MCT20

Power Electronics

Reference Books
Required
Rashid M. H., (2004), Power Electronics:
Circuits, Devices, and Applications, 3rd Edition,
Prentice-Hall.
Recommended
Agrawal J. P., (2001), Power Electronics
System: Theory and Design, Prentice-Hall.
Hart D. W., (1997), Introduction to Power
Electronics, Prentice-Hall.
Mohan N., Undeland T. M., and Robbins W. P.,
(2003), Power Electronics: Converters,
Applications, and Design, John Wiley and Sons.
2

Method of Evaluation

Quizzes
Home Work / Project
Midterm Examination
Final Exam
Total

15 %
20 %
25 %
40 %
100 %

Course Outline:
3

Contents
Definition of power electronics,
Power semiconductor devices,
Control characteristics of power semiconductor devices,
Power losses in switches,
Types of power electronics circuits.
Applications of power electronics.

Power Electronics
Control
Analog/ Digital

Electronics
Device/Circuit

Power equipment
static/rotating

Power Electronics
Power electronics involves the study of
electronic circuits intended to control the
flow and conversion of electric power.
Thus power electronics combine power,
electronics and control.
The applications of solid-state and linear
devices for the control and conversion of
electric power.
6

Power Electronics System

Consists of an input source and a load.
One or more converters for power conversion.
Power semiconductor devices, which are used
as switches to perform the power conversion.
A gating circuit to generate the gate drive signals
for the switching devices.
A feedback control circuit implemented either in
analog and/or digital electronics.
One or more static-switches acting as a circuit
breaker.
7

Power Electronics System

Static Applications: No rotating or moving
mechanical components. Examples: DC Power
supply, Un-interruptible power supply, Power
generation and transmission (HVDC),
Electroplating, Welding, Heating, Cooling,
Electronic ballast.
Drive Applications: for driving moving or rotating
equipment such as motors. Examples: Electric
trains, Electric vehicles, Air-conditioning system,
Pumps, Compressor, Conveyer Belt (Factory
automation).
8

Importance of PES
Increasing applications of Power Electronic Equipment in Power Systems
Availability of high power
semiconductor devices
Control Center
Decentralized renewable
Central Power
Solar Power Plants
energy generation sources
Station
CHP House
Increased power transfer
Combined Heat and Power
Wind Power Plants
Plant (CHP)
Village
with existing transmission
Factory
Commercial
Commercial Building
Building
system
House
Apartment Building
Effective control of power
Micro-Turbine
Hospital
Fuel Cell
flow needed in a
Commercial
Smart House
Building
Performance
deregulated environment
Building
Norms for Power quality
Future Power System
9

Power Semiconductor Devices

Power devices are the key elements of a power
converter. The commonly used devices are:
(1) Power Diode
(2) Silicon-Controlled Rectifier (SCR) or Thyristor
(3) Gate Turn-off Thyristor (GTO)
(4) Power Bipolar Junction Transistor (Power BJT)
(5) Power Metal-Oxide Field-Effect Transistor
(Power MOSFET)
(6) Insulated-Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT)
(7) Mos-Controlled Thyristor (MCT)
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Power semiconductor operating regions

voltage
vs
frequency;

current
vs frequency.

11

Power Electronic Applications

Distributed generation (DG)
Renewable resources (wind and photovoltaic)
Fuel cells and micro-turbines
Storage: batteries, super-conducting magnetic energy storage,

Power electronics loads: Adjustable speed drives

Power quality solutions
Dual feeders
Uninterruptible power supplies
Dynamic voltage restorers

Transmission and distribution (T&D)

High voltage dc (HVDC) and medium voltage dc
Flexible AC Transmission Systems (FACTS): Shunt and Series
compensation, and the unified power flow controller
12

Function of Power Electronics in Utility

Applications
Converter
Source

Load
Controller

Enabling technology providing interface between

two (ac/dc) electrical systems
Interconnection of two asynchronous ac systems
dc to ac conversion is required to connect fuel cells or
photovoltaic to the utility grid
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Role of Power Electronics in Important Utility

Applications
Distributed Generation (DG) Applications
Power electronic interface depends on the source
characteristics
Wound rotor
Induction Generator

Isolated
DC-DC
Converter

AC
Wind
Turbine

PWM
Converter

DC
DC

Generator-side
Converter

AC

Max. Powerpoint Tracker

Utility
1f

Grid-side
Converter

Wind Power Generation with

Doubly Fed Induction Motors

Photo-voltaics Interface

14

Role of Power Electronics in Important Utility

Applications
Power Electronic Loads: Adjustable Speed Drives

Switch-mode
Converter

Utility

Motor

Rectifier

Controller

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Role of Power Electronics in Important Utility

Applications
Power Quality Solutions for

voltage distortion
unbalances
voltage sags and swells
power outages

Power Electronic
Interface

Load

Dynamic Voltage Restorers (DVR)

Feeder 1

Rectifier
Load
Feeder 2

Dual Feeders

Inverter

Filter

Critical
Load

Energy
Storage

Uninterruptible Power Supplies

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Role of Power Electronics in Important Utility

Applications
Transmission and Distribution: DC Transmission
most flexible solution for connection of two ac
systems

AC1

AC2

HVDC

MCT2231:A01

AC1

AC2

MVDC

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Ideal PE System
To convert electrical energy from one form
to another, i.e. from the source to load with:

highest efficiency,
highest availability
highest reliability
lowest cost,
smallest size
least weight.

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Power Semiconductor Devices

BJT

MOSFET

Thyristor

IGBT

Diode

Inductor
Capacitor

GTO

2200gF
250 V
85 J

Ferrite
core

Powerdered
ion core

Electrolytic
capacitor

Transformer

104/250V

Metalized
polypoyester
capacitor

102

Ceramic
capacitor
19

Inductors and Capacitors in PE

Inductor: V = L di/dt
The current in an inductor cannot change
instantaneously!
Capacitor: i = C dV/dt
The voltage across a capacitor cannot change
instantaneously!
These passive components are fundamental to
the operation of all power electronics.

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Control Characteristics
Diode
V
Uncontrolled turn on
and off

VO

VS

VO

VS

VO
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Control Characteristics
Thyristors SCR
Controlled turn on and
uncontrolled turn off

22

Control Characteristics
Thyristors
+

VS

VS

VO
Vg

Once it is in conduction
mode, it cannot be
turned off by gate signal

VO

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Control Characteristics
GTO, BJT, MOSFET,
SITH, IGBT, SIT, MCT
Controlled turn on and
off.

VS

+
V
g +

VS

Vg

VO

VO

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Control Characteristics
BJT, MOSFET, IGBT,
SIT
Continuous gate signal
requirement

+
VB

VS

VS

VO

VB

VS

VGS

VO
VO

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Other Characteristics
Bidirectional current capability: TRIAC, RCT
Unidirectional current capability: SCR, BJT,
MOSFET, etc
See table 1.3 and Figure1.9 of the text book for
more information.
Self Study: Characteristics of Ideal switches

26

The Practical Switch

1. Limited power handling capabilities, limited conduction
current in the on-state, and limited blocking voltage in the
off-state.
2. Limited switching speed caused by the finite turn-on and
turn-off times. This limits the maximum operating
frequency of the device.
3. Finite on-state and off-state resistances, that is, forward
voltage drop exists when in the on-state, and reverse
current flow (leakage) exists when in the off-state.
4. Because of characteristics 2 and 3, the practical switch
experiences power losses in the on- and off-states
(known as conduction loss), and during switching
transitions (known as switching loss).
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Losses in Power Electronics

In semiconductor components:
Switching losses
Conduction losses
In passive components (C & L):
Effective series resistance
Typical efficiencies are in the range of 9099% for each conversion stage, depending
on the exact converter topology.
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Power switch losses

Why it is important to consider losses of power switches?
to ensure that the system operates reliably under
prescribed ambient conditions,
so that heat removal mechanism (e.g. heat sink,
radiators, coolant) can be specified. Losses in switches
affects the system efficiency
Heat sinks and other heat removal systems are costly
and bulky. Can be substantial cost of the total system.
If a power switch is not cooled to its specified junction
temperature, the full power capability of the switch
cannot be realized.
Main losses:
forward conduction losses,
blocking state losses
switching losses
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Switching Power Losses

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Types of PE Circuits

Diode Rectifier
AC-DC Converter (controlled rectifier)
AC-AC Converter (ac voltage controller)
DC-DC converter (dc chopper)
DC-AC Converter (inverter)
Static Switches

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Diode Rectifier
It converts ac voltage into a fixed dc voltage.

32

AC-DC Converter
It converts ac voltage into dc voltage of variable
magnitude by varying the conduction time of a
Thyristor.

33

AC-AC Converter
It converts ac voltage into variable ac voltage by
varying the conduction time of a TRIAC.

34

DC-DC converter
It converts the dc voltage into variable dc, by
controlling the conduction time of transistor.

35

DC-AC Converter
It converts the dc voltage into ac, by controlling the
conduction time and sequence of transistors.

36

Static Switches

Static Switches:
Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS): Mains1 supplies the
normal power to the load. The ac-dc converter charges the
standby battery. The dc-ac converter supplies the
emergency power to the load.
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Conclusions
Power electronic System and its scope,
applications and importance
Control Characteristics of PE devices.
Losses in solid state switches
Types of Power Electronic Circuits.
Properties of Capacitor and Inductor in PE
circuits.

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