Power Electronics

Power Electronics is the art of converting electrical energy from one form to another in an efficient, clean, compact, and robust manner for convenient utilisation The task of power electronics is to process and control the flow of electric energy by supplying voltages and currents in a form that is optimally suited for user loads.

Power Electronics involves the study of

Power semiconductor devices - their physics, characteristics, drive requirements and their protection for optimum utilisation of their capacities, Power converter topologies Control strategies of the converters Digital, analogue and microelectronics

 Capacitive and magnetic energy storage elements Rotating and static electrical devices Quality of waveforms generated Electro Magnetic and Radio Frequency Interference Thermal Management

How is Power electronics distinct from linear electronics?

 It is not primarily in their power handling capacities While power management IC's in mobile sets working on Power Electronic principles are meant to handle only a few milliwatts large linear audio amplifiers are rated at a few thousand watts

Bipolar junction transistor

In Power Electronics all devices are operated in the switching mode - either 'FULLY-ON' or 'FULLY-OFF' states. The linear amplifier concentrates on fidelity in signal amplification, requiring transistors to operate strictly in the linear (active) zone,

 Linear operation Active zone selected: Good linearity between input/output Saturation & cut-off zones avoided: poor linearity Common emitter, Common collector, common base modes

Switching operation Active zone avoided Saturation & cut-off (negative bias) zones selected: low losses Transistor driven directly at base - emitter and load either on collector or emitter

 Insulated-Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) MOS-Controlled Thyristor (MCT)

Diodes

(a) thermal equilibrium condition, (b) reverse biased condition, (c) forward biased condition The electric field strength at the junction and the width of the space change region (also called the depletion region because of the absence of free carriers) also increases

Power diodes
Power Diodes of largest power rating are required to conduct several kilo amps of current in the forward direction with very little power loss while blocking several kilo volts in the reverse direction

Circuit symbol

Photograph

schematic cross section.

Volt-Ampere ( i-v ) characteristics

 (i) non punch through type, (ii) punch through type. In non-punch through diodes the depletion layer boundary doesnt reach the end of the drift layer. On the other hand in punch through diodes the depletion layer spans the entire drift region and is in contact with the n+ cathode Due to very large doping density of the cathode, penetration of drift region inside cathode is negligible

Electric field strength inside the drift region of both these type of diodes at break down voltage

Power Diode under Forward Bias Condition