Power Electronics, A First Course, 2nd Edition

2 DESIGN OF SWITCHING POWER-POLES

In the previous chapter, we discussed the role of power electronics in energy sustainability. Power electronics is an applied field of study where theory must be translated into practice to realize the immediate challenges that we face. We also discussed a switching power-pole as the building block of power electronic converters, consisting of an ideal bi-positional switch with an ideal transistor and an ideal diode and pulse-width modulation (PWM) to control the output. In this chapter, we will discuss the availability of various power semiconductor devices that are essential in power electronic systems, their switching characteristics, and various trade-offs in designing a switching power-pole, which can be used in various applications discussed in Chapter 1. We will also briefly discuss a PWM-IC, which is used in regulating and controlling the average output of such switching power-poles.

2.1 POWER TRANSISTORS AND POWER DIODES [1]

The power-level diodes and transistors have evolved over decades from their signal-level counterparts to the extent that they can handle voltages and currents in kilovolts and kiloamperes, respectively, with fast switching times of the order of a few tens of to a few . Moreover, these devices can be connected in ...