THE HONG KONG

POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY_________________________________________________ ___

Department of Electrical Engineering

TUTORIAL OF NON-ISOLATED DC/DC CONVERTERS

IN DISCONTINUOUS MODE

(1) Fig. Q1 represents a circuit diagram of

buck converter. It is driven by a
constant input voltage 50V. Switching
frequency is 20kHz. Inductance L and
load resistance R of the converter are
2mH and 200Ω, respectively. Assuming
the diode and the transistor of the
converters are ideal and output filtering
capacitor is large enough. Fig. Q1

(a) Select the right components for 1, 2, and 3 items 1 2 3

from the choices of A, B and C as shown in Fig. T
D L
Q1 (a). A
(b) Evaluate the duty ratio D when the buck
converter operates at the boundary condition T
L D
between continuous and discontinuous modes. B
(c) Calculate the average current of the load resistor
Io when the duty ratio D = 0.4. T
L D
C
(d) Draw the waveforms of iL, vT and iD of the
above condition with detailed parameters for the Fig. Q1 (a)
X-axis (time).
(e) If the duty ratio D is 0.2, evaluate the minimum
inductance of L to maintain continuous mode
operation while all other parameters remain the
same.

ANS:
(a) C

2L 2  (2m)
(b) K    0.4
RTs 200  (1 / 20k )
Since the boundary condition of a buck converter is:
K  1  D , hence,
D  0.6

(c) When D = 0.4, K  1  D . The buck converter is operating in discontinuous mode. The
Vo 2 2 2
    0.4633
Vin 1  1  4 K / D 2 1  1  [( 4  0.4) / 0.4 2 ] 1  11
Vo  0.4633Vin  23.165V
I o  Vo / R  115.82mA

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 THE HONG KONG
POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY_________________________________________________ ___
Department of Electrical Engineering

(Vin  Vo ) D
(d)    0.4634
Vo
DTs  20ms, Ts  23.17ms, (1  D   )Ts  6.83ms

23.17ms
20ms 6.83ms
(e) In boundary condition,
2L
K  min  1  D
RTs
(1  D ) RTs (1  0.2) 200
Lmin    4mH
2 2(20k )

EE4211 Advanced Power Electronics Page 2

 THE HONG KONG
POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY_________________________________________________ ___
Department of Electrical Engineering

(2) A boost converter as shown in Fig. Q2 (a) vL iL vD iD

operates at 100kHz switching frequency with the
L D
resistance of the load R = 1kΩ. Fig Q2 (b) show iC
a graph of the voltage conversion ratio Vo/Vin (Y- +

+
Vin T vT C R Vo
axis) of the converter as duty ratio of the gate -
signal D (X-axis) varies from 0.5 to 0.8 while iT
the curve changes its shape when D is 0.6.
Fig. Q2 (a)

Fig. Q2 (b)

(a) Based on the information from the graph, evaluate the value of L.
(b) Calculate the value of Vo/Vin when D=0.5 and 0.7 respectively.
(c) If the value of R increases slightly, describe the change of the Vo/Vin curve in the graph, draw
the new curve roughly, and explain the change of the curve.

ANS:
(a) According to Fig. Q2, boundary condition is at the duty ratio of the gate signal D = 0.6. For boundary
condition:
2L
K  D(1  D) 2
RTs
RTs D(1  D) 2 (1000)(0.6)(1  0.6) 2
L 
2 2(100k )
L  480H

(b) When D = 0.5, the boost converter operates in discontinuous mode. Voltage conversion ratio is:
Vo 1  1  4 D 2 / K 1  1  (4)(0.52 ) / 0.096
   2.1894
Vin 2 2
When D=0.7, the boost converter operates in continuous mode. Voltage conversion ratio is:
Vo 1
  3.3333
Vin 1  D

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 THE HONG KONG
POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY_________________________________________________ ___
Department of Electrical Engineering

(c) K is slightly smaller when R slightly higher. The duty ratio of the gate signal for boundary condition
is changed from 0.6 to a higher ratio. From the equation of voltage conversion ratio of the converter
in discontinuous mode, the voltage conversion ratio is higher while R is higher. In continuous mode,
the voltage conversion ration remains unchanged while K or R is changed because the output voltage
is load independent and is no effect from the value of TS or L.

In short, when R is higher, the duty ratio of boundary condition is higher and the voltage conversion
ratio is higher until the new curve aligns the original curve. The revised curve of voltage conversion
ratio (Y-axis) vs duty ratio of the gate signal (X-axis) is:

(3) A non-isolated single-inductor hard-switching DC/DC converter generates a range of output

voltage from 8V to 15V in continuous mode. Its input voltage is 12V.

(a) Suggest a topology for this DC/DC conversion. Sketch the circuit diagram of the suggested
circuit. Mark the polarity of the output voltage in the circuit diagram.
(b) Evaluate the duty ratios of the gate signal for generating 8V and 18V output voltage,
respectively.
(c) Calculate the minimum inductance of the inductor of the suggested converter for the same
condition of operation when the switching frequency is 1kHz and the resistance of the load is
1Ω.
(d) With the calculated minimum inductance and the specification of the converter in (c), calculate
the output voltage of the converter when the duty ratio of the gate signal is 0.1.

ANS:
(a) Buck-boost converter is suggested. The output voltage is inversed.
vT i vD i
T D

D
+ T L vL
Vin - C R Vo
+

iL iC

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 THE HONG KONG
POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY_________________________________________________ ___
Department of Electrical Engineering

(b) Voltage conversion ratio of a buck-boost converter in continuous mode is:

Vo D Vo
 D
Vin 1  D Vin  Vo
For output voltage is 8V, the duty ratio of the gate signal is:
8
D8V   0.4
12  8
For output voltage is 18V, the duty ratio of the gate signal is:
18
D15V   0.6
12  18

(c) For continuous mode,

2L
K  (1  D) 2
RTS
The duty ratio of the gate is the lowest when the output voltage is 8V in the range of the output voltage,
2L
 (1  D8V ) 2
RTS
R (1  D8V ) 2 (1)(1  0.4) 2
L 
2 fS 2(1k )
L  180 H  Lmin  180 H

(d) With the specification of (c) and L = 180µH, the converter is in discontinuous mode while D = 0.1.
Hence the output conversion ratio is:
Vo D 2 L (2)(180 )(1k )
 where K    0.36
Vin K RTS (1)
(0.1)(12)
Vo   2V
0.36

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