ES 413

POWER ELECTRONICS
POWER DIODES
CHAPTER 2

1
 P-n Junction Diode

Figure 2.1
2
 V-I Characteristics

Figure 2.2
3
Reverse Recovery Characteristics

trr  ta  tb (2.5) I RR 
2QRR
(2.8)
trr
2QRR di
trr  (2.10) I RR  2QRR (2.11)
Figure 2.3 di / dt dt
4
 SPICE Diode Models

Figure 2.6
5
 Series-Connected Diodes

Figure 2.7
6
 Series-Connected Diodes with
Voltage Sharing

Figure 2.8
7
Series-Connected Diodes with Dynamic
Voltage Sharing

Figure 2.9
8
 Example 2.3
VS  5kV I S1  30mA I S 2  35mA
• Find the diode voltages if R1 = R2 =R = 100 k
• Find the voltage sharing resistancesR1 and R2 for
equal diode voltages

Figure 2.10
9
 Parallel-Connected Diodes

Figure 2.11
10
 Diode Circuit with an RC Load
1 t VS  t / RC
VS  vR   idt  vc (t  0) (2.18) i (t )  e (2.20)
C t0 R

vc (t )  VS 1  e 
 t / RC dvC VS
(2.21) t 0  (2.23)
dt RC
Figure 2.12
11
 Diode Circuit with an RL Load
di
VS  vR  L (2.24) vL (t )  VS e tR / L (2.28)
dt

i (t ) 
VS
R
1  e  tR / L  (2.25)
di VS
t 0  (2.27)
Figure 2.13 dt L

12
 Diode Circuit with an LC Load
di 1 t
VS  L   idt  vc (t  0) (2.29) i(t )  VS C sin ot (2.30)
dt C t0 L
V C 1
di
 S (2.34) I p  VS (2.32) o 
t 0 L
dt L
LC

Figure 2.14 vC (t )  VS 1  cos 0t  (2.35)

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 Diode Circuit with an RLC Load

di 1 t
L  Ri   idt  vc (t  0)  VS (2.36)
dt C t0
• The characteristic equation is:
Figure 2.17 2
d i R di
 
i
 0 (2.37)
dt 2 L dt LC 14
 Diode Circuit with an RLC Load
• The characteristic equation in s domain:
R i
s  s
2
 0 (2.38)
L LC
• The roots of the characteristic equation is:
2
R  R  1
s1,2      (2.39)
2L  2 L  LC
    2  o2 (2.42)
• Where damping factor and resonant
frequency are:
R 1
 (2.40) o  (2.41)
2L LC
15
 Diode Circuit with an RLC Load
• Case 1: =o and s1 = s2. The circuit is
critically damped. The solution has the form:
i(t )   A1  A2t  e s1t
(2.43)
• Case 2: >o The roots are real and the circuit
is over-damped. The solution has the form:
i (t )  A1e  A2e
s1t s2t
(2.44)
• Case 3: <o The roots are complex and the
circuit is under-damped. The roots are:

16
 Diode Circuit with an RLC Load
• Case 3: <o The roots are complex and the
circuit is under-damped. The roots are:
s1,2    jr (2.45)
• The solution has the form of damped or
decaying sinusoidal:
i(t )  e 1
 t

A cos r t  A sin r t (2.46)
2
• where r is ringing frequency, given by

r    
2
o
2

17
 Example 2.6
VS  220V L  2mH C  0.05 F R  160
• Find the diode current, i(t)
  R / L  40000 rad / s o  1/ LC  105 rad / s
• Since <o the circuit is under-damped. At t =
0, A1 = 0.
i (t )  e t A sin r t
2
 r cos r t A e t   sin r t A e t
di
dt 2 2
di VS
t  0  r A 
dt 2 L
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 Example 2.6
VS
A   1.2 A
2 r L

• The final diode current, i(t)

i(t )  1.2sin  91, 652t  e 40, 000t

• The conduction time is

r t1  

t1   34.27  s
r

Figure 2.18
19
 Free-Wheeling Diodes

Figure 2.21
20
 Summary
• A diode allows current in only one direction if
forward biased.
• The switching time of a diode is limited by the
turn on time and the turn off time. The reverse
recovery time is more critical for switching
applications.
• The presence of a diode in an RL, RC, LC and
RLC circuit can influence the wave shaping of
the voltages and currents.

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