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WhatisaDCDCStepUp/StepDownConverter?ElectroLabs.com

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WhatisaDCDCStepUp/StepDown
Converter?
shaheer
January10,2014
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FirstofallwehavetofindwhatisaDCDCConverter?BasicallyaDCDCConverterisanelectronic
circuitrycomprisingofelectronicscomponents.Thesecomponentsincludessomepassive
componentslikeresistors,capacitorsandinductorsandsomeswitchingcomponentslikeBJTs(Bi
polarJunctionTransistors)orthyristors.ThepurposeoftheDCDCconverteristoconvertfixedDC
DCvoltagesintofixedorvariableDCvoltages.
DCDCConverterscomesunderthefieldofPowerElectronics.Inalotofindustrialandpower
applications,werequiredtoconvertaDCvoltageintosomeotherlevelsofDCvoltagesorinvariable
voltages.ForthesepurposesweuseaDCDCConverterCircuitry.
DCConvertercanbeimaginedasaDCequivalentofanACtransformerhavingacontinuously
variableturnsratio.DCDCconvertercanbeusedtostepupandstepdownaDCvoltagesourceas
likeatransformer.

UsesofDCDCConverters
DCDCconvertersarecommonlyusedformotorcontrolbuildingslifts,automobiles,ships,
trolleycars,forklifttrucks.
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WhatisaDCDCStepUp/StepDownConverter?ElectroLabs.com

Theseprovideveryfastdynamics,bestefficiencyandsmoothacceleration.
ThesecanalsobeusedinregenerationofenergyfrombrakingofDCmotorsbyreturningback
theenergyintopowersupply.Theregenerationofthisenergyresultsinsavingsfortransportation
systemswithfrequentstops.
DCDCconvertersarealsousedinconjunctionwithaninductor,sothattogenerateaDC
currentsourcethatcanbeusedforthecurrentsourceinverter.
Mostimportantly,DCDCconvertersareusedinDCvoltageregulators,toregulatetheDC
output.
Theseplayanimportantroleintheportabledevices,likedigitalcameras,laptops,Mobile
phones,whichrequirespowerfrombatteriesinitially.Thesetypesofdeviceshaveanumberof
circuitdistributions,eachofwhichrequiresadifferentvoltagevaluesourcetooperate.Insteadof
placinganumberofbatteriesinthesedevicestocompletetheneedoftherequiredvoltages,we
usedDCtoDCconverters.

TypesofDCDCConverters
TherearemainlytwotypesofDCDCConvertersbasedontheirOperationsandoutputs:
1. StepDownDCDCConverter.
2. StepUpDCDCConverter.

StepDownDCDCConverter
StepDownConvertersarethetypeofDCDCConvertersinwhichaDCinputvoltageisstepdown
togiveoutputlesserthantheinput.Suchthat,

TheswitchusedintheFigure1aisoftenknownaschopper.Itcanbeimplementedbyusinganyof
thepowerMetalOxideSemiconductorFieldEffectTransistor(MOSFET),InsulatedGateBipolar
Transistor(IGBT),gateturnoffthrysitor(GTO)andBipolarJunctionTransistor(BJT).Inreality,
thesesemiconductordeviceshavesomefinitevoltagedropsacrossthemwhichrangeinbetween0.5
to2V.Tobesimpleinourcalculations,weneglectthisvoltagedropofthesesemiconductordevices.
TheaverageoutputvoltagesacrossresistorRis,

TheaverageloadcurrentacrossRis,

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WhatisaDCDCStepUp/StepDownConverter?ElectroLabs.com

Where,
T=thechoppingperiod
f=thechoppingfrequency
k=t1/T=thedutycycleofthechopper

StepUpDCDCConverter
StepUpConvertersarethetypeofDCDCConvertersinwhichaDCinputvoltageisstepuptogive
outputmorethantheinput.Suchthat,

Thisgivesthepeaktopeakripplecurrentintheinductorasgivenbelowinformula,

Andtheaverageoutputvoltageis,

Afterseeingtheaboveequation,wehavecometoaconclusionthat,thevoltageacrosstheloadRcan
besteppedupbychangingdutycyclek.Wewillgetminimumoutputvoltage,thatisVINwhenk=0.
Itsafactthatconvertercannotbeswitchedoncontinuouslysuchthatk=1.Thereforeforthevaluesof
ktendingtounity,theoutputvoltagesbecomeverylargeandsosensitivetochangesink.
Theabovedescribedprinciplecanbeappliedtotransferenergyfromonesourcetoanothersource,as
showninFigure3a.

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Figure3aTransferofenergyfromonesourcetoanother
TheequivalentcircuitsthatdepictmodesofoperationareshowninFigure3bandFigure3c.

Figure3bMode1WhenTransistor(usedasaswitch)isinconductioninonstate

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Figure3cMode2WhenTransistor(usedasaswitch)isinnonconductioninoffstate
Theinductorcurrentformode1isgivenas,

Itwillextractedas,

WhereI1representstheinitialcurrentinmode1duringthe1stmode,forthecurrenttoberisemust,it
shouldfollowthenecessarycondition,

Whichgivesusi2(t)as,

WhereI2isinitialcurrentformode2.
Forastabilizedsystem,thecurrentmustfallanditsconditionis,

Iftheaboveconditionisnotsatisfied,theinductorcurrentwillcontinuoustorise,anunstable
conditionoccurs.Duetothissituation,theconditionsforcontrollablepowertransferare,

TheaboveequationshowsthatVIN,thesourcevoltagemustbelessthanthevoltageEtoallow
transferofpowerfromafixedoravariablesourcetoafixeddcvoltage.
TheUsageofthisCondition

InthebrakingmechanismofDCmotors,wherethesemotorsoperateasDCgenerators,ifthemachine
speeddecreases,theterminalvoltagefalls.Theconverterallowsthetransferenceofpowertoadc
sourcehavingfixedDCvalue.
Whentheconverterisinonstate,theenergytransfersfromtheinputsource,whichisVIN,tothe
inductorL.Nowiftheconverteristhenturnedoff,themagnitudeofenergystoredintheinductoris
forcedtobatteryE.
ImportantNote:Withouttheswitching(chopping)action,theinputsourceVINshouldmustbegreater
thanE,inordertotransferpowerfromVINtoE.

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