Appendix A

RMS Values of Commonly Observed Converter Waveforms

A.1 Results for some common waveforms

See text for results
A.2 General piecewise waveform
How to compute the rms value of a waveform that can be broken into
smaller piecewise segments
Example: transistor current waveform, including effects of short
turn-on current spike

Fundamentals of Power Electronics 1 Appendix A: RMS Values

 A.2 General piecewise waveform

Basic expression for rms value of waveform 1

T
(rms value) = v 2(t)dt
v(t) having period T: T 0

Trapezoidal
i(t)

Constant
Triangular

segment
Suppose the waveform can be

segment

segment
represented as a series of etc.
segments, with the kth segment
having length DkTs and with Ts
equal to the switching period:

D1Ts D2Ts D3Ts Ts t

Then the rms value can be

expressed as:
n
where uk is the contribution of the kth
rms = Σ Dk u k
k=1 segment — see following slides
Fundamentals of Power Electronics 2 Appendix A: RMS Values
 Some basic segment shapes

i(t)
I1 Constant segment
i(t)
Ipk
Sinusoidal segment
(half or full period)
u k = I 21 u k = 1 I 2pk
2
t
t
i(t)
I1 Triangular segment

u k = 1 I 21 i(t) Sinusoidal segment

3 Ipk
(partial period)
0
t

i(t)
I1 Trapezoidal segment θ1 ωt
I2
θ2
u k = 1 I 21 + I 1 I 2 + I 22 sin θ 2 – θ 1 cos θ 2 + θ 1
3 u k = 1 I 2pk 1 –
2 θ2 – θ1
t

Fundamentals of Power Electronics 3 Appendix A: RMS Values

 Example

Transistor current waveform, including turn-on current spike induced by

diode reverse recovery
The turn-on current spike is short but of high magnitude. Does it
significantly increase the rms current?
The observed current waveform is approximated by piecewise linear
segments as shown below
Six segments:
i(t)
I1 = 20 A 1-3 are from diode
1 2 3 4 5 6 reverse recovery
4 is transistor on time
I2 = 2 A 5 is transistor turn-off
0A
transition
0.2 µs 0.2 µs 0.1 µs 5 µs 0.2 µs Ts t
10 µs 6 is transistor off time

Fundamentals of Power Electronics 4 Appendix A: RMS Values

 Calculation

i(t)
I1 = 20 A
1 2 3 4 5 6

I2 = 2 A
0A
0.2 µs 0.2 µs 0.1 µs 5 µs 0.2 µs Ts t
10 µs

Result:
6
rms = Σ Dk u k
k=1
= 3.76 A

Without the current spike, the rms

Fundamentals of Power Electronics
value is approximately 1.4 A. So in
this example, the diode reverse
recovery significantly increases the
transistor rms current.
5 Appendix A: RMS Values