Switches for Power

Electronics
RESISTIVE VS INDUCTIVE SWITCHING

ENRICO SANTI
D E PA RT M E N T O F E L E C T R I C A L E N G I N E E R I N G
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA

FEEDER CONSORTIUM 1
Switches for Power
Electronics
o Realization of Ideal Switches
Single-pole single-throw switch (SPST) realization
Switch categorization:
1) Active switches vs passive switches
2) single-quadrant, two-quadrant, four-quadrant switches
Switch realization for a Buck converter and a simple inverter
o Switching Losses
Resistive switching
Clamped inductive switching
Stray capacitance and inductances and ringing

FEEDER CONSORTIUM 2
Efficiency Advantage of Switched-
Mode Power Electronics
There are two basic types of power conversion:
1. Linear-mode power conversion
2. Switched-mode power conversion (power electronics approach)
The main advantage of the power electronics approach is that switches
are ideally lossless. In practice high efficiency can be achieved.

FEEDER CONSORTIUM 3
 Ideal Switch Operation is
Lossless
  iA  

+ VA -
• Instantaneous power loss: • Ideal switching is instantaneous,
so the energy lost during
transitions is zero.
• Energy lost during a
switching period:

FEEDER CONSORTIUM 4
SPDT (Single-Pole Double-Throw)
Switches in Switching Converters
1 L iL(t)
2
+
• The switching action in basic DC-DC C R v
Vg
converters can be represented by -
an SPDT switch

• Assuming ideal lossless elements, Buck converter

converter efficiency would be 100% L iL(t) 2

1
+
Vg
C R v
-

Boost converter
FEEDER CONSORTIUM 5
Realization of SPDT Switches
• Power semiconductor devices SPDT converter
operate as SPST (single-pole single- 1 L iL(t)
throw) switches
2
• One SPDT switch can be realized +
using two SPST switches C R v
Vg
• The two implementations are not -
exactly equivalent: the two SPST
can be both on or both off
Two SPST switch realization
1
iA A L iL(t)
+ i
v + vA -
- - +
vB B C R v
0 Vg
+ -
iB

FEEDER CONSORTIUM 6
Categorization of SPST
Switches
SPST switches can be categorized based on:
• Quadrants of operation
i
1
+ i II I
v
v
-
III IV
0
• Active vs passive switches
Active switches are controlled by a separate control terminal.
Passive switches are controlled by an applied voltage and/or current.

FEEDER CONSORTIUM 7
Quadrants of SPST switch
operation
ON-state ON-state
current Single-quadrant Switch current Current-bidirectional
ON-state: i > 0 Two-quadrant Switch
OFF-state: v > 0
OFF-state: v > 0

1
OFF-state OFF-state
voltage
+ voltage
v
-
0
ON-state ON-state
current Voltage-bidirectional current Four-quadrant Switch
Two-quadrant Switch No constraints
ON-state: i > 0

OFF-state OFF-state
voltage voltage

FEEDER CONSORTIUM 8
 Active vs Passive Switches
1 Active Switches: Passive Switches:
+ i
v • On or Off state is controlled • On or Off state is determined by
- exclusively by a separate control applied current and/or voltage
terminal, C.
0 • Examples: diode
• Examples: bipolar junction
transistor (BJT), insulated gate • A silicon controlled rectifier (SCR)
bipolar transistor (IGBT), metal- is a special case where turn-on
oxide semiconductor field effect transition is active and turn-off is
transistor (MOSFET) passive
BJT IGBT MOSFET Diode SCR
1 1 1 1 1
i i i + i i
+ + + +
v v v v v
C C C G
- - - - -
0 0 0 0 0

FEEDER CONSORTIUM 9
 Passive Device: Diode
Single-quadrant Switch
i-v characteristics

i
• A passive switch operates in the
second quadrant (or in the fourth
quadrant)
1 1 ON

i i • Second quadrant operation:

+ +
v
v v OFF • Blocks negative OFF-state
- - voltage
0 0 • Conducts positive ON-state
current
• Matching the ON-state and OFF-
state operating points to an
appropriate diode i-v curve allows
realization using a diode component

FEEDER CONSORTIUM 10
 Active Device: BJT and IGBT
BJT Single-quadrant Switch
i-v characteristics
1 • An active single-quadrant switch
i
i
+
operates in the first quadrant (or
v
third quadrant)
C ON
1 - • First quadrant operation:
+ i 0
v OFF
v
• Blocks positive OFF-state
- IGBT voltage

0
1 • Conducts positive ON-state
i
+ current
v • Matching the ON-state and OFF-
C
-
state operating points to an
0 appropriate BJT or IGBT i-v
characteristic allows realization
using this component

FEEDER CONSORTIUM 11
 Active Device: MOSFET
Two-quadrant Switch
i-v characteristics
• Two-quadrant current bidirectional
MOSFET i
switch
1 1
i ON • Blocks positive OFF-state voltage
+ i +
v v
• Conducts both positive and negative
- C -
OFF v ON-state current due to built-in
ON body diode
0 0
• Can also be used as a one-quadrant
active switch
• Matching the ON-state and OFF-
state operating points to an
appropriate MOSFET i-v
characteristic allows realization
using this component

FEEDER CONSORTIUM 12
 Buck Converter Realization
Control Inductor Voltage and Current
VL

Ts
t
DTs D`Ts
A ON OFF
Gating B OFF ON
iA A L iL(t)
+ vA -
- + iL
vB B C R v
Vg
+ -
iB

ON State DTs OFF State D`Ts iA iB

L iL L
iL iL

+ ON ON
+
C R V0 Vg C R V0 vA vB
Vg OFF Vg VgOFF
- -

FEEDER CONSORTIUM 13
 Buck Converter Realization
Control Inductor Voltage and Current
VL

Ts
t
DTs D`Ts

G
Gating L iL
+ VL -
+
iL
C R V0
Vg
-

ON State DTs OFF State D`Ts

iA iB
L iL L
iL iL

+ + ON ON
C R V0 Vg C R V0 vA vB
Vg OFF Vg VgOFF
- -

FEEDER CONSORTIUM 14
Example of Converter
Analysis
Boost converter analysis

FEEDER CONSORTIUM 15
 Current Bi-Directional
Switches
BJT/IGBT
1
i-v characteristics Two-quadrant Switch
i
i +
v
C - ON • Typically an active switch
0 • Conducts positive or negative ON-
OFF v
state current
ON
MOSFET • Blocks positive OFF-state voltage
MOSFET w/
Body Diode • Matching the ON-state and OFF-
1 state composite i-v characteristics
i Anti-parallel allow this switch realization
+
diodes prevent
v
C -
body diode
conduction
0

FEEDER CONSORTIUM 16
 Simple Inverter Example
iA Control Q1 ON, Q2 OFF iA L iL
+ vA -
Ts
t
+ DTs D`Ts +
Vg vA Vg C R v0
Q1 𝒗  𝟎 ( 𝒕 )=( 𝟐 𝑫 −𝟏 ) 𝑽 𝒈
- -

L iL
Q2 ON, Q1 OFF
iB L iL

+ - vB +
Vg +
Q2 vB
-
C R v0 +
- Vg C R v0
-
iB

FEEDER CONSORTIUM 17
 Simple Inverter Realization
iA
Two-quadrant Switch
i-v characteristics

i +
Vg vA
ON Q1 D1 -
L iL
OFF v

ON

+
Vg +
Q2 D2 vB
-
C R v0
𝑖 𝐴 ∧𝑖 𝐵 are bi − directional -
 
𝑣 ( 𝑡 ) ( 2 𝐷 −1 ) 𝑉 𝑔
𝑖 𝐿 ( 𝑡 ) = 0 = iB
𝑅 𝑅

  unipolar (equal to 2

FEEDER CONSORTIUM 18
 Inverter Considerations
v0
Sine Modulated Duty Cycle
𝒗  𝟎 ( 𝒕 )=( 𝟐 𝑫 −𝟏 ) 𝑽 𝒈
VG DTs

0.5
Ts 𝑫 (𝒕 ) =𝟎 .𝟓+ 𝑫 𝒎 𝐬𝐢𝐧 (𝝎 𝒕 )
-VG  
•  Use a sinusoidally modulated duty Q1 Gate Signals with td
cycle to produce a low-frequency AC v
waveform as output
• The switching of Q1 and Q2 is not t
instantaneous so a dead time must Q2
v
be introduced in the gate signals to
prevent cross-conduction
• Dead time compensation is often t
integrated in controllers td td

FEEDER CONSORTIUM 19
 Four-Quadrant Switches
Four-quadrant Switch Implementation

ON-state
current

1
+ i
OFF-state v
voltage
-
0

• Actively controlled with a combination of active and passive switching elements

• Current and voltage bi-directional
• Typical of matrix converters

FEEDER CONSORTIUM 20
Example of Switch Type
Determination
Current-fed bridge

FEEDER CONSORTIUM 21
 Ideal Switch Operation is
Lossless
  iA  

+ VA -
• Instantaneous power loss: • Ideal switching is instantaneous,
so the energy lost during
transitions is zero.
• Energy lost during a
switching period: • Real switches have finite
switching times.

FEEDER CONSORTIUM 22
Two Cases of Switching
RESISTIVE SWITCHING INDUCTIVE SWITCHING

An active switch switching a An active switch switching a

resistive load clamped inductive load

R
Vg Vg
iA iA
+ +
vA vA
- -

FEEDER CONSORTIUM 23
Resistive Switching
Turn OFF transition
iA
𝑉 𝑔 −𝑉 𝐴  
𝑖 𝐴 = 𝐼 𝑂𝑁
R 𝑅
VOFF  𝐼 = 𝑉 𝑜𝑓𝑓  
𝑂𝑁
𝑅 t
vA
𝑂𝑁
 
𝑙𝑖𝑚𝑖𝑡𝑠
 
𝑂𝐹𝐹
 
 
¿ 𝑉  𝑂𝐹𝐹

t
PA
 Non-ideal active switch has
𝑉
  𝑂𝐹𝐹 𝐼 𝑂𝑁
finite commutation time -
4
t
t0 t1
Resistive Switching
Turn OFF transition
Energy lost during switch transition: iA
𝑡1
  𝑡 1 −𝑡 0 𝐼 𝑂𝑁
𝑊 =∫ 𝑉 𝐴 ( 𝑡 ) 𝑖 𝐴 ( 𝑡 ) 𝑑𝑡 = 𝑉 𝑂𝐹𝐹 𝐼 𝑂𝑁
𝑡0
6
t
vA
iA 𝑉  𝑂𝐹𝐹
ION
t
PA
vA
VOFF 𝑉
  𝑂𝐹𝐹 𝐼 𝑂𝑁
4
t
t0 t1
Inductive Switching in
Switching Converters
The switching process in basic switching converters can be
represented by the equivalent circuit below:
-
vB ION
+ iB
VOFF
iA
+
vA
-

This circuit is commonly used to test power semiconductor devices.

FEEDER CONSORTIUM 26
 Inductive Switching: Buck
Converter
ION
𝑉  𝑂𝐹𝐹 =𝑉 𝑔
iA + VA - L iL -
+ VL - vB ION
Gate driver + + iB
+ VOFF
C R V0
Vg VB iA
-
- +
iB Ideal diode vA
Ts
-
𝑉
  𝐵 ( 𝑡 )=𝑉 𝐴 ( 𝑡 ) − 𝑉 𝑔
𝑖  𝐿 =𝑖 𝐴 (𝑡 ) +𝑖 𝐵 ( 𝑡 )

FEEDER CONSORTIUM 27
 Inductive Switching: Buck
Converter
ION
𝑉  𝑂𝐹𝐹 =𝑉 𝑔
iA + VA - L iL -
+ VL - vB ION
Gate driver + + iB
+ VOFF
C R V0
Vg VB iA
-
- +
iB Ideal diode vA
Ts
-
𝑉
  𝐵 ( 𝑡 )=𝑉 𝐴 ( 𝑡 ) − 𝑉 𝑔
𝑖  𝐿 =𝑖 𝐴 (𝑡 ) +𝑖 𝐵 ( 𝑡 )

FEEDER CONSORTIUM 28
 Inductive Switching:
Buck- Boost Converter
𝑉
  𝑂𝐹𝐹 =𝑉 𝑔 +𝑉
iA + VA - Ideal diode i
B
-
+ VB - vB ION
Gate driver - + iB
ION L C R V VOFF
Vg iA
+
+
iL vA
Ts
-
𝑉
  𝐵 ( 𝑡 )=𝑉 𝐴 ( 𝑡 ) − 𝑉 𝑔
𝑖  𝐿 =𝑖 𝐴 (𝑡 ) +𝑖 𝐵 ( 𝑡 )

FEEDER CONSORTIUM 29
 Inductive Switching
transistor
VOFF
- vA(t)

vB Transistor ION
ION switches OFF
iA(t)
+ iB 0 0
VOFF
diode
iA
+ ION iB(t)
vA 0 0
- vB(t)

• Non-ideal MOSFET has finite commutation time -VOFF

PA(t)
• Ideal diode is lossless
VOFFION
• MOSFET turn-OFF transition
  𝑂𝐹𝐹 = 1 𝑉 𝑂𝐹𝐹 𝐼 𝑂𝑁 (𝑡 2 − 𝑡 0 )
𝑊
2
t0 t1 t2

FEEDER CONSORTIUM 30
Inductive Switching Losses
transistor
vA(t) VOFF
Energy lost during turn-off transition
ION
  𝑜𝑓𝑓 = 1 𝑉 𝑔 𝑖 𝐿 (𝑡 2 −𝑡 0 )
𝑊
iA(t)
2 0 0

diode
Similar results for turn-on transition
ION iB(t)
Average power loss from turn-on and
0 0
turn-off transitions vB(t)

 𝑃𝑠𝑤𝑖𝑡𝑐h = 1 ∫ 𝑝 𝐴 ( 𝑡 ) 𝑑𝑡 = ( 𝑊 𝑜𝑛 + 𝑊 𝑜𝑓𝑓 ) 𝑓 𝑠
𝑇 𝑠 𝑠𝑤 -VOFF
PA(t)
VOFFION

t0 t1 t2

FEEDER CONSORTIUM 31
I-V Switching Trajectory
transistor
vA(t) VOFF
Switching trajectory ION
iA(t)

0 0

iA diode

ION ION iB(t)

0 0
vB(t)
vA
VOFF
-VOFF
PA(t)
Note the high stress during switching
VOFFION

t0 t1 t2

FEEDER CONSORTIUM 32
Resistive vs. Inductive
Switching
RESISTIVE SWITCHING INDUCTIVE SWITCHING

    𝑜𝑓𝑓 = 1 𝑉 𝑂𝐹𝐹 𝑖 𝑂𝑁 (𝑡 2 −𝑡 0 )
𝑊
2

iA iA
ION ION

vA vA
VOFF VOFF

FEEDER CONSORTIUM 33
Summary
1. The switching action in basic power electronics converters can be
represented by a SPDT switch
2. The functionality of a SPDT switch can be obtained using two SPST
switches
3. SPST switches can be realized using a single transistor or a single
diode
4. The specific implementation depends on the quadrants of operation

FEEDER CONSORTIUM 34
Summary
1. Physical switches have a finite switching time and incur losses due to
overlap conduction
2. Switches in switching converters operate under inductive switching
conditions
3. Inductive switching causes significant device stress

FEEDER CONSORTIUM 35
Acknowledgements (Part 1)

FEEDER CONSORTIUM 36
Acknowledgements (Part 2)

FEEDER CONSORTIUM 37