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SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING AND BUILT ENVIRONMENT

DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL AND COMPUTER ENGINEERING

POWER ELECTRONICS (I3731EP)

ASSIGNMENT 01: DESIGN OF DC-DC CONVERTORS

GROUP F

NAME & SURNAME STUDENT NUMBER

Barren van Es 224003763
Tumelo Silombela 221414533
Marc Nanghama 222002557
Josua T Eliaser 219014612
Frans HN Nembia 221345108
Fredrich T Ilovu 223005037
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Name & Surname Task

Barren van Es • Started with the report layout.
• Worked on Question 2.1 and 2.2 and
performed the calculations.

Tumelo Silombela • Worked on Question 2.1 and 2.2 and

performed the calculations
Marc Nanghama • Worked on Question 2.3 used PSIM to
obtain the waveforms and took
screenshots Vd min
Frans HN Nembia • Worked on Question 2.1 and 2.3 used
PSIM to build the convertor circuit &
obtain the waveforms and took
screenshots Vd max
Fredrich T Ilovu • Worked on Question 2.4
Josua T Eliaser • Worked on Question 2.1 for rating
calculations and switch operations, as
well as on Question 2.4.
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CONTENTS

Part 1: Selecting DC-DC coverter ...................................................................................................................................4

Part 2: Selecting components ........................................................................................................................................5
Rating Calculations ........................................................................................................................................................7
BOOST CONVERTER EQUIVALENT CIRCUIT IN PSIM (Vd = min)....................................................................................10
BOOST CONVERTER EQUIVALENT CIRCUIT IN PSIM (Vd = max) ...................................................................................10
WAVEFORMS FOR Vd = min 5V ....................................................................................................................................11
WAVEFORMS FOR Vd = max 10V ..................................................................................................................................12
WAVEFORM DISCUSSION: ...........................................................................................................................................13
references ....................................................................................................................................................................15
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PART 1: SELECTING DC-DC COVERTER

SPECIFICATIONS:

𝑰𝒏𝒑𝒖𝒕 𝑽𝒅 𝑶𝒖𝒕𝒑𝒖𝒕 𝑽𝟎 𝑶𝒖𝒕𝒑𝒖𝒕 𝑰𝒐 𝒇𝒔 𝒌𝑯𝒛 ∆𝒊𝒑−𝒑 ∆𝑽𝒑−𝒑

5-10 15 0.5 25 ≤ 0.1𝐴 ≤ 0.2𝑉
SELECTION

We will select the Boost Converter due to the following Factors.

Voltage Step up or down: Deciding between the boost converter and the buck-boost converter
would be based on the input and output voltage. Because we have an input voltage of between
5-10 volts and an output of 15 volts, we would then choose the boost converter. This is because
a boost converter steps up the input voltage to a desired output voltage. The buck-boost
converter is used in applications where one would have to step up and step down with the
change of input voltage.

Efficiency: Boost converters has higher efficiency compared to the other topologies that can
compute the same task.

Stability: We consider converters that would be able operate under different load conditions
and would be able to handle the operation of switching. Thus, we chose boost converters as
our load is purely resistive and in continuous conduction mode.

Simplicity: As a boost converter has a simpler design, thus we choose it as it is easier to

implement and have less components. This can make it cheaper and more efficient.

After considering the specifications and the requirements we have concluded that the best
suited converter for our task would be the Boost converter.
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PART 2: SELECTING COMPONENTS

SWITCH

When considering the switch, we would have to look at the voltage rating of the switch. Thus,
our switch has to have a voltage rating higher than the maximum voltage of 10 volts.

Then we need to consider a switch, with a current rating higher than the maximum input
current which is 0.5A.

Thus, we will use a MOSFET with a voltage rating round about 30 volts and a current rating at
about 1 A.

Switch utilization: The MOSFET has high switching speeds (10s – 100s kHz), used for circuit
sytems of less than 500V. Below is an image of the type of MOSFET (TO-220FP) we would use
along with its ratings.

How to control the output voltage using mosfet as a switch to obtain a stable output voltage
despite variations in the input voltage

Instead of directly turning the MOSFET switch on or off, we can control it using a technique of
Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) by applying a PWM signal. The duty cycle of this PWM signal
determines the ratio of on-time to off-time of the MOSFET switch. This technique is used to
control the power delivered to a load by varying the width of the pulses in a periodic signal.
(Designing PWM in Verilog and SystemVerilog, 2023)”) In our boost convertor design, the PWM
is used to control the duty cycle of the MOSFET switch. This practice is done by adjusting the on
and off periods, by adjusting PWM, by changing the width of on and off periods, we can be able
to control the output voltage. The frequency of the PWM signal, also known as the switching
frequency (fs = 25kHz in our case), determines how quickly the MOSFET switch turns on and off.
This technique enables efficient power conversion and voltage regulation in our boost
convertor.
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SWITCHING POINTS FOR 2/3 DUTY CYCLE

Explanation for switching points:

Switching points for a 2/3 duty cycle refer to the moments within a cycle where the switch
changes states. In a 2/3 duty cycle, the switch is on for 2/3 of the total cycle time and off for the
remaining 1/3. We have a total cycle time of T seconds; the switch would be on for 2T/3 seconds
and off for T/3 seconds.

HOW TO DETERMINE SWITCHING POINTS IN TERMS OF DEGREES, FOR A 1/3 DUTY

CYCLE:

2
- The switch is off for 3 × 360° = 240°

1
- The switch is on for 3 × 360° = 120°

HOW THE BOOST CONVERTER OPERATES IN RELATION TO DIFFERENCE IN

SWITCHING POINTS FOR DIFFERENT INPUT VOLTAGES OF THE BOOST CONVERTER
SIMULATION

In a boost converter, the duty cycle of the switching signal determines the output voltage. When
the input voltage is lower, the duty cycle needs to be adjusted to achieve the desired output
voltage. This adjustment is necessary because the boost converter operates by storing energy in
an inductor during the on-time of the switch and releasing it to the output during the off-time.
When the input voltage is lower (5 V in our case), the duty cycle needs to be longer to achieve
the same output voltage compared to when the input voltage is higher, (10 V). This is because
the boost converter needs to transfer more energy from the input to the output to reach the
desired voltage level. The switching point for 120° for a 10 V input and 240° for a 5 V input in our
simulation reflect this adjustment in duty cycle to maintain a consistent output voltage of 15 V
despite changes in the input voltage.
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RATING CALCULATIONS

Diode

To decide on a diode, we will consider switching speed, forward voltage drop, temperature
stability, current capacity, and voltage capacity.

After considering these parameters, we have decided on the schottky diode due to the
following reasons.

Switching speed: They have fast switched speeds that help to reduce switching losses.

Forward voltage drops: Compared to standard diodes the schottky diode has a lower voltage
drop which makes it more efficient and has less power losses.

Temperature stability: Schottky diodes operate at a constant temperature during switching.

Current capacity: These diodes come in a variety of current ratings. Thus, it would be easy to
select a schottky diode for our purpose. We will have to consider a schottky diode rated higher
than the maximum output rating of 0.5 A

Voltage capacity: These diodes come in a variety of voltage ratings. We will have to consider a
schottky diode rated higher than the maximum output rating of 15V.

Thus, we will consider a schottky diode with a rating of 20V and 1A.

INDUCTOR

For the inductor we would use our specifications to calculate the inductor value.

The circuit will be analyzed for both 5 V and 10 V to determine worst case situations.

We first need to determine the duty cycles:

𝑉𝑑=𝑚𝑖𝑛 − 𝑉𝑜
𝐷= 𝑉𝑑=𝑚𝑎𝑥 − 𝑉𝑜
−𝑉𝑜 𝐷=
−𝑉𝑜
5 − 15
𝐷= 10 − 15
−15 𝐷=
−15
2 1
𝐷= 𝐷=
3 3
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We can now use our equations to determine the inductor needed for our dc-dc converter.

Initially, we must calculate 𝐼𝑑 :

𝐼𝑜 = (1 − 𝐷)𝐼𝑑 𝐼𝑜 = (1 − 𝐷)𝐼𝑑
2 1
0.5 = (1 − )𝐼𝑑 0.5 = (1 − )𝐼𝑑
3 3
𝐼𝑑 = 1.5𝐴 𝐼𝑑 = 0.75𝐴

Once we have 𝐼𝑑 we can now determine 𝐼𝑙 .

𝐼𝑑 = 𝐼𝑙

Once we have 𝐼𝐿𝐵 we can now determine inductance.

𝑇𝑠 × 𝑉𝑜 𝑇𝑠 × 𝑉𝑜
𝐼𝐿𝐵 = 𝐷(1 − 𝐷) 𝐼𝐿𝐵 = 𝐷(1 − 𝐷)
2𝐿 2𝐿

1 1 1 2
× 15 × 3 1 × 15 × 3 2
25000
0.75 = 25000 (1 − ) 1.5 =
2𝐿
(1 − )
3
2𝐿 3
10 1
𝐿= 𝐿=
112500 22500

𝐿 = 88.9𝜇𝐻 𝐿 = 44.4𝜇𝐻

The inductor value must be 88.9𝜇𝐻 to satisfy the range of input voltages.
But to account for margins of tolerance, the converter will be stabilised and controlled with a
margin of 20%. It also aids in enhancing output voltage control, lowering ripple current, and
improving transient response.
𝐿 = 1.2(88.9)
𝐿 = 106.68𝜇𝐻

Thus, we will use an inductor with the value of 106.68𝜇𝐻.

TIME PERIOD

To calculate 𝑇𝑠 we will perform the following equation.

1
𝑇𝑠 =
𝑓𝑠
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1
𝑇𝑠 =
25000
𝑇𝑆 = 0.04𝑚𝑠

The period should be 0.04ms.

CAPACITOR

To calculate the capacitance of the capacitor we will need to use for our converter we would
use the following equation.

𝐼𝑜 𝐷 𝑇𝑠
∆𝑉0 =
𝐶
∆𝑉𝑜 − 𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑡𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑟𝑖𝑝𝑝𝑙𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑑

𝐼𝑜 − 𝑂𝑢𝑡𝑝𝑢𝑡 𝑐𝑢𝑟𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑡

𝐷 − 𝑑𝑢𝑡𝑦 𝑐𝑦𝑐𝑙𝑒

𝑇𝑠 − period

𝐶 − 𝑐𝑎𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒

Making c the subject of the formula we are left with the following.

𝐼𝑜 𝐷
𝐶=
∆𝑉𝑜 𝑓𝑠

2
0.5(3)
𝐶=
0.5(25 × 103 )

𝐶 = 26.67𝜇𝐹

Thus, we will be using a capacitor with the size of 26.67 µF.

RESISTANCE

To calculate the resistance, we would use the following equation.

𝑉𝑜 = 𝐼0 × 𝑅𝑜

𝑅𝑜 = 30Ω

The resistor we will be using will have a value of 30Ω.

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2.3
BOOST CONVERTER EQUIVALENT CIRCUIT IN PSIM (V D = MIN)

BOOST CONVERTER EQUIVALENT CIRCUIT IN PSIM (V D = MAX)

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WAVEFORMS FOR V D = MIN 5V

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WAVEFORMS FOR V D = MAX 10V

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Measured averages for Vd = min

Measured averages for Vd = min

2.4
CIRCUIT OPERATION
When the switch is on(closed), the diode is reversed biased (acting as an open circuit), which means the output/load
is isolated. The input supply from the full-bridge diode rectifier supplies energy to the inductor (inductor charges
and stores energy in the magnetic field). When the switch is off(open), the diode is forward-biased (conducting), and
the load receives energy from both the inductor as well as from the input supply, therefore the voltage across the
output will be the addition of the input supply and inductor current. This will therefore make it a boost (step-up)
convertor since the output will have high voltage than the input supply.

WAVEFORM DISCUSSION:

In common conduction mode (CCM), the output voltage is constant with minimum ripples for both input
voltage (Vd) values as shown by the waveform above. The inductor current waveform illustrates the
current flowing through the inductor, which alternate between charging and discharging phases. The
inductor current is continuous in triangular form with the peak value greater than the output current.

1. Input Voltage (Vin): The Boost converter takes a 5 and 10 DC input voltage, This voltage
is usually constant during each switching cycle.
2. Switching Signal: The heart of the Boost converter is a switching element that alternates
between ON and OFF states. When the transistor is ON, current flows through the
inductor and energy is stored in the magnetic field. When the transistor is OFF, the
magnetic field collapses and releases energy into the load.
3. Inductor Current (IL): During the ON time of the switching signal, the inductor current
ramps up to 1.5 A as energy is stored in the inductor. During the OFF time, the inductor
current ramps down 0.13 A as energy is released into the load. The inductor current
waveform typically resembles a triangular shape. The input current will be constant. It
does not come down to zero, further indicating CCM.
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4. Output Voltage (Vout): The output voltage of the Boost converter is taken across the
load resistor. It ramps up 14,6 V during the ON time of the switching signal when the
inductor releases energy into the load, and it maintains a relatively constant voltage
during the OFF time. due to parasitic effect, during ON time the voltage reach a peak of
26 V and with time it averages at 14.6 to 15 V. The output voltage waveform is typically
higher than the input voltage due to the boosting action of the converter.
5. Output Ripple: Due to the nature of the switching operation and the finite inductor and
capacitor values, there might be some ripple in the output voltage. This ripple can be
reduced by increasing the switching frequency or by using larger inductors and
capacitors.

Overall, the output waveform of a Boost converter typically exhibits a sawtooth-like behavior
during the ON time of the switching signal and maintains a relatively stable voltage during the
OFF time..

RECOMMENDATIONS TO IMPROVE THE CONVERTOR PERFORMANCE:

Increasing Resistor Value for Output Voltage: By increasing the resistor value in a boost converter, the
output voltage can be raised. This change affects the feedback loop, adjusting the duty cycle to achieve
the desired output voltage. However, increasing the resistor value may also lead to higher power
dissipation and efficiency losses, so careful consideration is necessary.

Increasing Output Capacitance for Voltage Stability: A larger output capacitor can enhance voltage
stability by storing more electrical charge and releasing it faster during high current demands. This helps
reduce voltage variations, or ripple, at the output. However, selecting an excessively large capacitor may
increase cost, size, and ESR (Equivalent Series Resistance), impacting efficiency and transient response.

Increasing Switching Frequency to Reduce Ripple: Boost converter ripple voltage can be minimized by
increasing the switching frequency. Higher frequency operation allows the output capacitor to charge
and discharge more frequently, resulting in smaller voltage variations between charging cycles.
However, higher switching frequencies may also lead to increased switching losses and EMI
(Electromagnetic Interference), requiring careful design considerations.

Adding Feedback Loop for Voltage Regulation: Incorporating a feedback loop can enhance voltage
regulation by automatically adjusting the duty cycle based on the input voltage. This improves transient
response and ensures accurate regulation of the output voltage under varying load and input conditions.
Implementing a feedback loop typically involves using an error amplifier, reference voltage, and
compensating network to achieve stable and precise regulation.

These strategies offer effective ways to optimize the performance of boost converters, balancing trade-
offs between voltage regulation, efficiency, cost, and complexity. Careful consideration of each
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approach in the design process is essential to achieve the desired balance of performance parameters
for a given application.

REFERENCES

Mohan, N., Undeland, T.M., Robbins, W. P. (2003). Power Electronics – Converters, Applications and
Design (3rd edition). Published by JOHN WILEY & SONS, INC

Daniel, W.H., (2011). Power Electronics. Published by McGraw-Hill, 2011, p211.

Middlebrook, R. D. (1981, April). Power electronics: topologies, modeling, and measurement, Proc. IEEE
Int. Symp. Circuits Syst

Erickson, R. W. (2007). DC-DC Power Converters. Wiley Encyclopedia of Electrical and Electronics

Engineering. https://doi.org/10.1002/047134608x.w5808.pub2