LECTURE NOTES

By Eng. Uthuman
Tel:0790790464
Email:uthumankoire4@gmail.com
Contents:

1. Power Electronics Devices

2. Converters and choppers
3. Inverters and cyclo-converters
4. Speed control of DC/AC motors
5. Application of power devices
6. Practical sessions
Reference books

 P.S Bimbhra;January 2012: Power electronics; Khanna publishers

 Rashid;2008;Power electronics; pearson publishers;USA
 Mohamad H.Rashid;2014;power electronics,circuits,Devices and applications
third edition; pearson Education Publishers; USA
Introduction:
Generally you need to have two things when talking about power electronics.
1. Source
2. Load
the source is something that generates power examples here include battery,----
The load is that consumes power examples include TV, laptop,radios etc.
The power electronics is the technology in between them.
It is the circuitry that takes power from the source and delivers it to the load.
Defination: power electronics is the application of electronics and circuitry to control the
conversion of electric power from one form to another.
Examples of power electroniocs:
1. notebook (laptop)charger: here the source is the AC power and the load is laptop.
2.portable battery pack.
3.photovoltaic (pv) solar panel
 4.Wind turbine

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Why do we need power converter?

 Power sources and loads come in various types of forms;

 So we need power converters to transfer the power from the source to the
load while changing the form of power .

Here we introduce two types of power:

 DC power: this has constant voltage over time as indicated in the graph .

 Examples of DC power source include:

 Battery ,solar panel; etc…..
 AC Power: Starts at zero to +ve and then –ve.

 To use power from one source to load , you need to change from one type to another. Here power
converters are used to change power from one form to another.
 The four basic types of power converters are:
1.AC -DC

 This has ac source – dc load

 Its an ac-dc converter to change the power.
 Its also called a rectifier.
 An example is laptop charger where low power is changed into dc power to
charge the battery
 2.DC-DC converter
 This changes the voltage of one dc source to another voltage
 The common example of dc-dc converter is a switched mode power supply(SMPS)
and a portable battery pack.
3.DC-AC Converters

 This is called dc-ac converter.

 Another common name for this is called inverter.
 Example here if changing Solar power into low ac (grid system) power.
4.AC-AC Converters
 This is not common but they do exist.
 Examples include
 AC-choppers and wind power system.
summary
 POWER ELECTRONIC APPLICATIONS

 COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS
Heating Systems Ventilating, Air Conditioners, Central Refrigeration, Lighting, Computers and Office equipments,
Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS), Elevators, and Emergency Lamps.
 DOMESTIC APPLICATIONS
Cooking Equipments, Lighting, Heating, Air Conditioners, Refrigerators & Freezers, Personal Computers,
Entertainment Equipments, UPS.
 INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS
Pumps, compressors, blowers and fans. Machine tools, arc furnaces, induction furnaces, lighting control circuits,
industrial lasers, induction heating, welding equipments.
 AEROSPACE APPLICATIONS
Space shuttle power supply systems, satellite power systems, aircraft power systems.
 TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Battery chargers, power supplies (DC and UPS), mobile cell phone battery chargers.
 TRANSPORTATION
Traction control of electric vehicles, battery chargers for electric vehicles, electric locomotives, street
cars, trolley buses, automobile electronics including engine controls.
 UTILITY SYSTEMS
High voltage DC transmission (HVDC), static VAR compensation (SVC), Alternative energy sources (wind,
photovoltaic), fuel cells, energy storage systems, induced draft fans and boiler feed water pumps.
Advantages of power electronics:

 No rational loss
 High efficiency
 Compact in size
Disadvantages of power electronics

 Harmonics
 Power semiconductor Devices:
 The power semiconductor devices are used as on/off switches in power control circuit. These
devices are classified as follows.
 Power diode:
 Diode is a two terminal P-N junction semiconductor device, with terminals anode (A) and cathode (C).
 Symbol: The symbol of the Power diode is same as signal level diode.
 If terminal A experiences a higher potential compared to terminal K, the device is said to be
forward biased and a forward current will flow from anode to cathode.
 This causes a small voltage drop across the device (<1V) called as forward voltage drop(Vf), which
under ideal conditions is usually ignored.
 By contrast, when a diode is reverse biased, it does not conduct and the diode then experiences a
small current flowing in the reverse direction called the leakage current.
 It is shown below in the VI characteristics of the diode.
Power Diode Characteristics:
Power Diode Characteristics:
Power Diode Applications:

 As a rectifier Diode
 For Voltage Clamping
 As a Voltage Multiplier
 As a freewheeling Diode
 Types of power diodes;
 Schottyky diode
 Fast diode
 Line diode
The diodes have the following advantages

 High mechanical and thermal reliability

 High peak inverse voltage
 Low reverse current
 Low forward voltage drop
 High efficiency
 Compactness.
Silicon Controlled Rectifiers (SCR)
 Silicon Controlled Rectifiers(SCR) is four layer,three terminal ,PNPN
semiconductor device.
 It has three junctions: J1,J2 and J3.
 Its also unidirectional device as it allows current to flow in one direction.

 𝒏+ ------------thin and heavily doped.

 𝒏− ------------thickest and less doped.
 P -------------thicker than 𝑛+ .
SCR Symbol

 Three terminals namely

1. Anode (A)
2. Cathode(K)
3. Gate(G)

 It is also a bipolar device as its capable of blocking both positive and negative
voltages.
 SCR is also a semi-controlled device i.e On state of the SCR can be controlled
while the OFF state cannot be controlled.
MODES OF OPERATION OF SCR

 SCR have 3 modes of operation namely:

 Reverse blocking mode(V<0 ,𝐼𝑔 =0)
 Forward blocking mode(V>0 ,𝐼𝑔 =0)
 Forward conduction mode(V>0 ,𝐼𝑔 ≠0)
Reverse blocking mode(V<0 ,𝐼𝑔 =0)
 Here the negative terminal of the supply voltage is connected to the Anode(A)and the positive
terminal of the supply voltage is connected to the cathode(K)
 Under this connection, Junctions J1 and J3 are reverse biased while junctionJ2 is forward
biased(J1 and J2 are Open circuited while J3 is short circuited).

 J3 consist of p𝒏+ which is heavily doped with less voltage withstand voltage capability. This
means that J3 will break easily when a small voltage is applied across it.
 J1 consist of p𝒏− which is less doped with high voltage withstand capability.
 So when supply voltage is increased beyond the breakdown voltage ,then infinite current flows
leading to the breakdown of J1 and J3
Forward blocking mode(V>0 ,𝐼𝑔 =0)
 Here positive terminal of the supply voltage is connected to the anode (A) and negative terminal of the supply voltage
is connected to the cathode(K).
 Here V>0 and not supplying gate current ,𝐼𝑔 =0

 This means J1 and J3 are forward biased while J2 is reverse biased. Hence J2 will not allow current to flow.

 J2 has withstand voltage capability meaning it can be able to withstand some finite amount of voltage called Voltage
break over 𝑉𝐵𝑂
 When 𝑉𝑖𝑛 > 𝑉𝐵𝑂 , junction J2 breaks down , it gets short circuited and current will start flowing
NOTE:
 This is not a safe practice because input voltage is being beyond the break over voltage before breaking J2 and this
leads to damaging the SCR with time.
Forward conduction mode(V>0 ,𝐼𝑔 ≠0)
 In this mode positive terminal of the supply voltage is connected to the anode(A) and the
negative terminal of the supply voltage to the cathode(k)

 Here gate current 𝐼𝑔 is supplied across the junction J2 which neutralize the stored charge
across the depletion region at J2. This is followed by reduction in the size of the depletion
region which results in conduction.

 Even if 𝑉𝑖𝑛 < 𝑉𝐵𝑂 , when 𝐼𝑔 ≠0 , then the SCR will start conducting.
 The more the gate current, faster the SCR goes into conduction mode.
Note:
 The SCR will remain in the conduction state even after removing the gate current.
 Therefore certain commutation circuits are needed to turn-off the SCR once the SCR Switches ON.
Defination:
 Latching current 𝐼𝐿 is the minimum amount of anode current required to turn on the SCR.
 Holding current 𝐼𝐻 is the maximum amount of anode current below which the SCR will not
conduct
 ∴ 𝐼𝐴 > 𝐼𝐿 (SCR ON) and 𝐼𝐴 < 𝐼𝐻 (SCR OFF). SCR to be off, always need to attach a commutation
circuit.
 Also 𝐼𝐴 > 𝐼𝐻
A typical SCR V-I characteristic
 SCR Triggering Methods(Turn ON)
Note:
When 𝐼𝐴 ≥ 𝐼𝐿 (SCR will get into the on state).
The following are the methods used to turn on the SCR or to make 𝐼𝐴 ≥ 𝐼𝐿 .

 Forward Voltage Triggering.

 Light Triggering.
 𝑑𝑣/𝑑𝑡 triggering.
 Thermal Triggering.
 Gate Triggering.
Forward Voltage Triggering.

 When 𝑉𝐴𝐾 > 𝑉𝐵𝑂 , where 𝑉𝐵𝑂 is the voltage withstand capability of J1, then J1
breaks down and starts conducting.

 But this is not a safe way of turning on the SCR.

𝑑𝑣/𝑑𝑡 triggering.
 When 𝑉𝐴𝐾 > 0, then J1 and J3 are forward biased while J2 is reverse biased.

 So 𝑉𝐴𝐾 > 0 , whole voltage will drop across the junction J2. hence J2 will has
stored charge as shown and will behave like a capacitor.

 In capacitors, 𝐼𝐶 = C 𝑑𝑣/𝑑𝑡 but 𝐼𝐶 = 𝐼𝐴 .

 𝐼𝐴 = C 𝑑𝑣/𝑑𝑡
 If there is more dv/dt then 𝐼𝐴 will increase and when 𝐼𝐴 > 𝐼𝐿 , then the SCR will
start conducting.
 If C 𝑑𝑣/𝑑𝑡 ≥ 𝐼𝐿 then SCR will turn on
 Light Triggering.
 When 𝑉𝐴𝐾 > 0 , the stored charge a cross J2 is removed by suppling a proper light across it.

 Inoder to decrease the depletion region, photons are injected at J2

 Light has photons and when it strikes J2, it generates electrons and holes across J2 which neutralize the
strored charge across J2 hence reducing the depletion region and the SCR starts conducting.
 Thermal Triggering.
 This is similar to light triggering only that J2 temperature is increased.
 Remember J2 has stored charge and it behaves like a capacitor.
 So when temperature of J2 is increased, there is movement of holes and
electrons which neutralize the stored charge and as a result SCR is turned on.
Gate Triggering.

 Here two methods are used:

1. Continuous gate triggering
2. Pulse triggering
Continuous gate triggering

 Under this 𝑉𝐴𝐾 > 0 and gate current 𝐼𝑔 is supplied continuously.

 Once 𝐼𝐴 ≥ 𝐼𝐿 , then the SCR turns on.

 This method results in losses in the circuit of (I𝑔 2 𝑅𝑔 )
Pulse triggering

 Here gate current is triggered in pulses with widths of say on at 𝑡1 and off at 𝑡2 ,

 With this method, losses across the gate terminal decrease.

 𝑡1 is the time for which the gate current is applied; this implies that 𝑡1 ≥
𝑇𝑂𝑁 (minimum time to turn on the SCR)
 Pulse width is maintained until the 𝐼𝐴 > 𝐼𝐿 and once this is achieved , then you can
turn off the gate current.
SCR PROTECTION

 The following are the methods of protecting SCR:

 Over Current Protection.

 Over Voltage Protection.
 𝑑i/𝑑𝑡 Protection .
 Thermal Protection.
 Gate protection.
 Over Current Protection.
 SCR has a voltage withstand capability and current rating.
 Therefore if the supplied current is greater than the rated current, then the SCR
will be damaged.
 In over current protection, attach a fuse in series with the SCR so that when ever
the current becomes greater than the rated current then the fuse breaks hence
protecting the SCR .
Over Voltage Protection.
 Applications of Silicon Controlled Rectifiers;

 AC Power Control: The Silicon Controlled rectifier is unidirectional device when it is connected to the
ac supply then it would be turn on in positive half cycle of ac supply and delivered the power to the
load. In negative half cycle of ac supply it would be turn off and do not provide any power to load
therefore it can be used as ac power control in power control switches such as fan dimmers, power
regulators and motor control etc.
 Controlled Bridge Rectifiers: The silicon controlled rectifier is used in ac to dc converters for the
rectification of the ac power in dc power such as half wave and full wave rectifiers. These rectifiers
power can also be controlled by giving the trigging signal at the gate of SCR
 DC Power Transmission: The silicon controlled rectifier is used dc power transmission line for
converting the high-power ac in to high power dc.
 Power Electronic Devices: The silicon controlled rectifier is used in power electronics devices for
controlling the power of switching load.
 The silicon controlled rectifier is also used in different trigging timing and ICs circuits.
Gate-turn off Thyristors (GTO)

 GTO Basics: This is a fully controlled switch which can be turned ON and OFF
by applying gate signal.
 It is active semiconductor device.

 GTO SYMBOL
 A gate turn off thyristor is a pnpn and a three layer device with 3 junctions.
GTO SYMBOL

 It has three terminals namely;

1. Anode
2. Cathode
3. Gate
GTO Structure
 A gate turn off thyristor(GTO) is a pnpn and a three layer device with 3 junctions.
Advantages of GTO over SCRs

 GTO has reduced acoustical and electromagnetic noise due to elimination of

forced commutation chokes.
 GTO has faster switching speed.
 Improved efficiency of converters.
 Has lower size and weight.
 Has more di/dt rating at turn ON
GTO applications:

 High performance drive system such as, rolling mills, robotic system and
machine tools
 Traction purposes because of their weight light weight
 POWER TRANSISTORS
 Power transistors are devices that have controlled turn-on and turn-off characteristics. These
devices are used a switching devices and are operated in the saturation region resulting in low on-
state voltage drop.
 They are turned on when a current signal is given to base or control terminal. The transistor
remains on so long as the control signal is present. The switching speed of modern transistors is
much higher than that of Thyristors and are used extensively in dc-dc and dc-ac converters.
 However their voltage and current ratings are lower than those of thyristors and are therefore
used in low to medium power applications.
Classification of power transistor

 Bipolar junction transistors(BJTs)

 Metal-oxide semiconductor filed-effect transistors(MOSFETs)
 Static Induction transistors(SITs)
 Insulated-gate bipolar transistors(IGBTs)
SIT Symbol
 POWER BJT(Bipolar Junction Transistor)
Outlines:

 Basics of power BJT

 Structure of power BJT
 Symbol of power BJT
 Modes of operation of power BJT
 Application of power BJT
Characteristics and principle of power BJT

 It has large current and power handling capacity

 It has higher on state voltage drop.
 It has vertically oriented structure.
 It has large size
 Higher breakdown voltage
 High power application.
 Structure of power BJT

 A power transistor is a vertically oriented four layer structure of alternating p-type and n-type.
The vertical structure is preferred because it maximizes the cross sectional area and through
which the current in the device is flowing. This also minimizes on-state resistance and thus
power dissipation in the transistor.
 The doping of emitter layer and collector layer is quite large typically 1019 𝑐𝑚−3 . A special layer
called the collector drift region (𝑛− ) has a light doping level of 1014 .
 The thickness of the drift region determines the breakdown voltage of the transistor. The base
thickness is made as small as possible in order to have good amplification capabilities, however if
the base thickness is small the breakdown voltage capability of the transistor is compromised.
Symbol of power BJT
Modes of operation of power BJT
 It has four modes of operation:
 Cut-off mode: BE Junction and CB Junction is reverse biased.
 Active mode : BE Junction is forward biased while CB is reverse biased
 Quasi saturation: Type of saturation occurring at low power. BE and CB Junctions are forward biased.
 Hard saturation: Type of saturation occurring at high power. BE and CB Junctions are forward biased.
Note: The power BJT is never operated in the active region (i.e. as an amplifier) it is always
operated between cutoff and saturation.
Application of power BJT

 Switched mode power supplies (smps)

 Power amplifiers
 DC to AC inverters
 Relay
 Power control circuits
TRIAC

Outlines:
 Meaning of Triac
 Use of Triac
 Symbol of Triac
 Triac equivalent circuit
 Triggering modes of Triac
 Applications of Triac
 Silent features of triac
 Advantages and disadvantages of triac
 Meaning of Triac:
This is a bidirectional thyristor diode.
The triac has three terminals namely
1.Main Terminal 1(MT1),
2.Main Terminal 2 (MT2)
3.Gate (G)

 Use of triac:
Triac triggers in both directions.
 Symbol for Triac
 Triac equivalent circuit
 Triggering modes of a triac:

Triac can be turned on with respect to +ve or –ve gate current keeping the MT2 terminal
at +ve or –ve potential.
 MODE 1: MT2 Positive and gate current Positive.
 MODE 2: MT2 Positive and gate current Negative
 MODE 3: MT2 Negative and gate current Positive
 MODE 4: MT2 Negative and gate current Negative.
Salient features of a triac

 Bi directional triode thyristor

 TRIAC means triode that works on ac .
 It conduct in both direction
 It is a controlled device
 Its operation is similar to two devices connected in anti parallel with
common gate connection.
 It has 3 terminals MT1,MT2 and gate G
 Its use is control of power in ac.
Advantages of Triac

 It can be triggered with positive or negative polarity of gate pulses.

 It requires only a single heat sink of slightly larger size, whereas for SCR, two
heat sinks should be required of smaller size.
 It requires single fuse for protection.
 A safe breakdown in either direction is possible but for SCR protection should
be given with parallel diode.
Disadvantages of Triac

 They are not much reliable compared to SCR.

 It has (dv/dt) rating lower than SCR.
Applications of Triac

 Lamp control
 Speed control of fans
 Choppers
 AC speed control