Power Converter Analysis and Design (3 credits)

Course Description

This is a graduate course intended to familiarise the student with the basic ideas of switched mode power converters, and some of the considerations in designing power converters. After completing the course, the student will be able to analyse, model and design various types of power converters.

Prerequisites

• Basic understanding of electrical circuit analysis

Topics that will be discussed

• DC-DC Power Converters

  • Linear regulators – Primitive switched mode converter – General principles of analysing switched mode power converters – Buck, Boost, Buck- boost and Cuk topologies – Operation in CCM and DCM – Isolated converters – Forward and flyback converter topologies – PWM techniques – Transient analysis - State space averaged converter modeling – Small signal modeling for dc-dc converters – Closed loop controller design

• Switching devices and characteristics

  • Review of semiconductor device characteristics – Power electronic switches: Diodes, IGBTs, MOSFETs – Switching Transitions – Power losses and thermal considerations – Loss characterisation with DP tests – Understanding and interpreting device datasheets – Snubber circuits – Designing gate drivers for MOSFETs and IGBTs – High side and low side driver circuits – Introduction to WBG devices (SiC and GaN)

• AC-DC and DC-AC Power Converters

  • Uncontrolled and controlled rectifiers – Six pulse rectifier – PFC Boost Rectifier and control techniques – Bridgeless PFC topologies – Vienna Rectifier – 2-level Voltage Source Inveters: 1-phase and 3-phase – Sine triangle PWM – Unipolar and bipolar modulation – Averaged model and switching model – Space vector PWM techniques

• Design considerations

  • Understanding magnetic material properties for high frequency – Practical design aspects for a two-level 3-phase inverter – Design specifications – Design of dc bus capacitor – Selection of switches – Minimising converter layout parasitics – Heat sink selection and thermal design – EMI issues – Common mode noise and filter designs - Control hardware implementation – Voltage and current sensor circuits - Converter faults and protection circuits – PCB design fundamentals – Special considerations in power converter PCBs

Lecture Notes

• Lecture notes can be found at this link.

Textbooks

• Robert W. Erickson , Dragan Maksimović. Fundamentals of Power Electronics. Springer Link, 2020.

• Ned Mohan, T.M. Undeland, and William P. Robbins. Power electronics: Converters, Applications, and Design, Wiley, 2002.

• Philip T Krein. Elements of Power Electronics, Oxford University Press, 2014.

Grading

• Quiz-1: 20%

• Quiz-2: 20%

• Assignments: 20%

• Final exam: 40%