as the
output load. Be sure to provide the capacitor and resistor shown across the input
19-32
Figure l9.40 -- Class-E chopper circuit for bidirectional dc motor drive.

power supply. The resistor is intended take up any regenerated energy.
Figure l9.41 -- Class-A chopper test circuit.

3.
4.
5.
6.
Set the power supply current limit for about 5.0 A, and the voltage to 24 V
(depending on the motor ratings). Set the duty ratio dial to zero. Connect an
oscilloscope lead across the motor. Set up the current probe to measure the
motor armature current.
Turn on the FET box and the input power supply. Set fswitch to about 20 kHz
(a period of 50 s). Monitor and record the power supply current and voltage
levels and shut down if anything unexpected appears.
Sketch the motor terminal voltage waveform and current waveform with a duty
ratio setting of about 50%. If there are intervals during which Ia = 0, take
special care to record the value of voltage during such intervals. Measure the
peak-to-peak ripple on Ia.
Observe and sketch the motor voltage and current waveforms, and measure the
motor average voltage and current, at: (a) the lowest duty ratio for which the
19-33
7.
motor runs steadily, and (b) a duty ratio of about 90%. In each case, observe
qualitatively the effects of shaft load on the current waveform.
Change fswitch to 2 kHz. Measure the time constant of Vt during its fall. This
will allow you to estimate La later.
Part 2 -- Class-C chopper circuit

1.
The two active switches of the class-C chopper operate separately, but they must
act in complement. In this part of the experiment, it will be necessary to use
special care to insure proper switch operation.
2.
Use two FET control boxes. One, designated the master unit, will determine the
switching functions of both portions of the class-C chopper. The second,
designated the slave unit, will function only as requested by the master unit. The
FET box design in Chapter 18 has a switch to select this function: up for master
and down for slave. Connect the control terminal on the master unit to the
control terminal on the slave unit. Adjust the slave duty ratio to the 100 %
position. The frequency controls should be in approximately the same position.
3.
Wire the circuit shown in Figure 19.42. The 0.2 resistor will help prevent
damage if the switching functions are not operating exactly in complement.
Figure l9.42 -- Class-C chopper test circuit.

4.
5.
Operate the master unit as a buck converter. Observe operation at approximately

50% duty ratio, as in part 1. Sketch the motor voltage and current waveforms,
and record the average motor voltage and current. Measure the peak-to-peak
ripple on Ia.
Increase the duty ratio to near the maximum amount, then drop the duty ratio
abruptly in an attempt to observe converter action during regeneration. You may
need to repeat this step, or spin the shaft externally by hand or with another
motor to observe regeneration behavior (weve used an electric drill in the past).
Make note of your observations. Try to obtain a situation in which Ia reverses.
19-34
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
19.8
During intervals when Ia = 0, the motor voltage is not necessarily zero. Interpret
its value during such intervals. (Hint: Since Ia = 0, this is an open-circuit
voltage.)
Compute average power into the motor for each operating condition.
Estimate the motor series inductance value from the buck converter data. Use
this to estimate the voltage ripple at 20 kHz. Does this match your
measurements?
Is the average motor voltage determined by the duty ratio?
Why is the class-A chopper incapable of regeneration? What will happen in
such a converter if Vt is suddenly lowered?
Dc-Ac Conversion -- Voltage-Sourced Inverters
19.8.1 Introduction
This experiment examines inverter circuits. Inverters, or dc-ac converters, are

used for generation of backup ac power, for ac motor drives, and for switching amplifiers.
Commercial inverters are also used in alternate energy applications such as the
demonstration photovoltaic and battery power plants. Various simple types of inverters
will be studied in this experiment. Emphasis will be placed on phase control techniques
and on simple switching functions. Inverters can be classified according to the properties
of the dc source. Those with a dc current source are often used for sending energy into
an ac power system. Dc regeneration and HVDC transmission are two examples. Such
inverters are really the same as ac-dc converters with ac voltage inputs. In effect, the
only difference between rectifiers and inverters when dc current sources are involved is
the direction of any unidirectional switches used in the circuits. The ac-dc/dc-ac
converters with dc current sources almost always involve a utility ac voltage supply, and
have well-defined values of phase. Any switching function can be altered in phase
relative to this fixed reference frame, resulting in variation of input and output power
levels.
Ac-dc/dc-ac converters which involve dc voltage sources are, in practice, quite
different from the current-sourced versions. Such converters imply an ac current source - rare in practice. Normally, the ac current source simply reflects some electrical load,
such as a circuit or a motor, which requires ac power. These loads rarely define a phase
reference -- the phase is determined by impedance characteristics, and will always lead
or lag the input voltage by a definite amount.
The voltage sourced inverters, then, provide a window into the complexities of
true, independent inversion -- conversion of a dc source into some ac source. Inversion
is important in three basic applications:
1.
Transfer of energy from some dc source into an ac power system. Such uses
include alternate energy source conversion and dc motor regeneration.
2.
Backup ac power. Since most electrical equipment is intended for ac power
from a utility, switching power converters which produce ac from storage
19-35
3.
batteries have long been important.

Ac motor drives. Induction motors, synchronous motors, and so-called brushless
dc motors require ac power at variable frequency. Today, this is often achieved
by converting power from some dc source.
Figure l9.43 -- Basic dc-ac converter.

19.8.2 Basic Theory
The most general dc-ac converter (with single phase ac) is shown in Figure
19.43. It has at most four switches. The switching functions are constrained by KVL and
KCL, as usual. They also must have a Fourier component at the ac source frequency, to
ensure nonzero power flow. An important practical consideration is that most real ac
sources cannot tolerate a dc component. This further constrains the functions. A
reasonable choice is to operate the switches with a duty ratio of 50 % to bring about the
highest symmetry and hence avoid any dc component on the ac source. A general
converter of the dc voltage source type is shown in Figure 19.44. As in the case of the
two-quadrant buck converter, Vout can be either Vin, -Vin, or 0, depending on the switch
combination. Notice the switch types to be used in this converter. In general, current can
flow in either direction, although there is only one voltage polarity.
Figure l9.45 -- Induction motor equivalent circuit for each phase.
19-36
Figure l9.44 -- General voltage-sourced dc-ac converter.

Consider the induction motor equivalent circuit, shown in Figure 19.45. This
circuit requires ac power, and is an inductive load. For the purposes of KCL a current
source is an appropriate model over short times. Nonetheless, the phase of this current
source is linked to the phase of the input voltage. Changing the phase of the input
voltage will change the current phase so as not to alter power.
Figure l9.46 -- Half-bridge inverter with R-L load.

Because of the ac current source phase behavior, dc-ac converters are harder to
study than dc-dc converters. Properties of the load are important to converter operation.
A half-bridge converter with R-L load is shown in Figure 19.46. KVL and KCL require
the two switching functions to act in complement, so that q1 + q2 = 1. The practical
requirement of no dc component in Vout requires D1 = D2 = . Vout is a simple square
wave at the desired frequency, and has a value of Vout = (2D1 - 1)Vin. This generates
the Fourier series
19-37
(l9.12)
Output current and power depend on the load, in a manner which is actually easy to
calculate. Consider that Vout = RIout +L(dIout/dt). In steady state, Iout is periodic at the
same frequency as Vout, and has a Fourier series
(l9.13)
This series can be differentiated easily. Let Xn = nL. Then we can solve for Iout term
by term, obtaining
(l9.14)
This is equivalent to finding each component of Iout separately in terms of the

corresponding component of Vout. It is easy to automate such a procedure on any
computer. Sample waveforms are given in Figure 19.47. Some loads of this type will
be tested in this experiment.
19.8.3 Procedure
Part 1: Voltage-sourced inverter, R-L and R-L-C loads
Figure l9.47 -- Typical output waveforms of voltage-sourced inverter.

19-38
1.
Set up two FET control boxes in a master-slave configuration, to form a halfbridge inverter. Be sure to include the capacitors and resistors shown with the
power supply input. Refer to Figure 19.48.
Figure l9.48 -- Voltage-sourced inverter test circuit.

2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Set the power supply current limit, if there is one, for about 2.0 A, and the
voltage to zero. Set the master and slave duty ratio dials for 50 %. Connect
oscilloscope leads and wattmeters across the load resistor and across the
converter output, as shown in Figure 19.48.
Turn on the FET boxes and the input power supply. Set fswitch to 10 kHz. Set
the supply to 24 V.
Measure the output average voltage. Adjust the duty ratio and fine-tune the input
supplies to get 50% duty and zero average output. Small average offsets can
swing the current to the power supply current limits.
Sketch the load resistor voltage and the output voltage waveforms. Record the
RMS voltage, current, and power from the wattmeter. Measure the average input
current from the supply.
Compute the series capacitance needed for resonance with the inductor at the
switching frequency. Add this capacitor in series with the inductor. Adjust the
frequency as needed to obtain near-resonant operation.
Sketch the resistor voltage waveform with the R-L-C load. Record the RMS
value of the load resistor voltage, the output power, and the average input current
from the supplies.
Part 2 -- Isolated converter with ac link (half-bridge forward converter)

1.
Set fswitch to 50 kHz. Wire a toroidal transformer into the circuit, as shown in
Figure 19.49.
19-39
Figure l9.49 -- Isolated ac link converter.

2.
3.
Measure the average output voltage of this circuit. Sketch the waveform.
Place a 1 F capacitor across the output terminals. Again measure the average
output voltage. Also measure the average input current from each source by
taking advantage of the series resistors.
1.
2.
3.
4.
How do you expect waveforms for an R-L load to change with frequency?
An alternate method for control of Vout(wanted) is to add a third switch across the
output combination. This allows zero as a possible output value. The duty ratios
can then be adjusted so that Vout changes. Assuming that the dc component
remains at zero, find Vout(wanted) as a function of D for this control scheme.
What is the effect of a resonant load, such as that in Part I?
What is the efficiency of the converter circuits tested above?
19-40
19.9 Experiment -- PWM Inverters

19.9.1 Introduction
This experiment introduces pulse-width modulation circuits. The intent is to gain
familiarity with the waveforms and concepts of pulse-width modulation as it applies to
power electronics. The PWM inverter will be examined in the context of an ac motor
drive. Basic ac drive concepts will be one feature of this experiment. The typical PWM
waveform shown in Figure 19.50 has a switching frequency of 960 Hz.
Figure l9.50 -- Typical PWM waveform (with fswitch = 16fout).

Control of output voltage in dc-ac converters is critically important in a wide
range of applications. Backup ac power supplies require control of voltage so that Vout
can be varied independent of the input source. Ac motor drives require control of both
Vout and fout to achieve good performance. There are two methods in common use for
controlling the output voltage (and power) of an inverter. The first is to adjust the relative
timing of switching functions in a bridge. The load voltage depends on the relative phases.
This phase displacement control is often used in very high power situations, such as
locomotive controls, where the switches are slow SCRs.
The second method, pulse-width modulation (PWM) divorces the switching
function frequency from the intended properties of Vout. This method can provide the
desired results if the switches can be operated much faster than fout. To understand
PWM, consider a very fast square wave. The duty ratio can be varied slowly between 0
and 100%, in a manner similar to pulse width control in dc-dc converters. In a buck
converter, for example, this would have the effect of slowly changing Vout(ave). This slow
change can be sinusoidal perhaps, which gives a slow sinusoidal change in the average
value of Vout. Here slow simply means much more slowly than the switching function.
Vout can easily change at the rate of 60 Hz if, for example, a switching frequency of
10000 Hz is used.
19-41
In practice, implementing this slow variation of pulse width is exactly the same
as designing a dc-dc converter. The only issue is to place Vout in two quadrants. And,
in fact, the full-bridge inverter operating under PWM is identical to a two-quadrant buck
converter. The pulse width is intentionally varied, rather than held nearly constant as in
the dc-dc case.
Convenient speed control for ac motors has been a desired goal almost since such
machines were invented. The ac induction motor, for example, is mechanically simple
and rugged, requires no electrical connections between stationary and rotating parts, and
is inexpensive. Unfortunately, the induction motor lacks the easy control of a dc motor.
Ac motor speed control in general requires adjustment of the motor input frequency. The
speed depends on frequency in a direct manner, and the ability to vary f solves much of
the problem. Unfortunately, it is not entirely trivial to vary the frequency applied to a
motor. Ac motors are basically inductive, and have a frequency-dependent impedance.
As the frequency is lowered, input current and internal magnetic flux rise. To counteract
these effects, the voltage must change along with frequency. If the voltage is altered in
the correct manner as a function of frequency, an ac motor can be made to look almost
like a dc motor in terms of speed and torque control.
Until PWM converters were feasible, the process of altering fout and Vout
together was exceedingly difficult. Ac motor controllers were almost unknown twenty
years ago, and those which did exist were expensive, complicated, and used additional
motors for energy conversion. Today, ac motor drives are beginning to displace dc
motors in some applications. These drive units are nearly always based on PWM.
19.9.2 Basic Theory
The half-bridge inverter in Figure 19.51 has output Vout = (2q1 - 1)Vin. If the
duty ratio is varied with time as some modulating function M(t), Vout becomes
(l9.15)
Remember that D must be between 0 and 1. With [kcos(outt)+1] for M(t), Vout is
(l9.16)
Notice that this is not in the form of a Fourier series -- time appears in several places, as
does sin[ncos(outt)]. This can be decomposed into a Fourier series by using properties
of Bessel functions. The necessary relations appear among the trigonometric identities
in the Appendix. The Fourier components appear at frequencies of nswitch mout.
The components drop in amplitude quickly for increasing m, but slowly for increasing n.
It is easy to use a series R-L load as a low-pass filter (just as in the dc-dc buck converter)
in order to separate fout from the unwanted components. This function can be performed
by a deliberate R-L load, or by a motor winding or transformer. The experiment
procedure below illustrates both PWM and the filtering process.
19-42
Figure l9.51 -- Half-bridge inverter for PWM control.

19.9.3 Procedure
Part 1: Voltage-sourced PWM inverter, R-L load
1.
Set up two FET control boxes in a master-slave configuration, to form a halfbridge inverter. Be sure to include the capacitors and resistors shown with the
power supply input.
Figure l9.52 -- Voltage-sourced inverter test circuit.

2.
Set the power supply current limit, if there is one, for about 1.5 A, and the
voltage to zero. Set the master duty ratio to about 50 % and the slave to 100 %.
19-43
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Set up the waveform generator at your bench to produce a sinusoidal voltage,

with frequency of about 50 Hz, such that the lowest voltage is 1 V and the
highest is 3 V (sine wave with 2 Vp-p and 2 V dc offset). Connect this voltage
to the duty ratio input on the master converter unit.
Connect oscilloscope leads across the load resistor and across the converter
output (refer Figure 19.52). Turn on the FET boxes and the input power supply.
Set fswitch as low as possible.
Monitor the average value of Vout, and observe the power supply currents.
Adjust the function generator to get near zero average output.
Sketch the Vout waveform. Can you see the modulating process? Record the
RMS voltage current, and power into the load resistor. Measure average dc
voltage across the 1 series input resistors.
Increase fswitch to about 50 kHz.
Decrease the amplitude of the function generator modulating waveform by about
50%. Sketch the Vload waveform. Record meter data as in step 6.
Part 2 -- Induction motor drive

1.
Turn off the power supply. Replace the R-L load with a series combination of
5 and a transformer winding of 12.6 V rating.
2.
Place a 1000 load across the transformer secondary terminals. Turn on the
power supply, and measure the RMS and average voltage across this resistor, and
observe and sketch the waveform. Be aware of the relatively high voltage
level.
3.
With the supply off, wire a single-phase motor into the circuit, as shown in
Figure 19.53. Apply power. Sketch the converter output voltage and resistor
voltage waveforms (refer to the Figure).
4.
Change the sine wave frequency and amplitude to observe an ac motor control
function.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
For this type of converter, how do you expect waveforms for an R-L load to
change with switching frequency? With modulating frequency?
Why is PWM advantageous in ac motor control?
Draw the full-bridge inverter for PWM. What relationships would you expect
among the various switching functions?
Compute and tabulate the converters efficiency from your part 1 data.
Compare PWM with the simpler inverter scheme of the previous experiment.
19-44
Figure l9.53 -- Ac motor drive test circuit.

19.10
Ac-Ac Conversion
19.10.1 Introduction
Direct frequency conversion, as introduced in Chapter 7, is one framework in

which to study the ac-ac converter. In this experiment, we will examine converters of this
type. The bilateral switch is beginning to gain in importance, and one device set which
performs this function will be examined. Many applications which require ac output,
especially motor drives and related transportation areas, would appear to benefit if power
could be converted directly from the ac mains. Today, a few workers in power
electronics would dispute this, and claim that conversion via a dc link is superior to direct
ac-ac conversion. In principle, however, the reduction in switching network complexity,
along with the possibility of extending ac-ac conversion into such areas as power
amplifiers, makes a direct ac-ac converter a kind of ultimate dream. A generic ac-ac
unit would serve for any possible conversion function, including rectification and
inversion. In the long run, a power bilateral switch will open up a wide range of new
processes and applications for power conversion, just as the SCR did during the 1960s.
19-45
19.10.2 Realizing the bilateral switch

Any converter can be built from a bilateral switch. While this makes it a
powerful tool, its properties are not always advantageous. For example, it is easier to build
a reliable dc-dc buck converter with a transistor and a diode than with bilateral switches.
There is no alternative for ac-ac conversion, and in fact a bilateral switch brings
advantages to certain other converter types.
The TRIAC approximates full bilateral capabilities. This device, in effect, is a
set of inverse-parallel SCRs, built together, and sharing a single gate. The TRIAC is
controlled just like an SCR -- once on, it remains on until the current becomes zero. This
provides several characteristics:
Simple ac regulators can be realized with TRIACs, since they will perform phase
control or integral cycle control on a resistive load without trouble.
The TRIAC is difficult to use when dc currents or voltages are involved, since
conditions needed for turn-off may not appear.
A TRIAC of given size does not use semiconductor material very effectively,
and has much lower ratings than two SCRs which are half as big.
TRIACs are common in consumer products which benefit from simple ac regulators.
Some such devices are used in certain ac motor control applications, particularly those
which resemble phase controlled ac regulators. TRIACs have limitations on levels of
externally applied dv/dt and di/dt. The devices are also relatively slow to turn off. These
limitations confine them mainly to power mains frequencies.
The TRIAC is a very limited bilateral switch. An alternative is to combine
multiple switches of other types to form a true bilateral device. For example, two
switches of type
can be placed in inverse series to form an equivalent
. The
gates of the two sub-units are operated from the same switching function. Possible
implementations appear in Figure 19.54. It is actually relatively convenient to implement
the FET version shown in the Figure, since the gate drive can be used without change in
most cases. The BJT version is more problematic, since applied base current must
support both devices without any balance troubles.
Figure l9.54 -- Implementations of the bilateral switch.
19-46
19.10.3 Basic Theory

Once a bilateral switch is available, it is relatively simple to operate an ac-ac
converter. The requirement is that switching functions contain a Fourier component at
a frequency fswitch = fin fout. The most straightforward way to accomplish this is to set
fswitch to either the sum or difference of input and intended output frequencies. Thus
conversion of 60 Hz to 400 Hz would result if a switching frequency of either 340 Hz or
460 Hz were applied, for example.
Very often, the input frequency is known and fixed, and variation of the output
frequency is important to an application. This is true of ac motor drives, for example.
It is sometimes useful to consider the switching frequency as fin plus some modulating
function. For example, if the switching function phase is made to be a function of time,
M(t), a switching function will take the form
(l9.17)
This is phase modulation, since phase is a function of time. Phase modulation reduces
trivially to the form fswitch = fin fout if M(t) is set to outt. This form of switching
function is easy to implement, and is referred to as linear phase modulation since M(t)
is a linear function of time. The choice M(t) = +outt is given the special name
Universal Frequency Converter (UFC) since it works for any choice of fin or fout. The
choice M(t) = -outt gives rise to a Slow-Switching Frequency Converter (SSFC), and
has the constraint that fin fout. Both of these types are statements of the simplest choices
of switching frequencies. Other choices of M(t) can be made. These are nonlinear phase
modulation methods, with almost unlimited possibilities. Many nonlinear phase
modulation techniques allow control of power flow even with passive loads.
It should be pointed out that phase modulation is not the only way to perform
ac-ac conversion. Pulse-width modulation can also be used, since PWM allows the
creation of nearly any Fourier component, given a fast switching frequency. PWM
methods are being discussed for use in ac output converters which allow ac or dc input.
19.10.4 Procedure
Set up a two-phase to one-phase ac-ac converter based on dual FET bilateral switches, as
shown in Figure 19.55. Apply a switching function at some frequency, and observe
results at the output terminals. Record your observations.
Pay special attention to the waveforms which appear when the switching
frequency is exactly equal to the input frequency. This case is particularly easy to
simulate and study.
19-47
Figure l9.55 -- Ac-ac converter test circuit.

19.10.5 Study Questions
1.
2.
3.
Draw some expected waveforms for two-phase to one-phase ac-ac conversion.

Do the experimental results go along with these?
What would have been the effect of a resonant load?
How would PWM provide advantages in this ac-ac converter?
19.11 Frequency Characteristics of Passive Components

The next two experiments will study the behavior of real passive components.
In the first experiment, basic operation of realistic capacitors, inductors, and resistors will
be examined. The capacitors, inductors, and resistors used in circuit analysis have ideal
properties: ic = C dvc/dt, vL = L diL/dt, and vR = R iR. However, real devices are not
ideal. In the context of power electronics, these effects are often important. Wires have
resistance and inductance, coils of wire have capacitance between the turns, and so on.
In order to use passive components in power electronic circuits, it is important to
understand what the effects are, how they are characterized and measured, and the
implications for design.
19.11.2 Basic theory, capacitors
When two conductors of any shape are placed in an electric field, a charge
develops on each one. In a system which consists only of perfect conductors and perfect
insulators, the charge Q depends on voltage in a linear fashion, so that Q = CV. If
capacitance is constant (e.g. the conductors are stationary), this leads to the simple
relationship i = C dv/dt. A real capacitor must provide conductors to hold the charge,
19-48
wires to allow application of voltage, insulation which physically supports and separates
the conductors, and a protective package to prevent damage. This naturally complicates
the real behavior.
There are two common classes of commercial capacitors. The first consists of
two flat metal conductors, separated by a dielectric layer. The second type, known as the
electrolytic capacitor, consists of an oxidized metal conductor and a nonmetallic
conductor. Both types can be modelled with a parallel-plate geometry, shown in Figure
19.56. The capacitance value depends on the plate spacing d, the plate area A, and the
dielectric constant of the insulator, ,
according to the relation C = A/d.
A large value of capacitance requires
large plates, small spacings, and high
dielectric constants.
The nonideal effects are
Figure l9.56 -- Parallel-plate capacitor.
relatively clear: the wires and plates
introduce series inductance and
resistance, and an imperfect dielectric could allow some current flow between the plates.
A candidate circuit model emerges, given in Figure 19.57.
Figure l9.57 -- Proposed circuit model for simple dielectric capacitor.
Figure l9.58 -- Standard series equivalent circuit of a capacitor

This circuit model can be simplified if the capacitor is operated at some specific
frequency. Then the parallel portion can be transformed into a series equivalent. This
gives the standard model shown in Figure 19.58. Many manufacturers use this standard
model as a basis for describing their capacitors. The equivalent series resistance (ESR,
another name for the Rs of the circuit) is often given at some frequency, such as 120 Hz.
The equivalent series inductance (ESL) is often given in the form of a self-resonant
frequency, fr. The properties of the standard circuit include:
19-49
Voltage drop across the ESR, which reduces the stored charge relative to
expected values.
The resonant effect of the series R-L-C circuit means that a plot of impedance
vs. frequency will fall at first (capacitive impedance), reach a minimum, and then
rise (inductive impedance).
Above fr, the device is an inductor!
Any current flow produces loss in the ESR. The higher the frequency of the
applied voltage, the higher the current and losses.
The circuit does not model real behavior well at very low frequencies. For
instance, the original circuit of Figure 19.57 shows that some leakage current will
flow when a dc voltage is applied. Real capacitors show this effect, but the
standard model does not include it.
The ESR mainly represents the dielectric properties. Dielectrics do not usually
act in accordance with Ohms Law. Because of this, the ESR is generally a kind of
nonlinear resistance; for example, it varies with frequency. One traditional way to
characterize such materials is with the loss tangent. The loss tangent, also called tan
or dissipation factor (df), is defined as the ratio of resistance to reactance for a series
R-X circuit. For the standard model of the capacitor, tan = RC. The loss tangent has
a characteristic value for a given capacitor dielectric material, regardless of the plate
geometry. Many dielectric materials are characterized by a loss tangent which is roughly
constant over a wide frequency range. For these reasons, loss tangent or df is often given
in capacitor specification sheets. The ESL is related to packaging and lead structure,
since wire inductance is the most important factor.
In electrolytic capacitors, the insulating layer is formed through an
electrochemical reaction between the two conductors. If voltage of the wrong polarity is
applied, the reaction reverses, and the insulating layer is destroyed. The device becomes
a resistor, and usually overheats and fails quickly. When the correct polarity is applied,
the electrolytic capacitor shows the same general properties as the simple dielectric
version, with two changes: the leakage current levels are much higher, which means ESR
is smaller and df is higher; and the effective plate surface area is very high, which allows
high values of capacitance per unit volume.
19.11.3 Basic theory, inductors
Inductors are formed simply by wrapping a coil around a magnetic material.
Current in the coil creates magnetic flux in the material. If the material is linear, the flux
is proportional to current, so that = Li. The constant of proportionality in this case
defines inductance. By Faradays Law, if this flux varies with time, it gives rise to a
voltage vL = L di/dt. Magnetic materials in general are not linear; these effects will be
studied in more detail in the next later experiment.
19-50
Even without considering the effects of nonlinearities, some aspects of real

inductors should be clear. The wire coil has resistance. Incoming and outgoing wires act
a bit like parallel plates. A simple circuit model might be that in Figure 19.59.
Figure l9.59 -- Proposed circuit model for basic inductor

The symbol ESR is often used for the effective resistance in inductors. As in the
capacitive case, the loss tangent is defined as the ratio of resistance to reactance. It is
hard to build inductors which handle high energy levels and still have very low loss
tangents.
Inductor types are defined mainly by the magnetic material. This can be a linear
material, such as air, or any magnetic material. Good linearity is a desirable feature, so
most practical inductors have an air gap. In this experiment, two inductors will be tested
for their ESR values and resonant frequencies.
19.11.4 Basic theory, resistors
Resistors are generally taken for granted in electrical networks. However, they
are subject to nonlinear effects like other components. Consider that Ohms Law is really
an approximation, based on a highly simplified model of electron behavior in metals.
Nonmetals do not usually follow this behavior. The general tendency is that the higher
the resistivity of a material, the less linear its V vs. I behavior is likely to be. The parts
must have connections, which implies a series inductance. A basic model is shown Figure
19.60.
Figure l9.60 -- Proposed circuit model for basic resistor

Even in materials which follow Ohms Law, other effects are important. All
materials, including metals, vary in resistivity as a function of temperature. For most
19-51
metals, the variation is approximately linear. In power electronics, heat loss and
temperature effects are almost always significant. Since resistance values change with
heating, it can be hard to predict the actual value of a given resistor.
There are several major types of resistors:
Composition and metal oxide resistors are formed as a block (or cylinder) of
nonmetal. The material resistivity and stability are important considerations.
Carbon composition resistors were once the most common. Most materials of this
type are relatively sensitive to temperature shifts.
Film resistors are usually formed by depositing a metal or carbon film on a

ceramic substrate. In industry, they are often preferred over composition types.
Precision resistors are usually formed with metal films.
Wirewound resistors are common at high power levels. A coil of wire, usually
nichrome, is wrapped around a ceramic rod or tube in the simplest arrangement.
While this is a convenient way to spread out heat, it adds a significant
inductance. Special versions which are double wound to avoid excess inductance
can be obtained. These non-inductive versions are substantially more costly
than the simple types.
In this experiment, we will briefly examine the characteristics of standard wirewound

resistors. This will serve as an introduction to the overall problems with real resistors.
19.11.5 Procedure
Part 1: Reference measurements
1.
Your instructor will assign a set of capacitors, inductors, and resistors to each
team. If a bridge or similar instrument is available, gather data at a specific
frequency for Cs, Cp, Rs, Rp, Ls, Lp, and D = df for each of your assigned parts.
Special emphasis should be placed on the values relevant to the various models.
Part 2: Frequency sweeps
1.
Insert one capacitor in the circuit in Figure 19.61. If the capacitor is electrolytic,
be sure to observe the polarity marks, and add a dc offset to Vin so that Vc > 0
always. If it is not electrolytic, use an offset of zero. If the capacitor is less
than 0.5 F, substitute a 1 k resistor for Rs.
2.
Set Vin at 1000 Hz, and observe Vin and Vc on your oscilloscope. Measure the
peak-to peak amplitudes and the phase shift between them in degrees. (Hint:
Phase measurements can be made more easily by adjusting the oscilloscope to
measure time differences.) Use the highest available Vin value.
3.
Look for the resonant frequency of the part by adjusting fs until the phase shift
is close to zero. The amplitude will be close to minimum for a capacitor.
Record amplitudes of Vin and Vc at this frequency.
4.
Choose at least three frequencies below resonance and three above it; also make
19-52
Figure l9.61 -- Capacitive impedance test circuit.
5.
a measurement at 1 kHz. The frequencies you choose should cover roughly a

factor of 100 in frequency. Record amplitudes of Vin and Vc, and the phase shift
between them, at each of these frequencies.
Repeat parts 1-4 for your other assigned capacitors and inductors. In some
cases, you may want to change the resistor value to allow better measurements
of Vc. If you do this, be sure to use R 50 , and be sure to record the R
value actually used for each part measured. A value R = 1000 is suggested for
inductors.
Part 3: Power resistor tests (these can be performed during frequency sweeps)
1.
Connect a wirewound resistor to a variable dc supply.
2.
Adjust the voltage and current to draw about 10% of the rated power, or 1 W,
whichever is less. Record the voltage and current, then let the part warm up for
at least 5 minutes. Record the voltage and current again.
3.
Adjust the voltage and current to draw about 50% of rated power, or 10 W,
whichever is less. Wait at least five minutes, then record the voltage and
current.
4.
Repeat step 3 for 100% of rated power.
Use data for Vin, Vc, and phase to compute the impedance for each tested
capacitor and inductor.
2.
Plot impedance magnitude and phase vs. frequency for each capacitor and
inductor.
3.
Plot resistance vs. power for the wirewound resistor.
4.
Calculate ESL for each capacitor based on the resonant frequency you measured.
5.
Calculate ESR at 1000 Hz and at a frequency near resonance for each capacitor
and inductor from your frequency sweep data. Compare the 1000 Hz results to
the RLC meter data.
6.
Discuss how your data conform to the proposed simple models.
19.12 Magnetics
1.
19-53
Figure l9.62 -- Possible test circuit for magnetic core.

This experiment provides an overview of many concepts of magnetic component
design. It concentrates on inductor and transformer design for high-speed converters, and
on magnetic properties of materials. In power electronics, both the energy storage
capabilities of inductors and the potential-shifting properties of transformers are important
in converter designs. But the requirements are much different from those in other
electrical engineering areas. High power levels are often an issue at relatively high
frequencies. Losses must be as low as possible.
Modern switching converters and their applications take full advantage of the
latest magnetic materials. High-performance motors use advanced permanent magnet
materials, as well as PWM inverters. The magnetic amplifier and saturable reactor -power amplifier technologies of the 1940s -- are making a strong comeback in power
electronics because of new materials. Material properties are inextricably linked to
magnetic components, even more than for capacitors. Two important reasons for this
involve the behavior of magnetic conductors. Highly permeable materials with the
ability to direct magnetic flux are only a few orders of magnitude better than air or
vacuum. They have limited capacity for carrying magnetic flux. A second difficulty is
that the most permeable materials are metals -- they carry magnetic flux, but also carry
electric flux, so that a time-changing magnetic flux will create current flow and losses in
the materials.
19.12.2 Basic theory

The important concepts of magnetic circuits, magnetic domains, the hysteresis
loop, and saturation lead to design considerations for devices. In the laboratory, we will
19-54
examine candidate designs for inductors and transformers. Any real magnetic material
exhibits a maximum value of B, called the saturation flux density Bsat, beyond which it
displays permeability close to that of vacuum. Since the flux in a material is found as
Ni/, where is reluctance, the current ultimately determines whether the saturation flux
density has been reached. Alternatively, the flux is given by /N, or v dt/N. The
integral of voltage (volt seconds) determines the flux, within some integration constant.
In a transformer, saturation must be avoided so that leakage flux stays low. For
ac applications, this means that only the volt second integral is relevant. If a dc current
is imposed on a transformer, an additional flux contribution will appear. In most powerfrequency transformers, the number of turns is high, and dc current must be avoided. In
an inductor, dc current is almost always needed, so that a net energy can be stored.
Inductors must be designed to tolerate high levels of dc current, while providing
consistent, linear, inductance. These two requirements are in conflict with the need for
inductors of substantial value.
Another important issue in modern magnetics design is the current capacity of
the wire used to wind the magnetic device. For instance, a design might call for a great
many turns and a small core. While this is possible when small wire is used, the wire
might melt if the intended currents are applied. It is not uncommon to require hundreds
or even thousands of windings in power frequency devices, and the temptation to use
ever-smaller wire is great. To realize a design, it is helpful to realize that only a fraction
of any core opening can actually be filled with wire (some must be allowed for insulation
and for air spaces around loose windings). It is also helpful to have some guidance about
current capabilities of copper. While no absolute rules can exist, it is often safe to impose
currents of up to 500 A/cm on a copper wire. This number gives some rough assistance
in picking the wire sizes needed.
A transformer design procedure might be as follows:
Identify the frequency, voltage, current, and power requirements.
Choose a wire size adequate for the current.
Find the volt second level needed to meet ratings.
Identify a magnetic core with low losses over the intended frequency range, and
proper , A, and winding opening size to support the necessary flux.
Compute winding and core losses to see if they are at acceptable levels.
Build and test the device.

An inductor design would seek to:
Identify the frequency, voltage, and dc current requirements.
Identify the energy storage or L requirement.
Choose a wire size as needed.
Find the volt second level needed.
Compute a gap length, if necessary to meet energy and idc requirements.
Build and test the device.

19.12.3 Procedure
Part 1: Core hysteresis loops
19-55
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
You will be assigned several test cores of various types. Use a ruler to obtain
geometric data for each one, or use manufacturers data.
Wrap approximately 25 turns of wire around each toroid test core, and 40 turns
around each pot core.
Measure the inductance of each device with the bridge or equivalent instrument,
if available.
Place each core, in turn, in the circuit shown in the figure 19.64, with proper
choices of R and C. Be sure to include the 50 resistor Rs.
Use the oscilloscope in the X-Y mode to observe the hysteresis loop at some
frequency. Sketch the loop in your notebook. Measure the slope of either side
of the loop near the origin (B=0 and H=0). Dont forget to make note of the
slope units.
Decrease the applied frequency until a saturation effect is obvious. Again, sketch
the waveforms. Measure the slope of the loop as far into saturation as possible.
Also record the vc value at saturation.
Apply a small dc offset from the input supply, and observe the change in the
loop. Record your observations. Keep in mind that vc measures the integral of
voltage, and not directly.
Part II -- Transformer design and testing

1.
Create a transformer by adding a second 25 turn winding on one of your test
cores specified by your instructor.
2.
Observe transformer performance by using the circuit in Figure 19.63, with Rload
= 1 k. Vary the source voltage frequency and amplitude so that saturation
effects can be noted. You should sketch waveforms which demonstrate both
saturated action and correct transformer action.
Figure l9.63 -- Core test circuit -- transformer.

4.
1.
2.
Use a 1N4004 diode in series with 50 as a load, and repeat your observations.
Calculate the permeability of each core at 1000 Hz. Do your numbers agree
with bridge or equivalent measurements?
Calculate Bsat from your hysteresis curves. What volt second rating do you
19-56
3.
4.
19.13
expect for your 25 turn inductors? How do the converter and transformer results
compare to your expectations?
How would a dc current load affect the output of a transformer?
How many turns would be required to create a 10 mH inductor with each of your
cores? What would the dc current rating be, based on saturation limits?
Converter Design Project
The intent of the last experiment (normally conducted over a period of about a
month) is to provide overall experience with a converter design problem. Each group will
design, build, and test a different dc-dc converter. The initial effort tests a basic design
with lab boxes, and considers effects of capacitor ESR and switch forward voltage drop.
The first consideration is to create a paper design as the basis for starting the
project:
Begin with one of the specification sets listed at the end of this Section.
For a dc-dc converter, start with a switching frequency of 100 kHz.
Draw a converter circuit capable of performing the intended function.
Given your specifications, find the switching frequency for which L >
Lcrit.
Compute the range of load resistances which correspond to the stated

output power levels.
Find the value of capacitor necessary to meet the intended ripple

requirements.
In the final experiment, our previous work will culminate in the design of an
actual converter. The first activity will test the basic design values, with the objective of
developing a tentative circuit. Effects of capacitor ESR and switch voltage drops will be
examined. The second activity will concern implementation of the actual switches, along
with their switching functions. The last effort will examine power loss and heat transfer
considerations, and will include tests of the finished converter.
19.13.2 Refining the models
Voltage drops can be integrated into converter design in a straightforward
manner. Consider the circuit shown in Figure 19.64, in which an ideal diode and a
voltage source have been used to model a real diode. The output voltage Vout can be
written in terms of switching functions as:
19-57
Vout = q1Vin - q2Vforward(diode),
Vout(ave) = D1Vin - D2Vfor
Figure l9.64 -- Buck converter with simple model for real diode.
If Vfor is assumed to be roughly 1 V, the average value of Vout can be found as
Vout(ave) = D1Vin + D1 - 1
The input current is still Iin = q1Iout, so Pin(ave) = D1VinIout. But now,
Pout(ave) = D1VinIout - D2VforIout,
which gives an efficiency of
= 1 - (D2Vfor)/(D1Vin).
This is certainly less than 100 %, and represents the loss in the real diode while it is on.
A series resistor could also have been included as part of the diode or transistor models.
Capacitor ESR means that capacitors do not really show any ideal voltage
characteristics. For example, an electrolytic capacitor with tan = 0.10 and C = 200 F
would have ESR of 4 m at 20 kHz. Consider the effect in the boost converter shown
Figure l9.65 -- Boost converter with capacitor ESR included.
19-58
in Figure 19.65. When switch #1 is on, the output current charges the capacitor, but there
is a voltage drop across the ESR which appears at the output. As switch #1 turns off, the
internal capacitor voltage Vc stays quite constant, but the capacitor current changes
abruptly, which in turn reverses the voltage drop across the ESR, and causes an abrupt
shift in Vout. The output voltage for this converter can be calculated without too much
trouble, if the capacitor voltage is assumed to change in a linear manner. The Vout
waveform is shown in Figure 19.66.
Figure l9.66 -- Output voltage waveform for boost converter of Figure 19.66.
As indicated in Figure 19.66, the ESR voltage drop can be a significant fraction
of the output voltage ripple. If a maximum output ripple is specified, the value of ESR
at the switching frequency will have to be taken into account when designing the
converter. For example, the above converter displays output ripple of about 240 mV,
although a ripple of less than 160 mV would have been expected if the capacitor were a
perfect 200 F device.
1.
2.
3.
4.
19.13.3 Procedure, part I

Obtain an inductor, or design a pot-core inductor to meet your requirements. Use
this inductor, along with an FET control box, to build a converter as designed
in your preparation. Be sure to place a capacitor across Vin, so that it will
appear as a voltage source.
Observe Vout under a range of conditions. Be sure to test for a variety of values
within your required converter operating range. Sketch Vout under what you find
to be roughly worst-case Vout ripple. Be sure to record duty ratio data, along
with sufficient data to calculate efficiency.
Observe voltage drops across the FET and the diode under your range of
operating conditions. The intent is to gather data to support circuit models of
your actual diode and FET.
If the converter you have built does not meet the specifications for output ripple,
try other capacitors in an effort to solve the problem. Experience with your
converter circuit is probably more important than meeting all specifications in
19-59
5.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
detail.
In the next part of the design project, you will select actual FET and diode parts,
in place of the FET box. Be sure you have collected all data needed for models
of your devices and for the capacitors. Also, observe inductor current to confirm
the critical inductance value.
19.13.4 Study questions -- part I
Model the on condition of the FET as a 0.3 resistor, and the on condition of
the diode as a 1 V drop. What value of Vout vs. duty ratio would be expected
for your converter? Does this agree with measured data?
Will you need an FET with lower resistance to meet the requirements?
Compute the ESR of your capacitors from the waveform data.
Find the peak currents and voltages in your inductor and capacitor.
Two common problems in dc-dc converters are: (a) the user accidently connects
the input voltage in the reverse direction, and (b) a short circuit is accidently
connected at the output. Would the converter you are designing be able to
handle these faults? If not, how might it be altered?
19.13.5 Gate drive implementation

At this point, it is logical to fully implement the converter design with discrete
components in place of the laboratory boxes. An ideal switch requires a third gate
terminal which controls its state. In the ideal case, a switching function is applied directly
to this gate (without regard for electrical ground or isolation). The switch is
instantaneously on whenever the gate is high, and instantaneously off whenever the gate
is low. While the concept of a gate terminal carries over to real switches, there is a host
of new considerations introduced by a real gate.
The potential at the gate normally has restrictions relative to the potentials on the
switch terminals. Operation of a real gate requires energy (and hence power and time);
these must be supplied from some drive circuit. As you might guess, there is a time
difference between the application of a gate signal and the actual switching action. In
addition to gate characteristics, semiconductor switches have internal properties, such as
resistance and capacitance, which limit time rates of change of voltage or current even
with a perfect delay-free gate signal.
A gate drive typically tries to minimize commutation time while not adding
significantly to power requirements. Gate drives are low-power electronic circuits, and
are designed much differently from the converters in which they operate. They are still
switching circuits, however, so many concepts of switch networks still apply.
19.13.6 Basic theory -- gate and base drives
The major classes of gated power semiconductors -- thyristors, BJTs, and FETs - have distinct gate drive requirements. For example, a BJT can be modelled as a currentcontrolled current source, and requires current into the base when it is to be on. This
current is supplied at low voltage (so that power is low), but can be as high as a tenth or
more of the switch on-state current. In the case of the FET, the steady-state gate current
19-60
is essentially zero, and the gate voltage determines switch operation. The SCR, as a
typical thyristor requires only a pulse at the gate in order to turn on. Gate turn-off
thyristors (GTOs) also require only pulses, although a substantial negative gate current
must be applied to turn the devices off.
The basic requirements are simple enough, but details add great complexity. Let
us first examine the FET, which has relatively simple gate characteristics. To turn the
FET on, the gate region must be charged. The region represents a capacitance, and the
gate drive must be designed to charge this capacitance sufficiently. The channel will
invert when the gate voltage exceeds a threshold level, Vth. In fact, the gate voltage must
be maintained at a level considerably greater than Vth, so that enough charge will be
present in the channel for low effective channel resistance. The gate drive must therefore
apply an overdrive gate voltage, for switching.
To turn the FET off, the gate region must be discharged, and the gate voltage
must be maintained below Vth. Real devices have wide error tolerances on Vth. For
example, the MTM15N35 FET can have any Vth between 1.5 and 4.5, depending on the
device and the operating temperature.
Some gate drive design considerations are apparent:
For turn-on, the drive must rapidly charge the gate to a voltage much
higher than Vgs, while not exceeding the dielectric breakdown limit of
the gate insulator. Typical gate-source capacitance values range from
several hundred to several thousand picofarads.
For turn-off, the drive must rapidly discharge the gate to a voltage
lower than Vth, again without exceeding dielectric limits.
Several device specifications are important in the FET gate drive design. Referring to the
IRF521, a typical power FET, notice the following relevant information:
Vth between 2.0 and 4.0 V.
Limits on gate-source voltage (gate dielectric breakdown limit):

-20 V < Vgs < +20 V.
Maximum gate current level: 1.5 A (absolute value).
Gate-source input capacitance: 600 pF.

With these data, it is possible to design many different gate drive circuits. Consider the
performance of a simple gate drive, consisting of a nearly ideal switch operated from a
voltage source of 50 output impedance. At turn-on, the gate capacitance is uncharged,
and the maximum gate current is simply Vin/Rs, or 0.24 A in this example. The RC time
constant is 30 ns so this gate drive will charge the gate to more than 10 V in about 60 ns.
The actual device turn-on time of 110 ns is reasonably consistent with this number.
Slightly faster turn-on could be achieved by using a smaller Rs. A value as low as 8
can be used without excessive gate current.
At turn-off, the gate must discharge through the second resistor. This resistor has
the undesirable effect of drawing power whenever the FET is on, so is kept relatively
high. It also acts as a voltage divider for Vgs. For the circuit of Figure 19.67, turn-off
is quite slow.
More specific requirements on the gate drive are becoming apparent:
The gate drive must provide a voltage between the gate and source of about 10
19-61
Figure l9.67 -- Sample FET gate drive circuit.

to 18 V, with low source impedance, for fast turn-on.
The gate drive should provide a low impedance discharge path during turn-off.
This path can apply zero volts across the gate and source, or could use Vgs < 0
if a negative voltage source is available.
The gate drive can be designed so that current is drawn only in a brief pulse.
In principle, most of the CV energy in the gate can be recovered, so that
power requirements are very low.
A typical high-performance gate drive circuit appears in Figure 19.68.
Figure l9.68 -- High-performance gate drive circuit for FET.
19-62
(a)
(b)
Figure l9.69 -- The buck converter with FET switch.
The main drawback of FET gate drives is the need to apply a substantial voltage
between the gate and source as long as the device is to be on. In many converters, this
is not a trivial manner. The familiar buck dc-dc converter is shown in Figure 19.69. For
the unit of Figure 19.69 to work, a voltage equal to Vin + 10 V must be applied to the
FET gate whenever switch #1 is to be on. This second voltage source, higher than the
available source, can be a major stumbling block in building a converter. If the switch
is relocated as in Figure 19.69b, the problem of higher voltage level is alleviated, but the
output is no longer referred to ground potential. The voltage requirements of FETs
sometimes make them difficult to use in many situations.
Bipolar transistors need only a fraction of a volt on the gate (base) terminal. The
base behavior is far more complicated than the FETs gate behavior. A BJT base drive
must supply enough current to guarantee that the transistor will be fully on. This means
that Ib must be chosen to be larger than the expected collector current Ic/. In power
transistors, can be quite low -- values of 5 or less are not unusual for devices rated over
ten amps. Furthermore, in order to operate the device at the highest possible speed, an
overdrive current pulse should be applied at turn-on. This pulse is usually chosen to be
nearly equal to Ic. Such high currents are difficult to achieve, since they call for
impedance levels well under 1 .
The 2N3055 can serve as a guide for base drive design. This device allows a
base current as high as 7 A. The voltage at the base terminal will not exceed roughly 1.5
V. The gain value can be as low as 5, so that base current of about 3 A might be
needed if Ic approaches the maximum value of 15 A. A candidate base drive circuit is
shown in Figure 19.70. The major difference between this and the FET drive is that it
involves much lower impedances. Many base drive circuits include transformers to obtain
high currents and low impedances.
Thyristors, as latching devices, are much different from transistors. A signal
must be applied to the gate only until sufficient anode current flows. Then the gate signal
can be removed. For example, the 2N6508 requires a gate signal of 75 mA or more at
a voltage of up to 1.5 V. The gate signal will not be needed once the anode current
reaches a "holding current" of 40 mA. This can occur as little as 2 s after the start of
the gate pulse. A pulse transformer can serve as a suitable driver for such requirements.
19-63
Figure l9.70 -- Candidate BJT base drive circuit.

This has the important advantage of isolation of the gate.
Most SCR applications are tied to an ac power line frequency, so that turn-on
speed is often not a major consideration. With this in mind, it is relatively easy to build
an SCR gate drive, provided certain details are considered. A controlled rectifier circuit
is shown in Figure 19.71. The load inductance normally makes the operation consistent
with periodic steady state. However, take the case of circuit start-up. Inductor current
is initially zero, and three-phase voltages are applied to the SCRs. While a gate signal
is applied to SCR A, the inductor current changes as vL/L. A large inductor will mean
a slow change, and a long time may pass before the SCR anode current exceeds the
holding value. To alleviate this, a small resistor can be added as a ballast load, to
ensure SCR turn-on latching. Otherwise, the circuit might not operate.
Figure l9.71 -- SCR controlled rectifier for three-phase input.
19.13.7 Basic theory -- snubbers

For some converter designs, very high momentary voltages appear across the
FET during the Part I procedures, especially if the layout is loose. Power FETs can easily
be destroyed when a Vds value beyond their limit appears. High momentary voltages can
occur even in relatively low voltage converters. Each circuit connection, wire, or
component, has inductance, and thus behaves as a current source over short time intervals.
When one attempts to reduce any current by switching action, a negative voltage vL =
L(di/dt) will be produced. The faster the switch, or the larger the inductor, the more
19-64
extreme this negative voltage. In an FET switching 10 A in 100 ns, even with a circuit
inductance as low as 1.0 H, a voltage of 100 V will be generated, independent of the
converter voltage levels. This voltage will appear across the switch as it turns off,
causing commutation loss and possibly approaching the switch voltage limits.
This effect is detrimental, since it leads to extra losses and even switch failure.
It is necessary to minimize the circuit inductance, and to keep di/dt sufficiently small.
Leads should be short and of proper size. Loops or other features which enhance
magnetic field coupling must be avoided. It is desirable to act upon the switching
trajectory itself. After all, the problem here is a switching trajectory which reaches
voltages much higher than any circuit voltage when current is still high.
Circuits which act directly on the switching trajectory are called snubbers. The
function of a snubber is to shape the switching trajectory and hence protect the switching
device. For this reason, most snubbers are wired directly to a switch, and would be
considered an actual part of the switch itself for purposes of converter design. For
example, a capacitor can be placed across the semiconductor, so that some of the energy
needed by the load during commutation is provided by the capacitor. A resistor might be
used to discharge the capacitor one the switch has reached the new operating state.
A simple RC snubber causes the switch voltage to change relatively slowly
(beginning at about zero) during turn-off. Unfortunately, the opposite occurs during turnon. In this case, the transistor voltage changes slowly, beginning at Vin, during switching.
The switching power loss will actually increase. It is apparent that a turn-off snubber and
a turn-on snubber have different requirements. To avoid this difficulty, it is necessary to
add circuitry so that the simple RC snubber discussed above will operate only during
transistor turn-off. A switch is needed! This switch needs to carry current only during
commutation, so that its ratings can be based on momentary performance, rather than on
continuous capabilities. A possible snubber circuit is shown in Figure 19.72. During
turn-off, it causes voltage to change relatively slowly. While the transistor is off, the
snubber capacitor charges up to Voff. But at transistor turn-on, the snubber circuit diode
prevents current flow from the snubber capacitor. The second resistor, R2, discharges C
during the transistors on-time so that the snubber will again be ready for turn-off.
Figure l9.72 -- A simple snubber for the transistor in a dc-dc converter.

This simple snubber is very popular, and has been used successfully in a wide
range of circuits. This snubber is known as a lossy snubber, since energy is dissipated
in its resistance components. The intent is to decrease the total switching losses by
19-65
adding a lossy snubber. Lossless snubbers, which use only switches and energy storage
elements, are feasible, and have been discussed in the literature.
1.
2.
19.13.8 Procedure -- part II

We will study an FET gate drive in the context of your converter. Obtain an
FET and diode with ratings appropriate to your converter. Measure the
characteristics of these devices on the curve tracer.
Assemble the drive circuit shown in Figure 19.73. The SG3526 integrated circuit
is a controllable pulse generator for use in dc-dc converters. Notice that the
circuit includes a snubber.
Figure l9.73 -- SG3526 based gate drive system.

3.
4.
5.
6.
Insert the FET and diode into your converter circuit. Pay attention to grounds
and to isolation requirements for voltage sources.
Observe the FET voltage and current, and the gate voltage. Choose a reasonable
value of frequency and duty ratio, based on your converter requirements. Sketch
the waveforms. What are the turn-on and turn-off times of your switches?
Vary the duty ratio and frequency. Again observe the FET signals. Take data
necessary to find effects of D and f on rise and fall times. Be sure to observe
the effect of very high switching frequency.
Use the X-Y mode of your oscilloscope to observe and sketch the switching
19-66
7.
1.
2.
3.
4.
trajectories. Think about how the snubber affects them.

Check your converter to see if it meets the specifications. Try making
adjustments where necessary. What are the input voltage and power limitations
of your converter?
19.13.9 Study questions -- part II
Compute (approximately) the power used in your gate drive circuit. How is
converter efficiency affected?
Include the curves gathered in the lab on the curve tracer for your devices. What
is Vth for your FET? What voltage drops and resistances model your
semiconductors?
Calculate a value of gate capacitance from your measured fall time. Is the value
consistent with the data sheets?
Use the data to predict the performance of your converter. Can the specifications
be met with these parts?
19.13.10 Thermal performance and feedback control -- introduction

Now that the converter has been constructed (and presumably operated with some
success), key operational issues such as feedback control need to be considered. The
designer of a converter has relatively little control over how the unit is used. The most
obvious unknowns are the input power source and the output load, but additional
conditions such as ambient temperature, residual voltages, time-rate-of-change of the load,
response to a short-circuit or to an open-circuit applied at the load terminals, device
protection, reliability, cost, and electromagnetic performance often depend on customer
requirements rather than on the designers intent. At least some of these difficulties can
be mitigated through the use of feedback control concepts. The basic idea, as taught in
a first Control Systems course, is to subtract some fraction of the circuit output from an
intended reference value, and use the result as a new input signal. When this is done,
the output can be made almost arbitrarily close to the desired value even in the presence
of load changes, supply changes, residual drops across switches, and other disturbances.
19.13.11 Basic theory -- converter control
Of the many ways to implement feedback control in a dc-dc converter, perhaps
Figure l9.74 -- Simple feedback control block diagram.
19-67
the simplest is called output voltage control. Here, the output voltage is sensed and
subtracted from a given reference value. The result is amplified, and applied to the duty
ratio input of a PWM circuit. A block diagram is shown in Figure 19.74. In a buck
converter which uses this circuit, the input-output relationship can be written:
Vout = k(Vref - Vout)Vin.
Simplifying this,
Vout(1 + kVin) = kVrefVin.
If k is large so that kVin >> 1, then both sides can be divided by kVin to give
Vout = Vref.
It is easy to show that this result applies even when residual switch voltages are included:
a large gain will produce output equal to the reference value, in spite of changes in
supply, load, or other uncontrolled parameters, as long as the converter duty ratio is within
the allowed limits.
While this style of proportional gain feedback is simple and appealing, it has two
important drawbacks. The first is that the output is not exactly equal to the input, even
in steady state, because k cannot be infinite. This should be clear when you consider that
the converter duty ratio D is given by D = k(Vref - Vout). Since we expect D to have
some value greater than zero, the value Vref - Vout must also be greater than zero. A
second drawback is that if k is too large, then any slight disturbance will drive D to the
limits 0 or 1, and the converter output will jump around almost at random. One
alternative is to add an integrating element D = k(Vref - Vout) + kivref - vout to the
control. This eliminates steady-state error without requiring extreme gain.
Converter control can also be implemented with series regulators for output
filtering. Consider the regulator circuit below. The zener diode has been used to provide
Figure l9.75 -- Buck converter with series regulator at output.
19-68
a reference signal for the series regulator. The output transistor exhibits a small voltage
drop (typically less than 1 V) between the base and the emitter. If the base is set to 6 V,
for example, we might expect about 5 V at the emitter. Consider the effect of an external
load change which attempts to decrease Ve. Then more current will flow into the base,
and Ic will increase since it is given by Ib. The emitter current will rise, which would
be expected to result in an increase in Ve. Similarly, an attempt to increase Ve will
produce lower emitter current.
This simple circuit will work as long as the output pass transistor is in its active
state. The transistor must not act as a switch. This, in turn, requires that there be
sufficient voltage at the collector so that saturation is always avoided, and that there be
sufficient base current to avoid cutoff. One way to assure both of these is to keep Vc >
Vout + 2 V, and to use a high-gain transistor with a high bias current through the zener
diode. For a pass transistor with = 25, and Iout < 2 A, the required bias current is 80
mA. The zener diode thus requires power of 0.08 6, or about W. A final circuit,
designed for Vout + 2 < Vc < Vout + 5, is given in Figure 19.76. With a 10 W load, this
regulator is about 68 % efficient with 7 V input and 43 % efficient with 10 V input.
Even though the efficiency is not good, the output quality is very high.
Figure l9.76 -- Series regulator designed for Vc of 7 to 10 V and Vout 5 V.
19.13.12 Basic theory -- thermal effects

Power lost in a semiconductor (or anything else) is converted to heat. Naturally,
this will cause a temperature rise in the semiconductor. Semiconductor devices have a
maximum temperature at which they can function -- typically between 100C and 200C.
We must ensure that the semiconductor temperature will remain below its limit under
operating conditions. To do this, it is important to understand some basic concepts of
heat flow.
Temperature can be defined as a potential associated with heat flow, just as
voltage can be defined as a potential associated with current flow. In solid substances,
the flow of heat follows Fouriers Law of Heat Conduction, which states that the heat flux
per unit area q (the units are W/m) is proportional to the temperature gradient in the
19-69
material. The constant of proportionality is defined as thermal conductivity, and is given

the symbol k, so that
(l9.18)
Fouriers Law represents the effect of heat conduction (heat flow between solid objects
in physical contact).
When fluids are involved, the heat flow is referred to as convection, in which
motion of the fluid carries away much of the heat. Again, the heat flux depends on a
temperature difference, and a heat transfer coefficient, h can be defined so that
(l9.19)
The heat transfer coefficient is much more complicated than thermal conductivity, since
it includes flow rates, directions, the surface area of the heat generator, and a variety of
other parameters.
The third type of heat transfer, radiation, is more complicated still. In this case,
heat flux is proportional to the fourth power of the temperature difference. The result is
(l9.20)
where is the Stefan-Boltzman constant, = 5.670 10-8 W/(m2K4), and e is the
emissivity of the object, e = qactual/qideal. Typical values of e are:
Material
polished metal
oxidized aluminum
flat black paint
emissivity
0.05
0.10
0.90
A flat black heat sink with temperature of 50C and e = 0.9 will transfer 0.04 W/m to
surroundings at 20C. In many situations, radiation heat transfer can be neglected.
In the case of both conduction and convection, heat flux depends linearly on a
temperature difference. The thermal conductivity can be used to define a thermal
resistance, analogous to electrical resistance. The total heat flow in watts can be
multiplied by the thermal resistance to give the temperature difference, so that the
temperature of a semiconductor Tj is equal to Ploss(ja) + Ta, where ja is the thermal
resistance in K/W between the semiconductor and the surrounding ambient, and Ta is the
ambient temperature. (Please realize that only temperature difference is involved, so that
units of K become equivalent to units of C. Most manufacturers give in C/W.)
19.13.13 Procedure -- part III
Converter checkout (open loop):
1.
Operate your converter over its specification range. Measure its efficiency under
several operating conditions.
2.
Check the operation of your converter over its full range. Make note of any
combinations of Vin and Pout for which you could not meet the specifications,
and determine the issues associated with the limitations.
19-70
3.
3.
Measure and record the temperatures of the switching devices under conditions
of maximum load and minimum Vin. Let the circuit stabilize for about ten
minutes, but shut it down if your measured values go beyond 120C. If the
temperature reaches steady state, record it and record electrical information to
allow you to calculate power loss in the FET and the diode.
Take temperature measurements at two other combinations of Pout and Vin.
Feedback control checkout:

4.
During the temperature stabilization time, build the circuit of Figure 19.77 for
use in a feedback loop. Notice that the circuit output is 10(Vref - Vout).
Figure l9.77 -- Op-amp feedback control test circuit.

5.
6.
7.
1.
Insert the feedback control unit into the converter, as follows:

a)
The circuit output attaches to the "sense" input of the SG3526.
b)
The voltage input attaches to the converter output.
c)
The ground node attaches to the converter output ground.
d)
For a buck converter, connect the current input to ground.
e)
For a buck-boost converter, place a 0.1 resistor in series with the
inductor, on the ground side. The voltage on this resistor goes to the
current input.
f)
For a boost converter, place a 0.1 resistor in series with the converter
input source, on the ground side. Connect the voltage on this resistor
to the current input.
Set up the converter with minimum load. Turn it on, and determine whether the
control circuit is functioning.
Vary Vin, and observe the control action on Vout. What is the circuit line
regulation?
19.13.14 Study questions -- part III
Estimate the thermal resistances jc and ja from your temperature data and from
19-71
2.
measurements of power loss in your switches.

Discuss your converter design project results in some depth.
CONVERTER SPECIFICATION SETS

The basic specification sets here cover a wide range of dc-dc converter designs and
applications.
A.
Input Voltage Range:
5 V to
9 V
Output Voltage:
12 V 1 %
Output Load Range:
5 W to
20 W
B.
10 V to 25 V
Output Voltage:
-12 V 2 %
Output Load Range:
5 W to 20 W
C.
Input Voltage Range: -4.5 V to -16 V
Output Voltage:
5 V 1 %
Output Load Range:
10 W to 25 W
D.
10 V to 35 V
Output Voltage: +5 to +12 (adjustable) V 50 mV
Output Load Range:
0 W to
20 W
E.
12 V to
40 V
Output Voltage:
either +80 or -80 V 3 %
Output Load Range:
10 W to
20 W
F.
10 V to
15 V
Output Voltage:
-16 V 2 %
Output Load Range:
2 W to
20 W
G.
7.0 V to
14 V
Output Voltage:
5 V 1 %
Output Load Range:
0 W to
50 W
(battery powered)
H.
14 V to
25 V
Output Voltage:
12 V 1 %
Output Load Range:
0 W to
20 W
I.
9 V to
15 V
Output Voltage:
24 V 3 %
Output Load Range:
12 W to
35 W
19-72
J.
3 V to
Output Voltage:
5 V 1 %
Output Load Range:
0 W to
(battery powered)
25
8 V to
V %
0 W to
15
20

10 V to
Output Voltage:
-12 V 1 %
Output Load Range:
0 W to
25
35

25 V to
Output Voltage:
12 V 1 %
Output Load Range:
50 W to
40

12 V to
Output Voltage:
24 V 1 %
Output Load Range:
50 W to
18
K.
Output Voltage:
6
Output Load Range:
L.
M.
100
N.
V
100
O.
25 VRMS, 50-60 Hz
Output Voltage:
13 V adjustable 1 V, with current limited to 5 A
Output Load Range:
0 W to
70 W
P.
25 V to
Output Voltage:
12 V 1 %
Output Load Range:
50 W to
50
V RMS, 60 Hz
100
Q.
22 V to
26 V
Output Voltage:
12 2 cos(120t) V 0.2 V
Output Load:
50 W
R.
5 V to
12 V
Output Voltage:
1 to 2 V 0.02 V (mean is adjustable)
Output Load:
20 to 40 A
19-73
Summary Specification Sheets for Parts

IRF 520 and IRF 521 (MOSFET):
Rating
Drain-source voltage
Gate-source voltage
Drain current
Junction temperature
Symbol
VDSS
VGS
ID
TJ
Maximum limit
100 V (520), 60 V (521)
20 V
8 A continuous, 32 A peak
150C
Characteristic
Thermal resistance, junction-case
junction-ambient
Residual current, VGS=0, VDS=max
Gate threshold voltage
On-state resistance, VGS=10
Input capacitance
Turn-on delay time
Rise time
Turn-off delay time
Fall time
Symbol
JC
JA
IDSS
VGS(th)
RDS(on)
Ciss
td(on)
tr
td(off)
tf
Typical value
3.12 K/W
62.5 K/W (no sink)
0.2 mA
2 to 4 V
0.3
600 pF
40 ns
70 ns
100 ns
70 ns
Rating
Drain-source voltage
Gate-source voltage
Drain current
Symbol
VDSS
VGS
ID
TJ
Maximum limit
350 V
20 V
15 A continuous, 60 A peak
150C
Characteristic
junction-ambient
Residual current, VGS=0, VDS=max
Gate threshold voltage
On-state resistance, VGS=10
Input capacitance
Turn-on delay time
Rise time
Turn-off delay time
Fall time
Symbol
JC
JA
IDSS
VGS(th)
RDS(on)
Ciss
td(on)
tr
td(off)
tf
Typical value
0.83 K/W
30 K/W (no sink)
0.25 mA
2 to 4.5 V
0.3
3000 pF
35 ns (351), 60 ns (15N35)
65 ns (351), 180 ns (15N35)
150 ns (351), 450 ns(15N35)
75 ns (351), 180 ns (15N35)
IRF 351 and MTH15N35 (MOSFET):
19-74
2N3055A (BJT):
Rating
Collector-emitter voltage
Base-emitter voltage
Collector current
Base current
Symbol
VCE0
VBE
IC
IB
TJ
Maximum limit
60 V
-7 V
15 A continuous
7A
200C
Characteristic
Residual current, IB=0, VCE=30
Dc current gain
Collector-emitter saturation voltage
Turn-on delay time
Rise time
Storage time
Fall time
Symbol
JC
ICE0
hFE
VCE(sat)
td(on)
tr
ts
tf
Typical value
1.52 K/W
0.7 mA
40 (IC=4 A), 5 (IC=10 A)
1.1V (IC=4A), 3V (IC=10A)
0.1 s
2 s
2 s
2 s
Rating
Blocking voltage (forward or backward)
Peak gate current
Forward current
Symbol
VAK(off)
IGM
IT
TJ
Maximum limit
600 V
2A
25 A RMS, 16 A ave,
300 A cycle surge
125C
Characteristic
Residual current, IG=0, VAK=max
Gate trigger current
Gate trigger voltage
Holding current
On-state residual voltage
Turn-on time
Turn-off time
Critical rate of rise of off-state voltage
Symbol
JC
IT(off)
IGT
VGT
IH
VAK(on)
tgt
tq
dv/dtC
Typical value
1.5 K/W
2 mA
25 mA (75 mA worst case)
1V
35 mA
1V (IT=3A), 1.8V (IT=50A)
1.5 s
35 s
50 V/s
2N6508 (SCR):
19-75
MUR3040PT (ultra-fast power rectifier):

Rating
Peak reverse voltage
Forward current, per leg
Symbol
VR
IF(ave)
TJ
Maximum limit
400 V
15 A, 150 A cycle surge
175C
Characteristic
junction-ambient
Reverse current, VR=max
Forward voltage, IF = 15 A
Reverse recovery time
Symbol
JC
JA
IR
VF
trr
Typical value
1.5 K/W
40 K/W
500 A
1.2 V
60 ns (max)
Rating
Supply voltage
Logic input voltage (pins 5, 8, 12)
Analog input voltage (pins 1, 2, 6, 7)
Symbol
VS
Vin
Vin
TJ
Maximum limit
40 V (max), 7 V (min)
-0.3 to +5.5 V
-0.3 V to VS
150C
Characteristic
Thermal resistance, junction-ambient
Frequency range
f
Reverse current, VR=max
Forward voltage, IF = 15 A
Reverse recovery time
Symbol
JA
SG3526 (PWM control integrated circuit):
IR
VF
trr
19-76
Typical value
66 K/W
1 Hz to 500 kHz
500 A
1.2 V
60 ns (max)
SG3526 Operation
The SG3526 contains several modules:

A +5V series regulator for logic power and to provide a reference signal. the
regulator works over an input range of +8V to +35V.
An undervoltage lockout circuit to shut the IC down and reset it if the +5V level
falls too much.
An oscillator to provide a triangle waveform and a clock pulse train over the
range 1 Hz to 400 kHz. The period is approximately (RC), where R and C are
the timing components connected at pins 9 and 10, respectively.
An amplifier (a bit like an op-amp) with gain-bandwidth product of 1 MHz.
This amplifier is actually a transconductance device, and compensating
capacitance of 100 pF or so must connected from pin 3 to ground to make it
work properly.
A comparator for pulse-width modulation. The oscillator triangle is compared
to the amplifier output to generate the main PWM square wave.
Dual totem-pole outputs. These outputs can drive up to 200 mA loads at up to
35 V. They are designed primarily for MOSFET gate drives.
Pulse-steering logic. To allow tightly balanced operation of two converter
switches, this logic directs PWM output pulses to alternate gate drives. For
example, one pulse goes to the top gate drive, the second to the bottom gate
drive, and so on. While this balances the two outputs, it also limits the output
duty ratio to just under 50%. The outputs can be or-ed to give 0-100% duty.
Double-pulse lockout logic. If the amplifier output crosses the triangle wave
more than once per clock period, multiple PWM pulses are produced. The
double-pulse logic ensures that only the first pulse is accepted. No others will
have any effect until the logic resets with the next clock pulse.
Current comparator. This separate op-amp allows an external current shunt to
be used for protection. If more than about 100 mV is imposed between pins 6
and 7, the circuit will shut down until the current falls again.
Some other features:
Each pin actually serves as both input and output.

The clock can be synchronized externally by imposing a 150 ns square wave at
pin 12. This simply overrides the internal clock.
A resistor at pin 11 (normally 0 ) can adjust the output dead time, i.e. the time
between turn-off of the top output and turn-on of the bottom output. RD = 0
gives about 1.5 s of dead time, while 10 gives about 5.5 s when the
oscillator is at 40 kHz.
To drive a single MOSFET over the full 0-100% duty range, it is necessary to
use both IC outputs in an OR configuration.
19-77
19.14 References
S. B. Dewan, G. R. Slemon, A. Straughen, Power Semiconductor Drives. New York:
John Wiley, 1984.
Donald M. Trotter, Jr., Capacitors, Scientific American, vol. 259, no. 1, July, 1988, pp.
86-90B.
Data sheets are summarized from various Motorola Semiconductor Corporation Data
Books (IRF 500, 2N3055, 2N6508, MUR3040PT).
SG3256 data sheets are summarized from Signetics, Inc. data books.
IRF 351 data sheets are summarized from HEXFET Databook, 3rd edition, International
Rectifier Corp., El Segundo, Calif., 1985, pp. D-67 - D-72.
B. Williams, Power Electronics: Devices, Drivers and Applications. New York: Wiley,
1987, pp. 90-108.
J. Kassakian, G. Verghese, M. Schlecht, Principles of Power Electronics. New York:
Addison-Wesley, 1991, pp. 693-710.
19-78

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Chapter 19 -- A Sequence of Power Electronics Experiments

Version 3.01 August, 1997

Chapter 19 -- A Sequence of Power Electronics Experiments

Version 3.01 August, 1997

CAREFUL WORKMANSHIP. Check and recheck all connections before

LIVE PARTS. Most semiconductor devices have an electrical connection to the

The most common cause of trouble in power conversion experiments is improper

Oscilloscope (digital preferred), two channels, 60 MHz bandwidth.

Function generator, 10 Hz to 2 MHz, sine and square waves.

True RMS multimeters.

Power supply, 0-24 V, 0-5 A or better.

Power supply, +12 V, 0-0.5 A (for control functions).

Access to standard ac mains power.

Chapter 19 -- A Sequence of Power Electronics Experiments

Version 3.01 August, 1997

The following additional equipment is very helpful, and is recommended:

Magnetic current probe, 0-20 MHz.

Power supply, 0-50 V, 0-10 A.

Isolation amplifier for oscilloscope channels.

Temperature probe for multimeter.

Access to three-phase mains.

A semiconductor curve tracer.

Be sure to be aware of ground connections or other considerations of the instruments.

List of equipment used, especially if unusual items are involved.

Chapter 19 -- A Sequence of Power Electronics Experiments

Version 3.01 August, 1997

The date, and the names and signatures of the experimenters.

It is usually permissible to include calculations, observations, and even

A low-voltage ac mains supply, from a transformer bank, for experiments with

Chapter 19 -- A Sequence of Power Electronics Experiments

Version 3.01 August, 1997

Figure l9.1 -- Basic diode and SCR full-wave rectifier circuits

Chapter 19 -- A Sequence of Power Electronics Experiments

Version 3.01 August, 1997

Figure l9.2 -- Two-phase diode rectifier test circuit.

Part 2 -- Dc-dc conversion and the FET box

Figure l9.3 -- Simple dc-dc converter circuit.

Chapter 19 -- A Sequence of Power Electronics Experiments

Version 3.01 August, 1997

Part 3 -- Power semiconductor devices and the curve tracer

Figure l9.4 -- Voltage-current characteristic curves of major devices.

Chapter 19 -- A Sequence of Power Electronics Experiments

Version 3.01 August, 1997

Double check your connection. We want to vary gate-source voltage from

Chapter 19 -- A Sequence of Power Electronics Experiments

Version 3.01 August, 1997

In dc output converters, what is the relevance of RMS output voltage? What

Experiment -- Basic Rectifier Circuits

Chapter 19 -- A Sequence of Power Electronics Experiments

Version 3.01 August, 1997

Figure l9.5 -- Basic half-wave

Since there is current flow, the diode will stay

Figure l9.7 -- Half-wave circuit with inductive load.

Figure l9.8 -- Half-wave circuit with capacitive load.

Chapter 19 -- A Sequence of Power Electronics Experiments

Version 3.01 August, 1997

is called a latching device, because the on-state

Figure l9.6 -- Half-wave input

Chapter 19 -- A Sequence of Power Electronics Experiments

Version 3.01 August, 1997

Table I -- Summary Specifications of the Fluke 8010A Multimeter

Chapter 19 -- A Sequence of Power Electronics Experiments

Version 3.01 August, 1997

Figure l9.11 -- Phase delay measurement example.