Concordia University

ELEC 433/6411 Power Electronics/Power Electronics I Fall 2010

Prof. Sheldon S. Williamson
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering 1455 de Maisonneuve West, S-EV5.243 Montreal, Quebec H3G 1M8 Tel: (514) 848-2424, ext. 8741 Fax: (514) 848-2802 EML: sheldon@ece.concordia.ca

Time/Place:

M 2.45 5:30 PM/H-407

Office Hours: E-mail/call for appointment. Course Text: Power Electronics: Converters, Applications, and Design By: Ned Mohan, Tore M. Undeland, and William P. Robbins, 3rd Edition, John Wiley & Sons, 2003. Reference: Power Electronics: Circuits, Devices, and Applications By: M. H. Rashid, 3rd Edition, Prentice Hall, 2004, ISBN 0-13-101140-5

Power Electronic Devices Uncontrollable Switches

Full Controllable

Voltage-Control Devices
Current-Control Devices

Controllable
Half Controllable

ON State: Ideal Switches

Short Circuit

OFF State:

Open Circuit

Power Electronic Devices

Power Diode Thyristor Diac & Triac Gate Turn-Off (GTO) Thyristor Bipolar Power Transistor (BPT or BJT) Power MOSFET Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) Static Induction Transistor (SIT) Static Induction Thyristor (SITH) MOS Controlled Thyristor (MCT) Integrated Gate Commutated Thyristor (IGCT) - Modified GTO

Power Diode
Power Diode is the simplest, uncontrollable power electronic switch. Power diode is forward biased (ON) when its current is positive and reverse biased (OFF) when its voltage is negative.
A Anode

Cathode

Thyristor
A

Anode

Thyristor is a controllable three-terminal device. If a current pulse is applied to its gate, thyristor can be turned on and conduct current from its anode to cathode, provided a positive anode-tocathode voltage exists. However, in order to turn a thyristor on, gate current must be above a minimum value called IGT. After Thyristor turns on, if its current, i.e., anode to cathode, reaches above a minimum value called latching current (IL), the gate current is no longer required. Thyristor will continue to conduct until its current becomes less than a minimum value called holding current (IH).

Gate G

Cathode

Thyristor

Diac & Triac

Diac is a two-terminal power electronic device. When the voltage across the terminals reaches the Diac specific voltage, Diac is turned on and conducts current from the positive terminal to the negative terminal. The voltage across terminals decreases to a small value which is the voltage drop while Diac is on. Diac a bi-directional device.
Triac is a three-terminal, controllable power electronic switch. The operation of Triac is equivalent to two Thyristors which are parallel in opposite directions. Therefore, Triac has the capability of conducting current in both directions. Gate current can also be positive or negative. As a result, Triac has four different operating modes.
MT2

MT1

MT2

Gate G MT1

Power Transistors
C

Collector

Power Transistors have the characteristics of conventional transistors. However, they have the capability of conducting higher collector current. They have also higher breakdown voltage (VCEO). Power transistors are designed for high current, high voltage, and high power applications. They are usually operated either in the fully on or fully off state.

Base B

Emitter

Power MOSFETs
Power MOSFETs are voltage-controlled devices. They are usually N-channel and of the enhancement type. Most of power MOSFETs are off when VGS <2v and are on when VGS >4v. When a power MOSFET is on, there is a small resistance, i.e., less than 1, between drain and source and when it is off, there is a large resistance (almost open circuit) between drain and source.
D Drain

Gate G

Source

Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBT)

IGBTs are equivalent to power transistors, wherein their bases are driven by MOSFETs. Similar to a MOSFET, IGBT has a high impedance gate, which requires only a small amount of energy to switch the device. Like a power transistor, IGBT has a small on-state voltage. IGBTs are suitable for switching speeds up to about 20kHz and have replaces BJTs in many applications.
C Collector

Gate G

Emitter

Overvoltage Capacitor

Phase A

Gate Turn-Off (GTO) Thyristors

GTO is turned on by a short-duration gate current if the AK voltage is positive. Unlike the SCR, the GTO can be turned off with a negative gate current. Negative gate current must be very large compared to the turn-on current. GTO is suitable for applications where controls of both turn-on and turn-off of a switch are required.

MOS-Controlled Thyristors (MCT)

MCT is a device functionally equivalent to GTO but without the high turn-off gate current requirement. MCT has an SCR and two Metal-Oxide-Silicon Field-Effect Transistors (MOSFET) integrated into one device. One MOSFET turns the SCR on and one MOSFET turns the SCR off. MCT is turned on and off by establishing the proper voltage from gate to cathode, as opposed to establishing a gate current in the GTO.

Power Electronic Building Blocks (PEBB)

It is a newly proposed concept in which the power semiconductor devices, control circuits, bus bar and other passive elements like clamping capacitors, etc., are all integrated into one three-terminal component shown below.

Main objectives: To keep the loss in the switch as well as the other components as low as possible. Reduce the parasitic effects and physical size as much as possible.

Power Integrated Circuits (PIC)

Power and control integration in a chip - also called smart power Cost, size, and reliability advantages Isolation and cooling problems Low power motion control PICs

Power MOSFET Smart Switches

Half-bridge inverter driver H-Bridge inverter Two-phase stepper motor driver One quadrant chopper for DC drives

Three-Phase BLDC Motor Drivers

Three phase diode rectifier PWM Inverter

Power-Frequency Capability of Devices

Largest Device Ratings Available in Market

SCR
TRIAC GTO BJT IGBT IGCT

8000V, 4000A, 1.5-2.0V voltage drop (up to 3V for 5-8kV series)

1000V, 50A 6000V, 6000A, 36MVA 1200V, 800A, up to 10kHz 3300V, 1200A, tON= 1.2 s; VCE(sat) = 2V 4500V, 3120A, tON = 1.6 s; VCE(sat) = 1V

MOSFET 1000V, 50A (up to 320A maximum), up to and beyond 100kHz

MCT

600 V, 600 A

Device Usage Recommendations

Low voltage, low power : Medium power level: High voltage, high power:

BJT, MOSFET, and TRIAC IGBT IGCT and SCR

Very high power:

SCR

Power Electronics
Power electronics is the technology for conversion and processing of electric power and its applications. It provides the basis for a variety of new electrical circuit architectures that allow substantial improvements in performance and flexibility.

Electric/Electronic Switching Circuits

AC/DC DC/DC Converters DC/AC AC/AC The objective of a converter is to match the voltage and current requirements of the load to the source. They convert one type or level of a voltage or current waveform to another.

High-Current or High-Voltage Electronics

AC/DC Rectifiers
AC/DC converters employing Thyristors with phase control and line commutation have been used widely to convert AC to DC power for applications like DC drives, electrochemical processes, etc. In order to alleviate the problems of low frequency harmonics generated by the line commutated converters, PWM type converters are being used in several applications. PWM rectifiers have an advantage that the input line side power factor can be set at desired value (leading, unity power factor, or lagging)

AC

AC/DC Rectifier

DC

AC/DC Rectifiers
io

iS
AC

T1

T2

R
VS

vo L
D2 D1

AC/DC Rectifiers

D1
AC

D3

D5

ia

AC

vd

Id

AC

D4

D6

D2

AC/AC Converters
AC voltage controllers and cycloconverters. Due to phase control, they have problems related to harmonics and VARs. Directly converts power in a largefrequency range. The line-side power factor can be programmed to be near unity for all loads. Main drawback is non-availability of cheap AC switches.

AC

AC/AC Converter

AC

DC/DC Converters
Converts unregulated DC to regulated DC and widely used in DC motor drives.

PWM choppers like Buck, Boost, Buck-Boost, and Cuk.

Presently, the main concern is the size of the converters. PWM techniques with hard-switching are very lossy. One alternative is to use resonant and quasi-resonant converters using which the switching frequency can be in the order of few MHz. Another alternative is to use resonant link converter in which the DC power is first converted to high frequency AC and then rectified using a diode rectifier and a low-pass filter.

DC

DC/DC Converter

DC

DC/DC Converters
iin
S

iL

iL
+

id
L D

+ vD Vin
S

+ Vin vD D

+ Vo -

Vo -

Type A Buck Converter

D2

Type A Boost Converter

iin

S1

io

D1

S1

D3

S3

io

Vin

+ v -

+ V in
D1 S2

Vo D4 S4

Vo

D2 S2

Type B Two-Quadrant

Four-Quadrant

DC/AC Inverters

Convert power from DC to variable voltage variable frequency AC used in AC drives, induction heating, etc.
PWM voltage source inverters with front-end diode rectifiers are most commonly used. Main applications are Adjustable Speed Drives (ASD).

DC

DC/AC Inverters

AC

id

TA+

DA+

TB+

DB+

A Vd B

io vo

TA-

DAN

TB-

DB-

DC/AC Inverters
id TA+ DA+ Vd 2 TB+ DB+ TC+ DC+

Vd

Vd 2

TADA-

TBDB-

TCDC-

Interdisciplinary Nature of Power Electronics

COMPUTER-AIDED DESIGN

Circuit Theory Systems and Control Theory Semiconductor Devices Simulation and computing Programming Power Transfer Systems Signal Processing Electronics Electromagnetics

ANALOG AND DIGITAL ELECTRONICS

POWER SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES

MICROCOMPUTERS

POWER ELECTRONICS AND DEVICES

CONVERTER CIRCUITS

CONTROL THEORY VLSI CIRCUITS

ELECTRICAL MACHINES

A Typical Electrical System

Power Management System (PMS)

Source #1 Source #2

Load #1

Interconnected multi-converter power electronic system

Load #2

Source #N

Load #M

Generation

Transmission & Distribution

Utilization

Power Electronics Applications

Home appliances: refrigerators, washing machines, automatic door openers, cordless drives, vacuum cleaners, food warming trays, audio and RF amplifiers.
Electric power systems: electric power quality, power factor correction, VAR compensators, Flexible AC Transmission Systems (FACTS), High Voltage DC (HVDC), harmonic reduction. Automotive industry: electric and hybrid electric vehicles, power steering, anti-lock braking, steer by wire, brake by wire, starter/alternator, air conditioning, electronic ignition system. Aerospace: aircraft and spacecraft power systems, international space station. Telecommunications: wireless communications power supplies, Uninterruptible Power Supply systems (UPS).

Transportation: trains and locomotives, electric and hybrid electric buses, magnetic levitation.
Commercial: electronic ballasts, light dimmers, hand power tools, personal computers, battery chargers, electric fans. Medical: fitness machines, laser power supplies, medical instrumentation. Industrial: movers, machine tools, induction heating, elevators, timers, pumps and compressors, printing press machinery, dryers, contactors and circuit breakers, modern industrial automation systems. Other applications: robotics, computerized control systems, active filters, converters for integrated circuits, fuel cells, adjustable speed drives, industrial automation systems.

Adjustable Speed Drives (ASD)

PWM Converter Ls Motor Is PWM Inverter

Vs

Motor L

Typical Applications of Adjustable Speed Drives (ASD)

Pumps, Blowers, and Compressors Rolling and Cement Mills Paper and Textile Mills

Variable Speed AC/Heat Pumps Hydro/Pump Storage Variable Speed Wind Generation

Subway and Locomotive Propulsion

Electric and Hybrid Electric Vehicles Gas Turbine Starter/Generator

Induction Motor Starter

Ship Propulsion Computer Peripherals

Machine Tools and Robotics

Home Appliances

Automotive
Aerospace

Classification of Electric Machinery

Electric Machines

DC

AC

Commutator

Homopolar

Synchronous

Induction

Wound Field

PM

Brushless DC

Sine Wave

Step

Hysteresis

Reluctance

1-phase

3-phase

Series

Shunt

Compound

Separately Excited

PM

Wound Field

Switched Reluctance

Synchronous Reluctance

Surface-mounted

Interior-mounted

PM

Hybrid

Variable Reluctance

Wound Rotor

Squirrel Cage

Switched Reluctance Motor (SRM) Drives

Stator of an 8/6 SRM

Rotor of an 8/6 SRM

Power Electronic Converters for SRM Drives

Lf Cf1 L Phase I Phase II Phase III

Cf2

Phase I

Phase II

Phase III

Buck-Boost converter of a 6/4 SRM Classical two-switch per phase converter of a 6/4 SRM
Phase I Phase II Phase III

L C

C-dump inverter of a 6/4 SRM

Phase I Phase II Phase III

Phase I

Phase II

Phase III

Miller converter of a 6/4 SRM

Brush-Less DC (BLDC) Motor Drives

S1

S3

S5

a Vd b c 3-Phase BLDC

S4

S6

S2

6-Switch 3-Phase Brush-Less DC (BLDC) Motor Drive

TMS320F243 EVM Module (Texas Instruments DSP)