Course Number: EECE 473

Course Title: Power Electronics (3 credits)

Catalogue Description:
Overview of power electronics devices used and their desired characteristics; introduction to gate
and base drive circuits, snubber circuits; diode circuits and rectifiers, effect of source inductance,
three-phase rectifiers, three-phase converters; dc-dc switched mode converters, buck, boost, and
buck-boost circuits, bridge converter; pulse-width modulated inverters, voltage control, harmonics,
three-phase inverters;
Prerequisite courses:
EECE 310
Prerequisite by Topic:
Differential Equations, Linear Algebra, Laplace Transforms, Fourier Series, Basic Electronics,
Computer Simulation using PSPICE or similar packages
Textbooks:
(1) John Kassakian, Martin Schlecht, George Verghese: Principles of Power Electronics, Addison-
Wesley, 1991.
(2) Mohan N., Undeland T, Robbins W. Power Electronics: Converters, Applications, and Design
(3rd Ed.), John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2003.
(3) Philip T. Kein: Elements of Power Electronics (2nd Ed.), Oxford University Press, 2015.
Objectives:
(1) To analyze how power electronics systems operate, how they are driven, controlled, and
protected;
(2) To develop in students the mathematical, scientific, and computational skills allowing students
to analyze and design power electronics systems given realistic specifications and constraints;
(3) To describe and analyze how basic power electronics devices work in a variety of products
like renewable energy systems, motor control, power supplies, heat controls, and vehicle
propulsion systems;
Topics covered:
(1) Introduction: Components of a power electronics (PE) system; PE versus linear electronics;
scope and applications; classification of power processor; interdisciplinary nature of PE.
(2) Overview of semiconductor switches: Diodes, thyristors, desired characteristics, BJT,
MOSFET, gate turn-off thyristors, Snubber circuits, insulated gate bipolar transistor, MOS-
controlled thyristors; Comparison of switches; idealized characteristics.
(3) Review of Basic Concepts: non-sinusoidal waveforms in steady state, Fourier analysis, line
current distortion, power factor, inductor and capacitor response, PSPICE simulation for PE
circuits.
(4) Gate and Base Drive Circuits: design consideration, dc-coupled drive circuits, anti-saturation
control, electrical isolation with transformers and opto-couplers, over-current and over-voltage
protection.
(5) Dc-dc Switch-Mode Converters: control concepts, step down (buck) converter, step-up
(boost) converter, buck-boost and Cùk regulator, and full bridge dc-dc converter.
(6) Diode Rectifiers and Controlled ac-dc Converters: basic rectifier concepts, single-phase
diode bridge rectifiers, three-phase bridge rectifiers, effect of source inductance, inrush
currents, single-phase thyristor converters, three-phase bridge converters, effect of source
inductance.
(7) Switch-Mode dc-ac Inverters: Basic concepts, pulse-width modulation (PWM) switching
scheme, single-phase inverters, three-phase inverters, programmed harmonic elimination,
current regulated modulation.
Course Learning Outcomes
1. Identify the basic principles of power or switching electronics and the difference from linear
electronics.
2. Explain the basic operating principles of power semiconductor switches and their desired
characteristics.
3. Use computer simulation packages to analyze the operation of power electronics converters.
4. Analyze the operation of single and three-phase diode rectifiers with source inductance and real
loads with output filter.
5. Analyze the operation of single and three-phase thyristor converters with source inductance and
real loads.
6. Analyze and design dc to dc switching regulators that step-up the supply voltage to meet some
specified criteria.
7. Design drive and protection circuits of practical switching converters.
8. Analyze the operation of switch-mode dc-ac single and three-phase inverters.
9. To develop a basic understand of harmonics and the negative effects they have on ac supply
systems.
10. Describe the methodology of reducing harmonics using passive filters and pulse width
modulation (PWM) switching techniques.
Evaluation:
Quiz 1 and Quiz 2 (45%), Assignments (20%), and a Final Exam (40%)
Resources of the course
Textbook, references, previous tests, Moodle
Class Schedule:
Three 50-minute lectures per week (MWF from 10:00 to 10:50) in Bechtel 208.
Professional component
Engineering topics: 70%
General education: 15%
Mathematics and basic sciences: 15%
Computer usage
PSPICE, MATLAB

Prepared by: Sami Karaki, Spring 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2022

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