Power Electronics

Chapter 5
DC to DC Converters
(Choppers)

Power Electronics

Outline
5.1 Basic DC to DC converters
5.2 Composite DC/DC converters and

connection of multiple DC/DC converters

5.3 Isolated DC to DC converters (Indirect DC

to DC converters )

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5.1 Basic DC to DC converters

5.1.1 Buck converter (Step-down converter)
5.1.2 Boost converter (Step-up converter)
5.1.3 Buck-Boost converter (Step-down/stepup converter) and Cuk converter
5.1.4 Sepic converter and Zeta converter
Part of the slides of this section is taken and modified from:
R. Erickson and D. Maksimovic. Fundamentals of Power Electronics. Kluwer Academic Publishers,
2001
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5.1 Basic DC to DC converters

IntroductionBuck converter
SPDT switch changes
dc component
Switch output
voltage waveform
Duty cycle D:
0D1
complement D:
D = 1 - D
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Dc component of switch output voltage

Fourier analysis: Dc component = average value

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Insertion of low-pass filter to remove switching

harmonics and pass only dc component

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Basic operation principle of buck converter

Buck converter
with ideal switch

Realization
using power
MOSFET and
diode
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Thought process in analyzing basic

DC/DC converters
Basic operation principle (qualitative analysis)
How does current flow during different switching states
How is energy transferred during different switching states

Verification of small ripple approximation

Derivation of inductor voltage waveform or capacitor
current waveform during different switching states
Quantitative analysis according to inductor volt-second
balance or capacitor charge balance

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Actual output voltage waveform of

buck converter
Buck converter
containing practical
low-pass filter

Actual output voltage

waveform
v(t) = V + vripple(t)

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The small ripple approximation

v(t) = V + vripple(t)

In a well-designed converter, the output voltage

ripple is small. Hence, the waveforms can be
easily determined by ignoring the ripple:

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Buck converter analysis:

inductor current waveform

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Inductor voltage and current

subinterval 1: switch in position 1

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Inductor voltage and current

subinterval 2: switch in position 2

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Inductor voltage and current waveforms

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Determination of inductor
current ripple magnitude

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Inductor current waveform

during start-up transient

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The principle of inductor

volt-second balance: Derivation

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Inductor volt-second balance:

Buck converter example

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The principle of capacitor charge

balance: Derivation

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Boost converter example

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Boost converter analysis

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Subinterval 1: switch in position 1

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Subinterval 2: switch in position 2

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Inductor voltage and capacitor current

waveforms

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Inductor volt-second balance

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Conversion ratio M(D) of

the boost converter

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Determination of inductor current

dc component

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Continuous-Conduction-Mode (CCM) and

Discontinuous-Conduction-Mode (DCM) of buck
L

V
iG

io

E
VD uo

EM
M

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Continuous-Conduction-Mode (CCM) and

Discontinuous-Conduction-Mode (DCM) of boost
L

VD

EM

uo

a)

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5.2 Composite DC/DC converters and

connection of multiple DC/DC converters
5.2.1 A current-reversible chopper
5.2.2 Bridge chopper (H-bridge DC/DC
converter)
5.2.3 Multi-phase multi-channel DC/DC
converters

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5.2.1 A current reversible chopper

V1
VD2

io

V2
VD1

uo

EM

Can be considered as a
combination of a Buck and
a Boost
Can realize two-quadrant ( I & II)
operation of DC motor:
forward motoring,
forward braking
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Bridge chopper (H-bridge chopper)

V1
VD1

E
V2

VD2

V3

uo
L

io

VD3
M
EM

V4

VD4

Can be considered as the combination of two

current-reversible choppers.
Can realize 4-quadrant operation of DC motor.
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Multi-phase multi-channel
DC/DC converter
L

V1

i1 L1

V2

i2 L2

V3

i3 L3

io

VD3 VD2 VD1

u3

u2

uo

u1

Current output capability is

increased due to multi-channel
paralleling.
Ripple in the output voltage and
current is reduced due to multichannel paralleling.
Ripple in the input current is
reduced due to multi-phase
paralleling.

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5.3 Isolated DC to DC converters

(Indirect DC to DC converters )
DC input

Inverter

High frequency
AC

Transformer

AC

DC output

Rectifier

Filter

Isolation

Reasons to use indirect DC to DC structure

Necessary isolation between input and output
In some cases isolated multiple outputs are needed
The ratio of input and output voltage is far away from 1

Power semiconductor devices usually used

Inverter part: Power MOSFETs, IGBTs
Rectifier part: Fast recovery diodes, Schottky diodes, Synchronous
rectifiers
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Classification of isolated DC to DC converters

According to whether transformer current is
uni-direction or bi-directional

Isolated DC to DC
converters

Single-ended converters
Forward converter
Flyback converter
Double-ended converters
Half bridge
Push-pull
Full bridge

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5.3.1 Forward converter

VD1
Ui +

U
U

o
i

N3 N
1

N2

W1
W3
VD3 S

W2

VD2

N
=
N

+
Uo

O
uS
Ui
O
iL

2
1

t on
T

Simple, low cost

O
iS
O

Uni-polar transformer current, low power applications

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5.3.2 Flyback converter

Ui

N1

N2 VD +

W1

W2

Uo

S
O
uS
Ui

t on
t off

O
iVD

Simple, low cost

o
i

N
=
N

2
1

toff

O
iS

U
U

ton

Uni-polar transformer current, low power applications

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5.3.3 Half bridge converter

S1

t on
t

S2

S1

C1

N1

Ui
+

W2 VD1 +
ud L
N2
N3

u S1

Uo

Ui
t
Ui

O
u S2

W1 W
S2
3 VD
2

C2

i S1

i S2

U
U

o
i

N
N

2
1

t on
T

iD 1

iD 2

t
iL
t
iL

Cost higher than forward and flyback converter

Bi-polar transformer current, up to several kilowatts

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5.3.4 Push-pull converter

t on

S1
S2

S1

Ui

S2

VD1
N1

N2

N1'

N2'

uS1

Uo

VD2

t
2Ui

u S2O

iS1

i S2

O
iD1

Uo
N 2 2 t on
=
Ui
N1 T

2U i

O
i D2

t
iL
t
iL

Cost higher than forward and flyback converter

Center-tapped transformer
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5.3.5 Full-bridge converter

S1
Ui

S2

VD1

S3
uT

N1

ud
VD3

L
+
Uo

N2

W1 W2
S4
VD2

S 1(S 4 )
O
S 2 (S 3)
O

VD4
-

t on

t
t

u S1(u S4)

Ui

O
u S2(u S3)

t
Ui
t

O
i S1(i S4)

O
i S2 (i S3 )

Uo
N 2 2 t on
=
Ui
N1 T

Cost is even higher

O
i D1(i D4)
O
i D2(i D 3)

t
iL
t
iL

Bi-polar transformer current, up to several hundreds of

kilowatts
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5.3.6 Rectifier circuits in

the isolated DC to DC converters
VD1

VD3 L

VD1
+

VD2

VD4

VD2

Full-wave rectifier

Full-bridge rectifier

V1

L
+

V2
Synchronous rectifier

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5.3.7 Configuration of switching power

supply
Linear power supply

Line
frequency
AC input

Line frequency
DC

Transformer

Rectifier

Filter

Series Pass
Regulator

Regulated
DC output

Isolation

Switching power supply

Line
frequency
AC input

Rectifier

DC

High
High
frequency frequency
AC
AC

Filter

Inverter

Transformer

Rectifier

Filter

Regulated
DC output

Isolation

Indirect DC to DC converter
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