DC-DC Converters

• Convert a fixed DC Source into a Variable

DC Source
• DC equivalent to an AC transformer with
variable turns ratio
• Step-up and Step-down versions
• Applications
– Motor Control
– Voltage Regulators
ECE 442 Power Electronics 1
Step-down Operation
• Switch SW is known
as a “Chopper”
• Use BJT, MOSFET,
or IGBT
• Close for time t1
– VS appears across R
• Open for time t2
– Voltage across R = 0
• Repeat
• Period T = t1 + t2
ECE 442 Power Electronics 2
Waveforms for the Step-Down Converter

ECE 442 Power Electronics 3

Average Value of the Output Voltage
t1
1
Va   vO dt
T 0
t1
1
Va   VS dt
T 0
t1
Va  VS  ft1VS
T
Va  kVS
ECE 442 Power Electronics 4
Average Value of the Load Current

Va kVS
Ia  
R R
T  period
t1
k   dutycycle
T
f  frequency
ECE 442 Power Electronics 5
rms Value of the output voltage
1
1 kT
 2
VO   0 v dt 
2
O
T
1
1 kT
 2
VO    VS dt 
2

T 0 
VO  kVS

ECE 442 Power Electronics 6

If the converter is “lossless”, Pin = Pout
kT
1
Pin 
T  v idt
0
O

kT 2
1 v
Pin 
T 
0
R
O
dt

1 VS2
Pin  kT
T R
VS2
Pin  k
R
ECE 442 Power Electronics 7
Effective Input Resistance seen by VS

VS VS
Ri  
I a k VS
R
R
Ri 
k
ECE 442 Power Electronics 8
 Modes of Operation

• Constant – frequency operation

– Period T held constant, t1 varied
– Width of the pulse changes
– “Pulse-width modulation”, PWM
• Variable -- frequency operation
– Change the chopping frequency (period T)
– Either t1 or t2 is kept constant
– “Frequency modulation”
ECE 442 Power Electronics 9
 Generation of Duty Cycle

• Compare a dc reference signal with a

saw-tooth carrier signal
DC Reference Signal Carrier Signal

ECE 442 Power Electronics 10

 Vr
vr  k
T

kT
vr  Vcr @ t  kT
Vr
Vcr  kT
T
Vcr
k M
Vr
ECE 442 Power Electronics 11
 To generate the gating signal

• Generate the triangular waveform of period T, v r,

and the dc carrier signal, vcr
• Compare to generate the difference vc - vcr
• Apply to a “hard limiter” to “square off”
ECE 442 Power Electronics 12
Step-Down Converter with RL Load

ECE 442 Power Electronics 13

 Mode 1: Switch Closed

di
V  Ri  L E 1

dt
S 1

i (t )
1 ( t 0 )
I 1

V E
 
R R

i (t )  I e  1 e t  t (kT )
 t  t
L S L

R
1 1 1

t  t  kT
1

i (kT )  I
1 2
ECE 442 Power Electronics 14
Mode 2: Switch Open
di
0  Ri  L E 2

dt
2

i (t  0)  I
2 2

E
 
R R

i (t )  I e  1 e
 t  t
L L

R
2 2

0  t  t  (1  k )T 2

@t  t  (1  K )T
2

i (t )  I  I
2 2 3 1
ECE 442 Power Electronics 15
Current for “Continuous” Mode

ECE 442 Power Electronics 16

 V e 1
  E
kz

I  S

R e 1 R
1 z

V e 1
  E
 kz

I  S

R e 1 R
2 z

TR
z 
L
V 1  e  kz
e e
z  ( 1 k ) z


I  S

R  1 e z

V
I  S

4 fL
max

ECE 442 Power Electronics 17

For Continuous Current

I 0
1

e  1 E 
kz


e  1 V   0
 
z

ECE 442 Power Electronics 18

Define the load emf ratio

E
x 
V S

E e 1 kz

x  
V e 1
S
z

ECE 442 Power Electronics 19

 Example 5.2
XFG1

J1

1V 0V

L
7.5mH

Vs D2
220V DIODE_VIRTUAL

R
5ohm

ECE 442 Power Electronics 20

ECE 442 Power Electronics 21
SPICE Results

ECE 442 Power Electronics 22