Identify the converter (buck, boost or buck-boost) and the duty cycle D from the voltage ratio.
Use volt-second balance on the inductor: the average inductor voltage over a period is zero.
Find the inductor voltage while the switch is on, then ΔIL = VL·D/(L·f).
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
Draw the armature circuit: supply V, resistance Ra and the back-EMF E in series.
Use V = E + Ia·Ra to link voltage, current and back-EMF.
Use E = k·ω for speed and T = k·Ia for torque, with ω = 2π·n/60.
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
An ideal boost converter turns 36 V into 120 V for a 5 Ω load. Find the average inductor current IL.
Vin = 36 VVo = 120 VR = 5 Ω
IL = A
2.DC-DC convertersHard
An ideal buck converter turns 15 V into 10.5 V for a 12 Ω load at 500 kHz. Find the smallest inductance Lcrit for continuous conduction.
Vin = 15 VVo = 10.5 Vf = 500 kHzR = 12 Ω
Lcrit = µH
3.DC motorsMedium
A DC motor with k = 1 V·s/rad runs from 240 V. Neglecting all losses at no load, find its no-load speed n0 in rpm.
V = 240 Vk = 1 V·s/rad
n0 = rpm
4.DC motorsHard
A 240 V DC motor has an armature resistance of 0.4 Ω. Find the series starting resistance Rst that limits the starting current to 40 A.
V = 240 VRa = 0.4 ΩImax = 40 A
Rst = Ω
5.AC power & power factorMedium
A load with impedance Z = 12 + j5 Ω is connected to a 230 V (rms) single-phase supply. Find the reactive power Q it absorbs.
V = 230 VZ = 12 + j5 Ω
Q = var
6.AC power & power factorHard
A single-phase load takes 27 kW at a power factor of 0.65 lagging from a 230 V, 50 Hz supply. A 330 µF capacitor is connected in parallel with the load. Find the new line current I.
P = 27 kWpf1 = 0.65V = 230 Vf = 50 HzC = 330 µF
I = A
7.Three-phase powerMedium
A balanced Δ-connected load with an impedance of 15 + j20 Ω per phase is connected to a balanced three-phase supply with a line-to-line voltage of 480 V. Find the total real power P absorbed by the load in kW.
VL = 480 VZ = 15 + j20 Ω per phase
P = kW
8.Three-phase powerHard
A balanced three-phase load takes 75 kW at a power factor of 0.75 lagging from a 480 V (line-to-line), 50 Hz supply. A three-phase capacitor bank in parallel with the load must raise the overall power factor to 0.92 lagging. The real power stays the same. Find the total reactive power QC the capacitor bank must supply, in kvar.
P = 75 kWpf1 = 0.75pf2 = 0.92VL = 480 Vf = 50 Hz
QC = kvar
3Solutions
1.DC-DC converters
Answer: IL = 80 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 = 1 − 36/120 = 0.7
Load current
Io = 120/5 = 24 A
Inductor current
IL = Io/(1 − D) = 24/0.3 = 80 A
Answer
IL = 80 A
2.DC-DC converters
Answer: Lcrit = 3.6 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 = 10.5/15 = 0.7
Boundary condition
Set the average inductor current equal to half the ripple current and solve for L.
Lcrit = (1 − D)·R/(2f)
Critical inductance
Lcrit = (1 − 0.7)·12/(2500·10³) = 3.6 µH
Answer
Lcrit = 3.6 µH
3.DC motors
Answer: n0 = 2292 rpm
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.
No-load speed
ω₀ = V/k = 240/1 = 240 rad/s
n0 = 60·240/(2π) = 2292 rpm
Answer
n0 = 2292 rpm
4.DC motors
Answer: Rst = 5.6 Ω
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.
Total resistance
Ra + Rst = 240/40 = 6 Ω
Starting resistor
Rst = 6 − 0.4 = 5.6 Ω
Answer
Rst = 5.6 Ω
The resistor is cut out step by step as the motor speeds up and the back-EMF grows.
5.AC power & power factor
Answer: Q = 1565 var
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.
Current
|Z| = √(12² + 5²) = 13 Ω
I = V/|Z| = 230/13 = 17.69 A
Reactive power
Q = I²·X = 17.69²·5 = 1565 var
Answer
Q = 1565 var
6.AC power & power factor
Answer: I = 163.2 A
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.
Reactive power before and after
The real power P does not change; only the reactive power drawn from the supply does.
Q1 = 27·tan(arccos 0.65) = 31.57 kvar
QC = V²·2πf·C = 230²·2π·50·330·10⁻⁶ = 5484 var = 5.484 kvar
Q2 = 31.57 − 5.484 = 26.08 kvar
New apparent power
S2 = √(27² + 26.08²) = 37.54 kVA
New line current
I = S2/V = 37540/230 = 163.2 A
Answer
I = 163.2 A
7.Three-phase power
Answer: P = 16.59 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.
Phase voltage
Vph = VL = 480 V
Phase current
|Z| = √(15² + 20²) = 25 Ω
Iph = 480/25 = 19.2 A
Total real power
Only the resistive part of each impedance absorbs real power.
P = 3·Iph²·R = 3·19.2²·15 = 16.59 kW
Answer
P = 16.59 kW
Check: cos φ = R/|Z| = 0.6, and √3·VL·IL·cos φ gives the same power.
8.Three-phase power
Answer: QC = 34.19 kvar
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.