POWER ELECTRONICS

INTRODUCTION TO
POWER ELECTRONICS

Dr. Larik
Dr. Mahar

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 POWER ELECTRONICS

ELECTRONICS
POWER COTROL

Power electronics is the interface between electronics and power.

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 What is power electronics?
Definition:
It involves the study of electronic circuits intended to
control the flow of electrical energy. The circuits handle
power flow at levels much higher than the individual
device ratings. (M. H. Rashid, Hand Book…P#1)
OR
It is defined as to control & convert electrical power by
the application of converter topologies incorporating the
matrix of switching devices under the guidance of control
electronics.

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 History of Power Electronics:
 It began with the introduction of mercury arc rectifier in
1900

 Then metal tank rectifier, grid controlled vacuum tube

rectifier, ignitron, phanotron & thyratron were introduced
gradually and these devices were applied for power control
until 1950s

 The first electronics revolution began in 1948 with the

invention of silicon transistor at Bell Telephone
Laboratories

 PNPN triggering transistor, which was letter called as a

thyristor or silicon controlled rectifier, was invented by Bell
Telephone Laboratories in 1957

 The second electronics revolution began with the

development of the commercial thyristor by the General
Electric Company & thus the new era of Power Electronics
began. Since then, many different types of semiconductor
devices and conversion techniques have been introduced

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 The history

Applicat ion of
fast- switching
Invention of fully- controlled
Thyristor semiconductor
devices GTO
Mercury arc rectifier IGBT
GTR
Vacuum- tube rectifier Power diode Power MOSFET
Power MOSFET
Thyratron Thyristor Thyristor
Thyristor
(DSP)
(microprocessor)
1900 1957 mid 1970s late 1980s

Pre-history 1st phase 2nd phase 3rd phase

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 Power Electronics as a Multi Disciplinary Technology

Electronics
Signal
Processing
Electrical
Machines

Power
Semiconductor Power
Devices
Electronics Control
Theory

Power
System Micro
Computers
Computer Aided
Design Techniques
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Power electronics is currently the most active discipline in electric power engineering.
Recent Advances in Power Electronics

Semiconductor
Devices

Converter
Circuits

Control of
Power
Electronics

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 Four generations of Solid-State Power- Electronics
 First generation (1958-1975) (Thyristor Era)
 Diode
 Thyristor
 TRIAC
 Second Generation (1975-1985)
 Power BJT
 Power MOSFET
 GTO
 Microprocessor
 ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit )
 PIC (POWER INTEGRATED CIRCUIT)

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Four generations of Solid-State Power- Electronics
 Third generation (1985-1995)
 IGBT (Insulated gate bipolar transistor)
 SIT (Static Induction Transistor)
 SITH (Static Induction Thyristor)
 MCT (MOS- Controlled Thyristor)
 IPM (intelligent Power Module)
 DSPs
 Fourth Generation (1995-)
 IGCT (Integrated Gate-Commutated Thyristor )
 Cool MOS
 PEBB (Power Electronics Building Block)
 Sensorless Vector Control
 Al Techniques: Fuzzy logic, Neural Networks, Genetic
Algorithms.
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 Classification of Semiconductor Devices

Semiconductor devices can be classified into three categories

according to their degree of controllability:

 Un-controlled turn-on and off devices (e.g. Diodes).

 Controlled turn-on and uncontrolled turn-off (e.g. SCR).
 Controlled turn-on and off (e.g. BJT, SITH, MOSFET, GTO,
IGBT, SIT,MCT).

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Comparison of Transistors & Thyristors

                                                                                                                               

                

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Voltage and Current Capabilities
Bipolar voltage withstanding capability
(e.g. SCR, GTO,TRIAC).

Unipolar voltage withstanding capability

(e.g. BJT, MOSFET, IGBT, GTO,
).

Bidirectional current capability

(e.g. TRIAC, MOSFET ).

Unidirectional current capability

(e.g. SCR, GTO, BJT, IGBT, &
Diode).
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 Different Features of
Semiconductor Devices
Devices which requires continuous
BJT, MOSFET, IGBT and SIT
signal for keeping them in turn-on
state
Devices which requires pulse-gate
signal for turning them on & once SCR, GTO, SITH and MCT
these devices are on then gate pulse
is removed

Devices which posses bidirectional

TRIAC and RCT
current capability

Devices which posses unidirectional Diode, SCR, GTO, BJT, MOSFET,

current capability IGBT, SIT, SITH, MCT

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 CONTROL CHARACTERISTICS
OF SOLID-STATE DEVICES

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 Predicted markets for the various
types of power solid state devices

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CLASSIFICATION OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES

Power Semiconductor
Devices

Power Diodes Power Transistors Thristors

General Purpose Power BJT’s Line Commutated GATT

Fast Recovery Power MOSFET BCT LASCR

Schottky IGBT TRIAC MCT

SIT GTO IGCT

RCT ETO

SITH MTO

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 POWER DIODES

 GENERAL PURPOSE DIODE:

Voltage/Current Ratings: 10KV/5KA Switching Time (µS): 25
On Voltage/Current: 1.6V/10KA
 Are generally manufactured by diffusion
 High reverse recovery time
 Use in low speed applications where recovery time is not
critical

 FAST RECOVERY DIODE:

Voltage/Current Ratings: 3000V/1000A Switching Time (µS): 2-5
On Voltage/Current: 3V/3KA
 Low recovery time
 Use in choppers & inverters where the speed of recovery time is of
critical importance

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 Anode

Metal
POWER DIODES
Semiconductor

Cathode
 SCHOTTKY DIODE:
Voltage/Current Ratings: 100V/300A Switching Time (µS): 0.23
On Voltage/Current: 0.58V/60A

 Have low on state voltage

 Very small recovery time (typical of nanoseconds)
 The leakage current increases with the voltage ratings &
their ratings are limited to 100V
 These are ideal for high current & low power voltage dc
chopper supplies

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 POWER TRANSISTORS

 Power BJT:
Voltage/Current Rating: 1200V/800A
 It is a current controlled bi-polar two junction device.
 Switching speed is considerably faster than that of thyristor-

type devices.
 Fall into obsolescence due to advent of IGBT.

 Power MOSFET:
Voltage/Current Rating: 600V/400A
 It is unipolar & voltage controlled device

 It is faster of all the devices

 It can operate in hundreds of KHz switching frequency

 It is commonly used in high frequency switching mode power

supplies
 It is not used in high power converters because of large

conduction losses
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 POWER TRANSISTORS
 IGBT:
Voltage/Current Rating: 3500V/1200A
 It is basically a hybrid MOS-gated turn-off bipolar
transistor
 It combines the attributes of MOSFET,BJT & thyristor
 It was commercially introduced in 1983
 It is faster than that of BJT
 It can operate in medium power upto 20KHz switching
frequency
 It is finding popularity & will replace BJT in majority of
applications in near future

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POWER TRANSISTORS

 IGBT (Continued):
 The invention of IGBT is an important mile
stone in the history of Power Semiconductor
devices.
 6.5KV & 10KV devices are under test in
laboratory.

 IGBT Intelligent Power Module (IPM):

 This device is available for 6000V, 50-300A &
1200V, 50-150A to cover up to 150hp ac drive
applications.

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POWER TRANSISTOR

 SIT:
Voltage/Current Rating: 1200V/10A
Switching Time (µS): 0.55
 It is high power high frequency device

 It is solid state version of a triode vacuum

tube
 It was commercially introduced by TOKIN

Corp in 1987
 It is used in AM/FM transmitters, induction

heating, high voltage low current power

supplies
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 THYRISTORS

 Line or Natural Commutated Thyristors:

Voltage/Current Ratings: 8000V/4500A
Switching Time (µS): 10 to 20 in a 3000V, 3600A Thyristor

These are turned off due to the sinusoidal nature of input voltage

Bidirectional phase controlled thyristors BCT

 It combines the advantages of two thyristors in one package, enabling
more compact equipment design simplyfing the cooling system and
increasing system reliability.
 They are suitable for applications as static volt-ampere reactive (VAR)
compensator, static switches, soft starters, and motor drives.
 The maximum voltage rating can be as high as 6.5 kV at 1.8kA and the
maximum current rating can be as high as 3 kA at 1.8kV.

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 THYRISTORS

 TRIAC:
Voltage/Current Ratings: 1200V/300A
On Voltage/Current: 1.5V/420A

 Its characteristics are similar to two thyristors

connected in parallel & having only one gate terminal
 The current flow through it can be controlled in
either direction
 These are widely used in all types of simple heat
controls, light controls, motor controls & AC switches

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 THYRISTORS
 GTO:
Voltage/Current Ratings: 6000V/6000A (Mitsubishi) .
Switching Time (µS): 25
On Voltage/Current: 2.5V/1KA
 It is self turned off thyristor.

 It does not require any commutation circuit.

 It is used for commutation converters.

 Pushed the VFI from the market.

 Reverse conducting thyristor RCT:

Voltage/Current Ratings: 2500V/1000A Switching Time (µS)
On Voltage/Current: 2.1V/1KA
 It is connected as a thyristor with an inverse parallel diode

 These are used for high speed switching (traction applications)

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Thyristors

 SITH:
Voltage/Current Ratings: 4000V/2200A Switching Time (µS): 6.5
On Voltage/Current: 2.3V/400A
 It is self controlled GTO like device
 It was commercially introduced by TOYO Co. in 1988
 These are applied for medium power converters with
frequency of several hundreds of kilo hertz beyond the
frequency of GTO

 Gate assisted turn off thyristor GATT:

Voltage/Current Ratings: 1200V/400A Switching Time (µS): 8
On Voltage/Current: 2.8V/1.25KA
 These are used for high speed switching, specially in
traction applications

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Thyristors

 LASCR:
Voltage/Current Ratings: 600V/1500A Switching Time (µS): 200-400
On Voltage/Current: 2.4V/4.5A
 These are suitable for high voltage system applications,
specially in HVDC systems
 The four layer PNPN construction is similar to that of ordinary
SCR with one exception- the PN junctions are formed on a
silicon pellet in an elongated manner to permit radiations by a
light source

 MCT:
Voltage/Current Ratings: 4500V/250A, 900V/15A, 1000V/30A, 600V/60A
 It is a thyristor like trigger into conduction device that can be
turned on or off by a short pulse on the MOS gate
 This was introduced by General Electrical Company in
November 1988
 It is like a GTO, except that the turn-off gain is very high

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 Thyristor

 IGCT:
Available with 6000V, 6000A (10KV devices are under test)
 It integrates a gate-commutated thyristor (GCT) with a
multilayered printed circuit board gate drive
 The GCT is a hard-switched GTO with a very fast & large gate
current pulse, as large as the full rated current, that draws out all
the current from cathode into the gate in about 1µS to ensure a
fast turn-off
 Similar to GTO, the IGCT is turned on by applying the turn-on
current to its gate
 The IGCT is turned off by a multilayered gate driver circuit board
that can supply a fast rising turn-off pulse (i.e., a gate current of
4KA/µS with a gate cathode voltage of 20V only)

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 Thyristor

 Reverse Blocking IGCT :

Available with 6000V, 800A is introduced very recently
by ABB for use in IFI drives.

 Emitter turn off thyristor ETO:

 It is a MOS-GTO hybrid device that combines the
advantages of both the GTO & MOSFET
 ETO’s with current rating of up to 4KA & voltage rating
of up to 6KV have been demonstrated

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Thyristor

 MOS turn off thyristors MTO:

 It is a combination of a GTO & a MOSFET, which together
overcome the limitations of the GTO turn-off ability
 Its structure is similar to that of a GTO and retains the
advantages of high voltage (up to 10KV) & high current (up to
4000A)
 Can be used in high power application ranging from 1 to 20MVA

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 POWER INTEGRATED CIRCUIT(PIC) FEATURES

MONOLITHIC INTEGRATION OF POWER, CONTROL AND

PROTECTION ELEMENTS – SMART POWER

ADVANTAGES OF COST, SIZE, EMI PROBLEM AND RELIABILITY

ISOLATION PROBLEM OF LOW AND HIGH VOLTAGE DEVICES

THERMAL MANAGEMENT PROBLEM

EXAMPLE COMMERCIAL PICs:

 STEPPER MOTOR DRIVE
 BRUSHLESS DC MOTOR (BLDM) DRIVE
 H-BRIDGE INVERTER
 CHOPPER FOR DC MOTOR DRIVE
 GATE DRIVER FOR IGBT
 DC-DC CONVERTER
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 Power Integrated Circuit for DC
Motor Drive

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 Relative properties of Controllable Switches

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 108 Power Frequency
Trends of the Devices
107

IGCT
6
GTO
10
DEVICE V-I RATINGS PRODUCT (VI)

105
IGBT IPM
IGBT
DISCRETE
THYRISTOR
104

103

POWER
MOSFET
TRIAC
102

10
10 !02 103 104 105 106
SWITCHING FREQUENCY (Hz)
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 Types of Power Electronic Circuits:

For the control of electric power the conversion

of electric power from one form to another is
necessary and the switching characteristics of
the power devices permits these conversions.
The static power converters performs theses
functions of power conversions. A converter
may be considered as a switching matrix. The
power electronics circuits can be classified into
the following types:
 Diode rectifiers
 AC-DC converters (controlled rectifiers)
 AC-AC converters (AC voltage controllers)
 DC-DC converters (DC choppers)
 DC-AC converters (inverters)
 Static switches
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Power Electronic Converters

AC DC

AC DC
 Conversion of electric power
Other names for electric
power converter:
-Power converter
-Converter Electric
Power Power
-Switching converter Power
input output
-Power electronic circuit Converter
-Power electronic converter
Control
input

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 Control of Power Electronics
Microcomputer
Control

VLSI Control

SMC Control

Expert & Fuzzy

Control

Neural Networks

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 SOME SIMULATION PROGRAMS

 MATLAB/SIMULINK
 PSPICE
 PSIM
 EMTP
 ACSL
 MATRIXX
 SIMNON
 SABER

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 In a VLSI, a very large number of devices are
integrated monolithically in a chip to provide Digital Controller Classification
great simplification of hardware. A VLSI chip
may use digital, analog, or mixed signals.

The instruction set is complex,

which results in a complex
architecture & a sluggish
computation. Specially
designed
for high
speed
parallel
processin
Reduced instruction g using
set computers: Simple several
architecture allows for processor
high speeds s

The gate array

consists of a matrix of
simple logic gates that
are interconnected by
the user in a field
programmable GA A custom chip (not
(FPGA) or programmable) is very
programmable logic economical & is designed for
Interconnected functional
device (PLD), which specific applications. An ASIC
circuits such as (D flip-flop,
can be programmed chip can be designed with
counters, etc) to provide
electrically (ELPD) or digital, analog, memory
more efficient performance
by mask (CPLD) elements (ROM, RAM), & RISC or
& effective chip estate
similar to EPROM or DSP to satisfy full control
utilization than gate arrays.
PROM, respectively. function. 43
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 Applications DC AND AC REGULATED POWER SUPPLIES

ELECTRO CHEMICAL PROCESSES

HEATING AND LIGHTING CONTROL

ELECTRONIC WELDING

POWER LINE VAR AND HARMONIC COMPENSATION

HIGH VOLTAGE DC SYSTEM

POWER
ELECTRONIC
SYSTEMS PHOTOVOLTAIC AND FUEL CELL CONVERSION

VARIABLE SPEED CONSTANT FREQUENCY SYSTEM

SOLID STATE CIRCUIT BREAKER

INDUCTION HEATING

MOTOR DRIVES

Flexible AC Transmission System, FACTS

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III. Applications
 Industrial applications
Motor drives
Electrolysis
Electroplating
Induction heating
Welding
Arc furnaces and ovens
Lighting

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 Transportation applications
Trains & locomotives
Subways
Trolley buses
Magnetic levitation
Electric vehicles
Automotive electronics
Ship power systems
Aircraft power systems

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 Utility stems applications
High- voltage dc transmission(HVDC)
Flexible ac transmission(FACTS)
Static var compensation & harmonics
suppression: TCR, TSC, SVG, APF
Custom power & power quality control
Supplemental energy sources :
wind, photovoltaic, fuel cells
Energy storage systems

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 Power supplies for electronic equipment
Telecommunications
Computers
Office equipment
Electronic instruments
Portable or mobile
electronics

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 Residential and home appliances
Lighting
Heating
Air conditioning
Refrigeration & freezers
Cooking
Cleaning
Entertaining

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 Applications in space technology
Spaceship power systems
Satellite power systems
Space vehicle power systems

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 Other aplications
Nuclear reactor control
Power systems for particle accelerators
Environmental engineering

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Applications

A 3-phase controlled bridge circuit used as a basic topology

for many converter systems

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Applications

A high voltage DC (HVDC) transmission system

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Applications

Parallel connection of two 6-pulse converters

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Applications

Variable frequency converter for motor control

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Applications

Pulse width modulated or square wave inverter with a controlled

rectifier input

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Applications

Current-source inverter on the output section of motor drive system

using capacitors for power factor correction

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Applications

Per phase thyristor-controlled inductor (TCI) &

thyristor-switched capacitor (TSC) system

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 Applications

Static transfer switch used in a UPS system

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Applications in FACTS

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 NEXT GENERATION POWER SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS

SILICON CARBIDE – DIAMOND

 LARGE BAND GAP

 HIGH CARRIER MOBILITY

 HIGH ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY

 HIGH THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY

RESULT

 HIGH POWER CAPABILITY

 HIGH FREQUENCY

 LOW CONDUCTION DROP

 HIGH JUNCTION TEMPERATURE

 GOOD RADIATION HARDNESS

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68
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 Hybrid Cars
• hybrid cars, in which the primary electrical system is
dominated by power electronics. Electric cars offer high
performance, zero tailpipe emissions, and low costs, but are
still limited in range by the need for batteries.
• Hybrid car designs use various strategies to combine both an
engine and electrical elements to gain advantages of each.
• Inverters and DC-DC converters rated for many kilowatts
serve as primary energy control blocks.

71
 Trends
It is estimated that in developed countries now 60% of the electric
energy goes through some kind of power electronics converters before
it is finally used. Power electronics has been making major
contributions to:
 Better performance of power supplies and better control of electric
equipment

 Energy saving
 Environment protection
 Ratings of Power Devices

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 Types of Power Devices

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 Power Ratings of Devices

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 Thyristors

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