Power Electronics

Chapter 3
DC to DC Converters
(Choppers)

Power Electronics

Outline
3.1 Basic DC to DC converters
3.1.1 Buck converter (Step-down converter)
3.1.2 Boost converter (Step-up converter)
3.1.3 Buck-Boost converter (Step-down/step-up converter) and
Cuk converter
3.1.4 Sepic converter and Zeta converter

3.2 Composite DC/DC converters and connection of

multiple DC/DC converters
3.2.1 A current-reversible chopper
3.2.2 Bridge chopper (H-bridge DC/DC converter)
3.2.3 Multi-phase multi-channel DC/DC converters

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3.1 Basic DC to DC converters

IntroductionBuck converter
SPDT switch changes dc
component

Switch output voltage

waveform
Duty cycle D:
0D1
complement D:
D = 1 - D

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Dc component of switch output voltage

Fourier analysis: Dc component = average value

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Insertion of low-pass filter to remove switching

harmonics and pass only dc component

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Basic operation principle of buck converter

Buck converter with
ideal switch

Realization using
power MOSFET
and diode

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Thought process in analyzing basic

DC/DC converters
Basic operation principle (qualitative analysis)
How does current flows during different switching states
How is energy transferred during different switching states

Verification of small ripple approximation

Derivation of inductor voltage waveform during different
switching states
Quantitative analysis according to inductor volt-second
balance or capacitor charge balance

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Actual output voltage waveform of

buck converter
Buck converter
containing practical
low-pass filter

Actual output voltage

waveform
v(t) = V + vripple(t)

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The small ripple approximation

v(t) = V + vripple(t)

In a well-designed converter, the output voltage ripple is

small. Hence, the waveforms can be easily determined by
ignoring the ripple:

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Buck converter analysis:

inductor current waveform

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Inductor voltage and current

subinterval 1: switch in position 1

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Inductor voltage and current

subinterval 2: switch in position 2

12

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Inductor voltage and current waveforms

13

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Determination of inductor
current ripple magnitude

14

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Inductor current waveform

during start-up transient

15

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The principle of inductor volt-second

balance: Derivation

16

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Inductor volt-second balance:

Buck converter example

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The principle of capacitor charge

balance: Derivation

18

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Boost converter example

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Boost converter analysis

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Subinterval 1: switch in position 1

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Subinterval 2: switch in position 2

22

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Inductor voltage and capacitor current

waveforms

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Inductor volt-second balance

24

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Conversion ratio M(D) of

the boost converter

25

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Determination of inductor current

dc component

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Continuous-Conduction-Mode (CCM) and

Discontinuous-Conduction-Mode (DCM) of buck
L

io

iG

EM

VD uo

iG
ton
O

io

toff

iG
t

i1
I10

iG O
io

i2
I20
t1

O
uo

O
uo

toff

ton

Tt
i1

t
x

i2
t1

I20

t2

t
E

O
O

CCM mode

EM

DCM mode

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Continuous-Conduction-Mode (CCM) and

Discontinuous-Conduction-Mode (DCM) of boost
L

VD

EM

uo

a)
uo

O
i

i1

i2

ton

O
io

i1

I20

I10

uo

I20

I10
toff

i2

ton

b)

CCM mode

t1 tx
t2
toff

c)

DCM mode

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Power Electronics

3.2 Composite DC/DC converters and

connection of multiple DC/DC converters
A current reversible chopper
V1
VD2

io

V2
VD1

uo

EM

Can be considered as a
combination of a Buck and a
Boost
Can realize two-quadrant ( I & II)
operation of DC motor:
forward motoring,
forward braking
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Bridge chopper (H-bridge chopper)

V1
VD2

V2
VD1

V3

uo
L

io

VD4

M
EM

V4

VD3

Can be considered as the combination of two

current-reversible choppers.
Can realize 4-quadrant operation of DC motor.
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Multi-phase multi-channel DC/DC converter

L

V1

i1

L1

V2

i2

L2

i3

L3

V3
E

VD3 VD2 VD1

u3

u2

u1

io

O
u2

uo O
u3

O
uo

O
i1

O
i2

O
i3

O
io

u1

Current output capability is

increased due to multi-channel
paralleling.
Ripple in the output voltage and
current is reduced due to multichannel paralleling.
Ripple in the input current is
reduced due to multi-phase
paralleling.

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