DC Choppers

1
1
 Introduction
• Chopper is a static device.
• A variable dc voltage is obtained from a
constant dc voltage source.
• Also known as dc-to-dc converter.
• Widely used for motor control.
• Also used in regenerative braking.
• Thyristor converter offers greater
efficiency, faster response, lower
maintenance, smaller size and smooth
control. 2
2
Choppers are of Two Types
 Step-down choppers.
 Step-up choppers.
 In step down chopper output voltage is less
than input voltage.
 In step up chopper output voltage is more
than input voltage.

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3
Principle Of
Step-down Chopper
Ch o p p e r
i 0
+

V R V0


4
4
• A step-down chopper with resistive load.
• The thyristor in the circuit acts as a switch.
• When thyristor is ON, supply voltage
appears across the load
• When thyristor is OFF, the voltage across the
load will be zero.

5
5
 v
0

V
Vd
c

t
tO tO
i0 N FF

V/
R
Idc

T t

6
6
Vdc  Average value of output or load voltage.
Idc  Average value of output or load current.
 Time interval for which SCR conducts.
tON
 Time interval for which SCR is OFF.
T  tON
tOFF  Period of switching or chopping period.
t OFF

1
f  T  Freq. of chopper switching or chopping freq.
7
7
Average Output Voltage

Vdc  V tON 
  tON  tOFF 

 tON 
V dc  V   
T 
V .d
 tON 
but
 t   d  duty cycle

8
8
Average Output Current

I dc  Vdc
R
V  tON  V
I dc   
  Rd
R T
RMS value of output voltage

 odt
tON
VO  1 v 2

T 0

9
9
But during tON , vo 
V
Therefore RMS output voltage


tON
VO  1 V 2
dt
T 0

2 tON .V
VO  V 
T tON T
VO 
d .V 11
00
Output power PO  VO
IO
But I O  VO
R
 Output power
2
V
O
PO  R
dV 2
PO 
R
11
11
Effective input resistance of chopper

V
R I
i
dc

R
R d
i

The output voltage can be varied

by varying the duty cycle.
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22
Methods Of Control
• The output dc voltage can be varied by the
following methods.
– Pulse width modulation control or constant
frequency operation.
– Variable frequency control.

11
33
Pulse Width Modulation
• tON is varied keeping chopping frequency ‘f’ &
chopping period ‘T’ constant.
• Output voltage is varied by varying the ON
time tON

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44
V0

tO tO
N FF
t
T
V0

t
tO tO
N FF 11
55
Variable Frequency Control
• Chopping frequency ‘f’ is varied keeping
or tOFF constant.
either
tON
• To obtain full output voltage range, frequency
has to be varied over a wide range.
• This method produces harmonics in the output
and for large tOFF load current may become
discontinuous

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66
v
0

tO tO
N FF
t
T
v
0

tO tO
N FF
t
T
11
77
Step-down Chopper
With R-L Load
Ch o p
i0
per +
R

V V0
FW L

D E

Power Electronics by Prof. M. Madhusudhan Rao 11
Prof. T.K. Anantha Kumar, E&E Dept., MSRIT 88
• When chopper is ON, supply is
connected across load.
• Current flows from supply to load.
• When chopper is OFF, load current continues
to flow in the same direction through FWD due
to energy stored in inductor ‘L’.
11
99
• Load current can be continuous or
discontinuous depending on the values of ‘L’
and duty cycle ‘d’
• For a continuous current operation, load
current varies between two limits Imax and Imin
• When current becomes equal to Imax the
chopper is turned-off and it is turned-on when
current reduces to Imin. 22
00
v
O ut
0 p u tv
V o lt a
ge
tON tO t
T FF
i0 O ut
p u tc
Im u rr e
ax nt
C o n ti n
Im u o u sc
in
u rr e n t
t
i O ut
0
p u tc
u rr e
nt
c u rr e
D i scnot n ti
n u o u ts 22
11
 Expressions For
Load Current
iO For Continuous Current Operation
When
Chopper Is ON (0  t  tON)

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 i0
+
R

V V0
L

E
-
22
33
 diO
V  i R  L dt 
O

E
Taking Laplace Transform
E
V
S  RI  S   L
O  S 0  
 O


 i
0  I S
O

At t  0, initial current
 S.I O min

i
IO V  E I
S     min
R R
LS  S   S  L
L
22
44
 Principle Of Step-up Chopper

I L D
+
+ 

L
V O V
C O
C hop A
per
D

22
55
• Step-up chopper is used to obtain a load
voltage higher than the input voltage
V.
• The values of L and C are chosen depending
upon the requirement of output voltage and
current.
• When the chopper is ON, the inductor L is
connected across the supply.
• The inductor current ‘I’ rises and the inductor
stores energy during the ON time of the
chopper, tON. 22
66
• When the chopper is off, the inductor current I
is forced to flow through the diode D and
load for a period, tOFF.
• The current tends to decrease resulting in
reversing the polarity of induced EMF in L.
• Therefore voltage across load is given by

dI i.e., VO 
V  V  L dt
O
V 22
77
• A large capacitor ‘C’ connected across the
load, will provide a continuous output voltage .
• Diode D prevents any current flow from
capacitor to the source.
• Step up choppers are used for regenerative
braking of dc motors.

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88
Expression For Output Voltage
Assume the average inductor current to be
I during ON and OFF time of Chopper.
When Chopper is ON
Voltage across inductor L  V
Therefore energy stored in
inductor
= V .I.tON
Where tON  ON period of 22
99
When Chopper is OFF
(energy is supplied by inductor to
load) Voltage across L  VO V

Energy supplied by inductor L   VO

V  ItOFF
where tOFF  OFF period of Chopper.
Neglecting losses, energy stored in inductor 33
00
 VItON   VO V 
ItOFF V  V  tOFF
O
tOFF
tON

T 
VO  V 

 T  tON 
Where
T = Chopping period or period
of switching.
33
11
 T  tON
t OFF
 
1 
VO  V  
 t 
 1 ON
 T
 1 
 VO  V
  1 d 

tON duty
Where d  T
cyle
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22
Classification Of Choppers
• Choppers are classified as
– Class A Chopper
– Class B Chopper
– Class C Chopper
– Class D Chopper
– Class E Chopper

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 Class A Chopper
i v
0
+ 0

C hop
per L
V v V
O
FW 0
A
D D
 i
0

33
44
• When chopper is ON, supply voltage V is
connected across the load.
• When chopper is OFF, vO = 0 and the load
current continues to flow in the same direction
through the FWD.
• The average values of output voltage and
current are always positive.
• Class A Chopper is a first quadrant
chopper . 33
55
• Class A Chopper is a step-down chopper in
which power always flows form source to load.
• It is used to control the speed of dc motor.
• The output current equations obtained in step
down chopper with R-L load can be used to
study the performance of Class A Chopper.

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66
i T h y ri s
g
to rg a t
e pul
se t
i
0
O u tp u tc u
rr e n t
CH
O t
N F W DC o n
v
ducts O u tp u tv o
0
lt a g e

t
tO
T
N 33
77
 Class B Chopper

D
i0 v0
+
R

V L v
0

C hop
per E i
 0

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• When chopper is ON, E drives a current
through L and R in a direction opposite to that
shown in figure.
• During the ON period of the chopper, the
inductance L stores energy.
• When Chopper is OFF, diode D conducts,
and part of the energy stored in inductor L is
returned to the supply.
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99
• Average output voltage is positive.
• Average output current is negative.
• Therefore Class B Chopper operates in second
quadrant.
• In this chopper, power flows from load to
source.
• Class B Chopper is used for regenerative
braking of dc motor.
• Class B Chopper is a step-up chopper.
44
00
 i
T h y ri s
g
to rg a t
e pul
se t
i
tO tO
0
FF N
T
t
O u tp u tc u
Im rr e n t
ax
D
I i
m c o n d u cc ot snCd h
nv opper ucts O u tp u tv o
0 lt a g e

44
11
 Class C Chopper

C 1 D1
H
i v
0
+ 0

V R

C 2 D2 L v0
H
C hop
i0
per E

44
22
• Class C Chopper is a combination of Class A
and Class B Choppers.
• For first quadrant operation, CH1 is ON or
D2
conducts.
• For second quadrant operation, CH2 is ON
or
D1 conducts.
• When CH1 is ON, the load current is
positive.
• The output voltage is equal to ‘V’ & the
load receives power from the zero.
source. 44
Prof. T.K. Anantha Kumar, E&E Dept., MSRIT
• Current continues to flow in positive direction.
• When CH2 is triggered, the voltage E forces
current to flow in opposite direction through
L and CH2 .
• The output voltage is zero.
• On turning OFF CH2 , the energy stored in the
inductance drives current through diode D1 and
the supply
• Output voltage is V, the input current becomes
negative and power flows from load to source.44
Prof. T.K. Anantha Kumar, E&E Dept., MSRIT 44
• Average output voltage is positive
• Average output current can take both positive
and negative values.
• Choppers CH1 & CH2 should not be
turned ON simultaneously as it would result
in short circuiting the supply.
• Class C Chopper can be used both for dc
motor control and regenerative braking of dc
motor.
• Class C Chopper can be used as a step-up or
step-down chopper. 44
55
ig G ate p
1 u ol sfeC 1
H
t
ig G ate p
2 u ol sfeC 2
H
t
i
0 O u t p u t c u rr e
nt

t
D1 C 1 D2 C 2 D1 C H1 D2 C 2
H H H
V0 O O O N O O u tp u tv o
N N N
lt a g e

t
44
66
 Class D Chopper
v
0
C 1 D2
H
R i L E
V 0
+ v  i
0 0
D1 C 2
H

44
77
• Class D is a two quadrant chopper.
• When both CH1 and CH2 are triggered
simultaneously, the output voltage vO = V and
output current flows through the load.
• When CH1 and CH2 are turned OFF, the
load current continues to flow in the same
direction through load, D1 and D2 , due to the
energy stored in the inductor L.
44
Prof. T.K. Anantha Kumar, E&E Dept., MSRIT
• Average load voltage is positive if
chopper ON time is more than the OFF
time
• Average
< tOFFoutput
. voltage becomes negative
tON
• if
Hence the direction of load current is always
positive but load voltage can be positive or
negative.

44
99
ig G a te p
1 u ol sfeC 1
H
t
ig G a te p
2 u ol sfeC 2
H
t
i
0 O u tp u tc u
rr e n t

t
C H 1, C D 1,D 2 Co
H 2 n d u c ti n g
v O N O u tp u tv o
0
lt a g e
V A vera
t
ge v0

55
00
ig G a te p
1 u ol sfeC 1
H
t
ig G a te p
2 u ol sfeC 2
H
t
i
0 O u tp u tc u
rr e n t
C
H 1
t
C
H 2
D 1,
v D 2 O u tp u tv o
0
lt a g e
V
t
Ave
rage v0
55
11
Class E Chopper

C 1 D1 C 3 D3
H H
i R L E
V 0

+ 
v
C 2 D2 0
C 4 D4
H H

55
22
Four Quadrant Operation
v0
CH 2 4Co n d u c C H 1-C N
- ts H 4O C ndu
D 4 Co n d u c H 4 -D 2 cts
D 1 ts C o
- i
D 0

3 -C H 2 O
C D2 - D 3 C o n
H N d u c ts
C H 2 4 Co n d u c C H4 - D 2 C o n
- ts 55
33
• Class E is a four quadrant chopper
• When CH1 and CH4 are triggered, output
current iO flows in positive direction through
CH1 and CH4, and with output voltage vO =
V.
• This gives the first quadrant operation.
• When both CH1 and CH4 are OFF, the
energy stored in the inductor L drives iO
through
Prof. DE&E
T.K. Anantha Kumar,
2 and D3
Dept., MSRIT
55
• Therefore the chopper operates in the
fourth quadrant.
• When CH2 and CH3 are triggered, the load
current iO flows in opposite direction &
output voltage vO = -V.
• Since both iO and vO are negative, the
chopper operates in third quadrant. 55
55
• When both CH2 and CH3 are OFF, the
load current iO continues to flow in the
same direction D1 and D4 and the output
voltage vO = V.
• Therefore the chopper operates in second
quadrant as vO is positive but iO is 55
negative. 66