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.

New problemsBack to the course

In the print window, choose “Save as PDF” to keep a copy on your device.

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 48 V into 33.6 V for a 4 Ω load. It switches at 250 kHz with L = 220 µH. Find the peak inductor current Imax.

Vin​ = 48 VVo​ = 33.6 Vf = 250 kHzL = 220 µHR = 4 Ω
Imax = A
2.DC-DC convertersHard
+−24 VSL = 220 µHC = ?R+−9.6 V

A buck converter turns 24 V into 9.6 V at 40 kHz with L = 220 µH. Find the output capacitance C that limits the peak-to-peak output ripple to 100 mV.

Vin​ = 24 VVo​ = 9.6 Vf = 40 kHzL = 220 µHΔVo = 100 mV
C = µF
3.DC motorsMedium
T (N·m)n (rpm)3.6 N·mn0​n = ?

A DC motor (k = 0.6 N·m/A, Ra = 2 Ω) runs from 240 V and drives a load torque of 3.6 N·m. Find its speed n in rpm.

V = 240 Vk = 0.6 N·m/ARa = 2 ΩT = 3.6 N·m
n = rpm
4.DC motorsHard
+−24 VRa​ = 0.2 ΩM+−En = ?T = 1.5 N·m

A separately excited DC motor (k = 0.15 V·s/rad at full field, Ra = 0.2 Ω, V = 24 V) drives a constant load torque of 1.5 N·m. The field flux is reduced to 85 % of its full value. Find the new speed n.

V = 24 Vk = 0.15 V·s/radRa = 0.2 ΩT = 1.5 N·mΦ = 85 %
n = rpm
5.AC power & power factorMedium
P = 4 kWQSφ

A single-phase motor takes 4 kW at a power factor of 0.9 lagging from a 400 V supply. Find the line current I.

P = 4 kWpf = 0.9V = 400 V
I = A
6.AC power & power factorHard
P = 15 kWQ1​S1​φ1​QC​

A single-phase load takes 15 kW at a power factor of 0.8 lagging from a 240 V, 50 Hz supply. A capacitor connected in parallel raises the power factor to 0.98. Find the reactive power QC the capacitor must supply.

P = 15 kWpf1 = 0.8pf2 = 0.98V = 240 Vf = 50 Hz
QC = kvar
7.Three-phase powerMedium
ABCVL​ = 480 VNZ = 12 + j16 Ωper phase

A balanced Y-connected load with an impedance of 12 + j16 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 = 12 + j16 Ω per phase
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 0.7 lagging from a 690 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 = 0.7pf2 = 0.98VL = 690 Vf = 50 Hz
Cph = µF

3Solutions

1.DC-DC converters

Answer: Imax = 8.492 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 = 33.6/48 = 0.7

Average and ripple current

Io = 33.6/4 = 8.4 A
ΔIL = VL·D/(L·f) = 14.4·0.7/(220·10⁻⁶·250·10³) = 0.1833 A

Peak current

Imax = 8.4 + 0.1833/2 = 8.492 A

Answer

Imax = 8.492 A
2.DC-DC converters

Answer: C = 20.45 µF

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 = 9.6/24 = 0.4

Inductor ripple current

ΔIL = (24 − 9.6)·0.4/(220·10⁻⁶·40·10³) = 0.6545 A

Capacitance

C = 0.6545/(8·40·10³·100·10⁻³) = 20.45 µF

Answer

C = 20.45 µF
3.DC motors

Answer: n = 3629 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.

Armature current

Ia = T/k = 3.6/0.6 = 6 A

Back-EMF and speed

E = 240 − 6·2 = 228 V
ω = E/k = 380 rad/s → n = 3629 rpm

Answer

n = 3629 rpm
4.DC motors

Answer: n = 1621 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.

Weakened motor constant

k₂ = 0.85·0.15 = 0.1275 V·s/rad

New armature current

Ia = 1.5/0.1275 = 11.76 A

New speed

ω = (24 − 11.76·0.2)/0.1275 = 169.8 rad/s → n = 1621 rpm

Answer

n = 1621 rpm

Field weakening is how a DC drive runs above its base speed.

5.AC power & power factor

Answer: I = 11.11 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.

Line current

Only the real part of the power does work, so divide by the power factor.

I = P/(V·cos φ) = 4000/(400·0.9) = 11.11 A

Answer

I = 11.11 A
6.AC power & power factor

Answer: QC = 8.204 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.

Reactive power before and after

The real power P does not change; only the reactive power drawn from the supply does.

Q1 = P·tan φ1 = 15·tan(36.87°) = 11.25 kvar
Q2 = P·tan φ2 = 15·tan(11.48°) = 3.046 kvar
QC = Q1 − Q2 = 8.204 kvar

Answer

QC = 8.204 kvar
7.Three-phase power

Answer: P = 6.912 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 = 480/√3 = 277.1 V

Phase current

|Z| = √(12² + 16²) = 20 Ω
Iph = 277.1/20 = 13.86 A

Total real power

Only the resistive part of each impedance absorbs real power.

P = 3·Iph²·R = 3·13.86²·12 = 6.912 kW

Answer

P = 6.912 kW

Check: cos φ = R/|Z| = 0.6, and √3·VL·IL·cos φ gives the same power.

8.Three-phase power

Answer: Cph = 409.7 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 0.7) = 75·1.02 = 76.52 kvar
Q2 = 75·tan(acos 0.98) = 75·0.2031 = 15.23 kvar

Reactive power from the capacitors

QC = Q1 − Q2 = 61.29 kvar

Capacitance per phase

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

V = 690/√3 = 398.4 V, ω = 2π·50 = 314.2 rad/s
Cph = (QC/3)/(ω·V²) = 20429/(314.2·398.4²) = 409.7 µF

Answer

Cph = 409.7 µF

ExamProblems · examproblems.com/courses/power-electronics