Power Electronics and Drives: cram pack

Formula sheets, the key method steps for every topic and 8 practice problems, with full solutions at the back.

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1Formulas and methods

DC-DC converters

Buck
Vo = D·Vin
Boost
Vo = Vin/(1 − D)
Inverting buck-boost
|Vo| = Vin·D/(1 − D)
Ideal power balance
VinIin = VoIo
Inductor ripple
ΔIL = VL,on·D/(L·f); buck Vin − Vo, boost and buck-boost Vin
Average inductor current
buck Io; boost and buck-boost Io/(1 − D)
Output ripple
buck ΔIL/(8fC); boost and buck-boost Io·D/(fC)
CCM boundary
buck (1 − D)R/(2f); boost D(1 − D)²R/(2f); buck-boost (1 − D)²R/(2f)

Method

  1. Identify the converter (buck, boost or buck-boost) and the duty cycle D from the voltage ratio.
  2. Use volt-second balance on the inductor: the average inductor voltage over a period is zero.
  3. Find the inductor voltage while the switch is on, then ΔIL = VL·D/(L·f).
  4. For the output ripple, find the charge that flows in and out of the capacitor; for the CCM boundary, set the average inductor current equal to ΔIL/2.

DC motors

Armature circuit
V = E + IaRa
Back-EMF and torque
E = k·ω, T = k·Ia
Speed
ω = 2π·n/60, ω = (V − IaRa)/k
No-load speed and stall torque
ω0 = V/k, Tstall = k·V/Ra
Powers
Pin = V·Ia, Pdev = E·Ia = T·ω, Pout = Pdev − Prot
Starting
Istart = V/(Ra + Rst)
Speed regulation
SR = (n0 − nFL)/nFL
Maximum developed power
Pmax = V²/(4Ra)
Chopper drive
Va = D·Vdc

Method

  1. Draw the armature circuit: supply V, resistance Ra and the back-EMF E in series.
  2. Use V = E + Ia·Ra to link voltage, current and back-EMF.
  3. Use E = k·ω for speed and T = k·Ia for torque, with ω = 2π·n/60.
  4. For power and efficiency, start from V·Ia, subtract the copper loss Ia²·Ra and then the rotational losses.

AC power & power factor

Real power
P = V·I·cos φ
Reactive power
Q = V·I·sin φ
Apparent power
S = V·I = √(P² + Q²)
Power factor
pf = cos φ = P/S
Correction capacitor
QC = P(tan φ1 − tan φ2), C = QC/(ωV²)

Three-phase power

Y connection
VL = √3·Vph, IL = Iph
Δ connection
VL = Vph, IL = √3·Iph
Total real power
P = √3·VL·IL·cos φ = 3·Iph²·R
Apparent and reactive power
S = √3·VL·IL, Q = P·tan φ
Correction capacitors
QC = P(tan φ1 − tan φ2), C = QC/(3ωV²)
Voltage across each capacitor
Δ: VL Y: VL/√3
Motor input
Pin = Pout/η

2Practice problems

1.DC-DC convertersMedium
tiL​Imax​ = ?Imin​Io​DTT2T

A buck converter turns 15 V into 4.5 V for a 20 Ω load. It switches at 500 kHz with L = 33 µH. Find the peak inductor current Imax.

Vin​ = 15 VVo​ = 4.5 Vf = 500 kHzL = 33 µHR = 20 Ω
Imax = A
2.DC-DC convertersHard
tiL​Imax​IL​DTT2T

An ideal inverting buck-boost converter turns 9 V into −13.5 V for a 2 Ω load at 50 kHz. Find the smallest inductance Lcrit for continuous conduction.

Vin​ = 9 VVo​ = −13.5 Vf = 50 kHzR = 2 Ω
Lcrit = µH
3.DC motorsMedium
T (N·m)n (rpm)Tst​ = ?n0​

A DC motor with k = 0.8 N·m/A and Ra = 1.5 Ω is connected to 120 V. Find its stall torque Tstall, the torque at zero speed.

V = 120 Vk = 0.8 N·m/ARa = 1.5 Ω
Tstall = N·m
4.DC motorsHard
+−240 VD = ?Ra​ = 0.25 ΩM+−En = 400 rpmT = 30 N·m

A DC chopper feeds a motor (k = 0.75 V·s/rad, Ra = 0.25 Ω) from a 240 V DC bus. The average armature voltage is D·240 V. Find the duty cycle D that runs the motor at 400 rpm with a load of 30 N·m.

Vdc = 240 Vk = 0.75 V·s/radRa = 0.25 ΩT = 30 N·mn = 400 rpm
D = %
5.AC power & power factorMedium
P = 4 kWQ = ?Sφ

A single-phase motor takes 4 kW at a power factor of 0.7 lagging from a 230 V supply. Find the reactive power Q it draws.

P = 4 kWpf = 0.7V = 230 V
Q = kvar
6.AC power & power factorHard
12 V1000 HzRs​ = 2 ΩXs​ = j10 ΩZL​ = ?

A 12 V (rms), 1000 Hz source has an internal impedance Zs = 2 + j10 Ω. The load impedance ZL can be chosen freely. Find the maximum real power Pmax that can be delivered to the load.

Vs = 12 V (rms)f = 1000 HzZs = 2 + j10 Ω
Pmax = W
7.Three-phase powerMedium
ABCVL​ = 415 VIL​ = 75 Acos φ = 0.82lagging

A balanced three-phase load draws a line current of 75 A from a supply with a line-to-line voltage of 415 V. The power factor is 0.82 lagging. Find the total real power P drawn by the load in kW.

VL = 415 VIL = 75 Acos φ = 0.82
P = kW
8.Three-phase powerHard
P = 75 kWφ1​S1​Q2​QC​

A balanced three-phase load takes 75 kW at a power factor of 0.8 lagging from a 400 V (line-to-line), 50 Hz supply. A three-phase capacitor bank in parallel with the load must raise the overall power factor to 0.98 lagging. The real power stays the same. The capacitors are connected in Y. Find the capacitance Cph of each capacitor in µF.

P = 75 kWpf1 = 0.8pf2 = 0.98VL = 400 Vf = 50 Hz
Cph = µF

3Solutions

1.DC-DC converters

Answer: Imax = 0.3205 A

DC-DC converters: a switch S turns on for the fraction D of each period T = 1/f. In steady state the average inductor voltage is zero (volt-second balance), which gives the ideal conversion ratios in continuous conduction: buck Vo = D·Vin, boost Vo = Vin/(1 − D), inverting buck-boost |Vo| = Vin·D/(1 − D). An ideal converter keeps the power: Vin·Iin = Vo·Io. While S is on the inductor current rises by ΔIL = VL·D·T/L, with VL = Vin − Vo for the buck and Vin for the boost and buck-boost. The output ripple is ΔVo = ΔIL/(8fC) for the buck and Io·D/(fC) for the boost and buck-boost. The inductor current just touches zero (the CCM boundary) when the average inductor current equals ΔIL/2.

Duty cycle

D = 4.5/15 = 0.3

Average and ripple current

Io = 4.5/20 = 0.225 A
ΔIL = VL·D/(L·f) = 10.5·0.3/(33·10⁻⁶·500·10³) = 0.1909 A

Peak current

Imax = 0.225 + 0.1909/2 = 0.3205 A

Answer

Imax = 0.3205 A
2.DC-DC converters

Answer: Lcrit = 3.2 µH

DC-DC converters: a switch S turns on for the fraction D of each period T = 1/f. In steady state the average inductor voltage is zero (volt-second balance), which gives the ideal conversion ratios in continuous conduction: buck Vo = D·Vin, boost Vo = Vin/(1 − D), inverting buck-boost |Vo| = Vin·D/(1 − D). An ideal converter keeps the power: Vin·Iin = Vo·Io. While S is on the inductor current rises by ΔIL = VL·D·T/L, with VL = Vin − Vo for the buck and Vin for the boost and buck-boost. The output ripple is ΔVo = ΔIL/(8fC) for the buck and Io·D/(fC) for the boost and buck-boost. The inductor current just touches zero (the CCM boundary) when the average inductor current equals ΔIL/2.

Duty cycle

D = 13.5/(9 + 13.5) = 0.6

Boundary condition

Set the average inductor current equal to half the ripple current and solve for L.

Lcrit = (1 − D)²·R/(2f)

Critical inductance

Lcrit = (1 − 0.6)²·2/(250·10³) = 3.2 µH

Answer

Lcrit = 3.2 µH
3.DC motors

Answer: Tstall = 64 N·m

DC motor: the armature is a resistance Ra in series with the back-EMF E, so V = E + Ia·Ra. The back-EMF grows with speed, E = k·ω, and the torque with current, T = k·Ia, with the same motor constant k (V·s/rad = N·m/A) in SI units. Convert speeds with ω = 2π·n/60. The developed power is E·Ia = T·ω; the input power is V·Ia, and the copper loss Ia²Ra and the rotational loss make the difference. The speed falls in a straight line with torque, ω = V/k − Ra·T/k², from the no-load speed V/k to zero at the stall torque k·V/Ra. At standstill E = 0, so the starting current V/Ra is large unless a resistor limits it.

Stall current

Ia = V/Ra = 120/1.5 = 80 A

Stall torque

Tstall = 0.8·80 = 64 N·m

Answer

Tstall = 64 N·m
4.DC motors

Answer: D = 17.26 %

DC motor: the armature is a resistance Ra in series with the back-EMF E, so V = E + Ia·Ra. The back-EMF grows with speed, E = k·ω, and the torque with current, T = k·Ia, with the same motor constant k (V·s/rad = N·m/A) in SI units. Convert speeds with ω = 2π·n/60. The developed power is E·Ia = T·ω; the input power is V·Ia, and the copper loss Ia²Ra and the rotational loss make the difference. The speed falls in a straight line with torque, ω = V/k − Ra·T/k², from the no-load speed V/k to zero at the stall torque k·V/Ra. At standstill E = 0, so the starting current V/Ra is large unless a resistor limits it.

Required armature voltage

Va = 0.75·41.89 + 40·0.25 = 41.42 V

Duty cycle

D = 41.42/240 = 17.26 %

Answer

D = 17.26 %
5.AC power & power factor

Answer: Q = 4.081 kvar

AC power: apparent power S = V·I (VA) splits into real power P = S·cos φ (W), which does useful work, and reactive power Q = S·sin φ (var), which moves back and forth between source and load. The power factor is cos φ. A capacitor in parallel supplies reactive power locally, so the line current drops for the same real power.

Angle

φ = arccos(0.7) = 45.57°, tan φ = 1.02

Reactive power

Q = P·tan φ = 4·1.02 = 4.081 kvar

Answer

Q = 4.081 kvar
6.AC power & power factor

Answer: Pmax = 18 W

AC power: apparent power S = V·I (VA) splits into real power P = S·cos φ (W), which does useful work, and reactive power Q = S·sin φ (var), which moves back and forth between source and load. The power factor is cos φ. A capacitor in parallel supplies reactive power locally, so the line current drops for the same real power.

Conjugate match

The load reactance cancels the source reactance, and the load resistance equals the source resistance.

ZL = Zs* = 2 − j10 Ω

Maximum power

I = Vs/(2Rs) = 12/4 = 3 A
Pmax = I²·RL = Vs²/(4Rs) = 12²/(4·2) = 18 W

Answer

Pmax = 18 W
7.Three-phase power

Answer: P = 44.21 kW

Balanced three-phase systems: in a Y (star) connection the line-to-line voltage is √3 times the phase voltage, VL = √3·Vph, and the line current equals the phase current. In a Δ (delta) connection the line-to-line voltage equals the phase voltage and the line current is √3 times the phase current, IL = √3·Iph. The total power is three times the power of one phase: P = 3·Vph·Iph·cos φ = √3·VL·IL·cos φ.

Apparent power

S = √3·VL·IL = √3·415·75 = 53.91 kVA

Real power

P = S·cos φ = 53.91·0.82 = 44.21 kW

Answer

P = 44.21 kW
8.Three-phase power

Answer: Cph = 816.1 µF

Balanced three-phase systems: in a Y (star) connection the line-to-line voltage is √3 times the phase voltage, VL = √3·Vph, and the line current equals the phase current. In a Δ (delta) connection the line-to-line voltage equals the phase voltage and the line current is √3 times the phase current, IL = √3·Iph. The total power is three times the power of one phase: P = 3·Vph·Iph·cos φ = √3·VL·IL·cos φ. Power factor correction: capacitors supply reactive power locally, QC = P·(tan φ1 − tan φ2). Each of the three capacitors supplies QC/3 = V²·ω·C, where V is the voltage across that capacitor: VL in a Δ bank, VL/√3 in a Y bank.

Reactive power before and after

The real power is unchanged, so each power factor fixes the reactive power: Q = P·tan φ.

Q1 = 75·tan(acos 0.8) = 75·0.75 = 56.25 kvar
Q2 = 75·tan(acos 0.98) = 75·0.2031 = 15.23 kvar

Reactive power from the capacitors

QC = Q1 − Q2 = 41.02 kvar

Capacitance per phase

In a Y bank each capacitor is connected between a line and the star point.

V = 400/√3 = 230.9 V, ω = 2π·50 = 314.2 rad/s
Cph = (QC/3)/(ω·V²) = 13674/(314.2·230.9²) = 816.1 µF

Answer

Cph = 816.1 µF

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