POWER ELECTRONICS

CO-1
 The concept of power electronic devices
• Power electronic devices:
are the electronic devices that can be directly used in the power
processing circuits to convert or control electric power.

• In broad sense Vacuum devices: Mercury arc

rectifier thyratron, etc. .
seldom in use today
power electronic devices
Semiconductor devices:
major power electronic devices
since late 1950s
• Very often:
Power electronic devices = Power semiconductor devices

• Major material used in power semiconductor devices

—— Silicon
 Features of power electronic devices
• The electric power that power electronic device deals
with is usually much larger than that the information
electronic device does.
• Usually working in switching states to reduce power
losses
On-state Voltage across the device is 0 p=vi=0
v=0
+ v -
i
Off-state Current through the device is 0 p=vi=0
i=0
+ v -

i
 Ideal Characteristics of Power Electronic Switches
The characteristics of an ideal switch are as follows:
1. In the on-state when the switch is on, it must have (a) the ability to carry a high
forward current IF, tending to infinity; (b) a low on-state forward voltage drop
VON, tending to zero; and (c) a low on-state resistance RON, tending to zero. Low
RON causes low on-state power loss PON. These symbols are normally referred to
under dc steady-state conditions.

2. In the off-state when the switch is off, it must have (a) the ability to withstand
a high forward or reverse voltage VBR, tending to infinity; (b) a low off-state leakage
current IOFF, tending to zero; and (c) a high off-state resistance ROFF,
tending to infinity. High ROFF causes low off-state power loss POFF. These symbols
are normally referred to under dc steady-state conditions.

3. During the turn-on and turn-off process, it must be completely turned on and off
instantaneously so that the device can be operated at high frequencies. Thus, it must
have (a) a low delay time td, tending to zero; (b) a low rise time tr, tending to zero;
(c) a low storage time ts, tending to zero; and (d) a low fall time tf , tending to zero.

4. For turn-on and turn-off, it must require (a) a low gate-drive power PG, tending
to zero; (b) a low gate-drive voltage VG, tending to zero; and (c) a low gate-drive
current IG, tending to zero.
5. Both turn-on and turn-off must be controllable. Thus, it must turn on with a gate signal
(e.g., positive) and must turn off with another gate signal (e.g., zero or negative).

6. For turning on and off, it should require a pulse signal only, that is, a small pulse
with a very small width tw, tending to zero.

7. It must have a high dv/dt, tending to infinity. That is, the switch must be capable
of handling rapid changes of the voltage across it.

8. It must have a high di/dt, tending to infinity. That is, the switch must be capable
of handling a rapid rise of the current through it.

9. It requires very low thermal impedance from the internal junction to the ambient
RIA, tending to zero so that it can transmit heat to the ambient easily.

10. The ability to sustain any fault current for a long time is needed; that is, it must
have a high value of i2t, tending to infinity.

11. Negative temperature coefficient on the conducted current is required to result

in an equal current sharing when the devices are operated in parallel.

12. Low price is a very important consideration for reduced cost of the power electronics
equipment.
Characteristics of Practical
Devices
Typical waveforms of device
voltages and currents when
switch is in ON state and
OFF state
 Characteristics of Practical Devices

The resultant switching power loss PSW during the turn-on and turn-off periods is given by

Therefore, the power dissipation of a switching device is given by:

where PG is the gate-driver power. The on-state power PON and the gate power
PG losses are generally low as compared to the switching loss PSW during the
transition time when a switch is in the process of turning on or off. The gate
power loss PG can be neglected for all practical purposes while calculating the
total power losses, PG. The total amount of energy loss, which is the product of
PD and switching frequency fS, could be a significant amount if the switch is
operated a high frequency of kHz range.
Classification of the Power
Semiconductors Devices
Power Rating
Manufacturers/
Company
Power Electronics Journals and Conferences
The reverse recovery time trr and the peak reverse recovery current IRR depend on
the storage charge QRR and the reverse (or reapplied) di/dt. The storage charge is
dependent on the forward diode current IF. The peak reverse recovery current IRR,
reverse charge QRR, and the SF are all of interest to the circuit designer, and these
parameters are commonly included in the specification
sheets of diodes.

Power Diode Types

Ideally, a diode should have no reverse recovery time. However, the
manufacturing cost of such a diode may increase. In many applications, the effects
of reverse recovery time is not significant, and inexpensive diodes can be used.
Depending on the recovery characteristics and manufacturing techniques,

The power diodes can be classified into the following three categories:
1. Standard or general-purpose diodes
2. Fast-recovery diodes
3. Schottky diodes
Power Diodes