Introduction to Power

Electronics

Contents
Definition and concepts of power
electronics and electronics power
conversion
Application
Power semiconductor switches

Power Electronics

DEFINITION: To convert, i.e to process

and to control the flow of electric power
by supplying voltages and currents in a
form that is optimally suited for user
loads.

Goal of electronics power

conversion systems
To convert electrical energy from one
form to another, from the source to
load with highest efficiency, high
availability and high reliability with
the lowest cost, smallest size and
weight.

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

Power electronics loads:

(air conditioner, fans, pumps). Variable speed
compressor air-conditioning system saves up to
30% of energy compared to conventional
thermostat-controlled system.
Electrical lighting using electronics ballast can
boost the efficiency of fluorescent lamp by 20%.

Applications
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

Application example

Applications

PE growth
PE rapid growth due to:
Advances in power (semiconductor)
switches
Advances in microelectronics (DSP,
VLSI, microprocessor/microcontroller,
ASIC)
New ideas in control algorithms
Demand for new applications

PE growth: Advances in power

(semiconductor) switches

PE growth
PE is an interdisciplinary field:

Digital/analogue electronics
Power and energy
Microelectronics
Control system
Computer, simulation and software
Solid-state physics and devices
Packaging
Heat transfer

Power semiconductor devices

(Power switches)
Power switches are the work-horses
of PE systems.
PE switches works in two states only:
Fully on (conducting)
Fully off (blocking)

Can be categorised into three group:

Uncontrollable: Diode
Half- controlled: Thyristor, TRIAC
Fully- controlled: BJT, FET, IGBT, GTO

Power diode

Types of power diodes

General purpose diode (rectifier diode)
standard recovery

Fast recovery diode

Reverse recovery time and charge specified. trr
is usually less than 1s, for many less than 100
ns ultra-fast recovery diode.

Schottky diode (Schottky barrier diode-SBD)

At lower voltages, less than 40V, devices of up
to 300A are available and the maximum
junction operating temperature is 175C, which
is higher than for conventional silicon pn
junction devices.

Static Characteristic

part number

Rated max voltage

Fast recovery rectifiers

1N3913
400V
SD453N25S20PC
2500V
Ultra-fast recovery rectifiers
MUR815
150V
MUR1560
600V
RHRU100120
1200V
Schottky rectifiers
MBR6030L
30V
444CNQ045
45V
30CPQ150
150V

Rated vag current

VF(typical)

tr(max)

30A
400A

1.1V
2.2V

400ns
20s

8A
15A
100A

0.975V
1.2V
2.6V

35ns
6ns
60ns

60A
440A
30A

0.48V
0.69V
1.19V

Special Diode: LED

LEDs available with aluminous efficacy of 1822 lumens per

watt (lm/W).
For comparison, a conventionalincandescent light bulbof 60
100 watts emits around 15 lm/W, and standardfluorescent
on February
3, 2010
about
laboratory prototype LED achieving 208
lightsemit
up to
100 alm/W.
lumens per watt

Thyristor
Another name: SCRsilicon controlled rectifier
Thyristor : Opened the power electronics era
1956, invention, Bell Laboratories
1957, development of the 1st product, GE
1958, 1st commercialized product, GE
Thyristor replaced vacuum devices in almost every
power processing area.
Still in use in high power situation.
Thyristor till has the highest power-handling
capability

Appearance and symbol of thyristor

Static Characteristic

Type of thyristor
GTO: The gate turn-off thyristor is an SCR
that is turned on by forward-biasing the
cathode junction and turned off by reversebiasing
LTT: The light triggered thyristor is series
connected in HVDC applications. Five inch
wafers, offer 8kV, 3000A. Turn--on requires
about 40mW of light power for 10s.
Triac: The triac comprises two SCR
structures

Example:

Two of three thyristor valve stacks

used for long distance transmission of
power fromManitoba Hydrodams