Power Electronics

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 Introduction
Power semiconductor devices could be classified into three groups

1. Uncontrolled: Diodes: ON and OFF states controlled by the power circuit.

2. Semi controlled: Thyristors (SCR): switched on by a control signal but must be
turned off by the power circuit.
3. Fully controlled: Controllable switches: turned on and off by control signals, e.
g. (BJT, MOSFET, IGBT, GTO Thyristors, IGCT; integrated gate commutated
thyristor, MCT; most controlled thyristor)

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 Power Diodes
Figure 2.1 shows the circuit symbol for the diode

Fig. 2.1: Diode symbol

VFWD = 0.3 – 0.7 V
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 Fig. 2.2 Diode steady state V I characteristic
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 Voltage rating, 6 to 7 KV
Current rating, 4 to 5 K A
Power rating, 24 to 35 MW
VFWD , 2 to 3 V

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 Fig. 2.3 Idealized characteristic
Expected Ideal values:
RON = 0, ROFF = ∞, VFWD = 0 , ILeakage = 0
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Types of Diodes:

1. Schottky diodes: These diodes are used with power supply

where a low forward voltage drop (typically 0.3 V) is needed
in very low output voltage circuits. These diodes are limited
in their blocking voltage capabilities to 50- 100 V.

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2. Fast-recovery diodes: These are designed to be used in high-
frequency circuits in combination with controllable switches
where a small reverse-recovery time is needed Fig. 2.4. At
power levels of several hundred volts and several hundred
amperes, such diodes have trr ratings of less than a few
microseconds (around 30 µs), e. g. (freewheeling Fig. 2.5,
feedback diode Fig. 2.6).

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 Fig 2.4 Diode turn OFF

Reverse Recovery time (trr) is the time taken to stop conducting when
the diode is reverse biased.
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 Fig 2.5 Freewheeling diode

𝒅𝒊
I ≠ 0 (switch ON), I = 0 (switch OFF), L = very large value
𝒅𝒕

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 Fig. 2.6: Feedback diode

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3. Line frequency diodes: The on-state voltage of these diodes is designed to
be as low as possible and a consequence have larger trr.

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Diodes applications:
• Rectification
• As a switch
• Source isolation
• As voltage reference
• Frequency mixer

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Frequency Mixer is a nonlinear device, it generates a number of
frequencies on the application of two different frequencies at the input
of the mixer (e. g. Radio Frequency technology and design).

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