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DC DC CONVERTERS
(DC CHOPPERS)

Dr. Larik
Dr. Mahar
 DC DC CONVERTERS
 DEFINITION: Fixed voltage d.c. is converter
to variable voltage d.c.

 DC-DC converters, convert a source of

direct current from one voltage stage to
another.

DC DC O/P
 Basic block diagram Input

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DC-DC Converters

Attractive features of dc-dc topologies

include:

 lower conduction loss,

 high switching speed,
 fast dynamic response,
 high efficiency and
 small size.
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DC-DC Converters
 High frequency dc-dc converters are now
days widely used in the diversity of Power
Electronics applications.

 High operating frequencies will cause in

reduction in the size of passive component,
such as inductors, capacitors and power
transformers.

 By operating the converter at higher

frequencies the switching loss at both
conditions turn-on and turn-off increases as
the frequency increases from the range of
4kHz [8].
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DC-DC Converters

 Switching of these converters at high

frequencies will affect the power quality
because these converters will produce
inrush, pulsating current phenomenon with
excessive harmonics and high voltage
distortion.

 Power quality problems usually involve a

variation in the electric service frequency
voltage or current, such as voltage dips and
fluctuations, momentary interruptions,
harmonics and oscillatory transients
causing failure, or mal-operation of power
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 Applications of DC DC converters
 dc Motor drives,
 Computer systems
 Communication equipments
 Battery chargers
 Welders, heaters
 Wind farms
 Aircraft systems
 Solar photovoltaic cells
 Switch mode power supplies
 High voltage direct current (HVDC)
 AC machine field control circuits

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Power factor correction circuits etc. 7
CHOPPERS

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Types of DC DC Converters
 Step up chopper
In step up chopper, the output voltage
is always greater than input voltage.

 Step down chopper

In step down chopper, the output
voltage is always less than input
voltage.

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Operating Modes of DC DC Converters
 There are two operating modes of dc dc converter.

 Continuous conduction mode (CCM)

 Discontinuous conduction mode (DCM).

 Continuous conduction mode (CCM) refers to conduction when

the inductor current is never zero for any time period.
 DC-DC converters operate at CCM at heavy loads.

 In discontinuous conduction mode (DCM), the inductor current

becomes zero at some time.
DC-DC converters operate at DCM at light loads

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 CCM

DCM

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 Chopper Output Control Strategies
Variable Frequency Control (FM):
 In this scheme, the chopper
frequency, f is kept variable and for
this purpose either (a) ON time, TON or
(b) OFF time, TOFF is kept constant. This (a)

scheme is called, therefore, frequency

modulation scheme. (b)

 In Fig. (a) and (b), ON time TON is

constant while OFF time TOFF of the (c)

switch is variable.
(d)
 Fig. (c) and (d) are for variable ON
(a) & (b) TON is constant, TOFF is
time and constant OFF time TOFF.
variable
(c) & (d) TOFF constant, TON
 This technique is suitable for
switches which require forced
commutation to turn OFF.
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 Chopper Output Control Strategies

Constant Frequency Control(PWM):

 Under this control scheme the

chopping period T remains constant
but the pulse width TON is varied to
control the output. This is called,
therefore, pulse width modulation
(PWM) control.
(a) D=0.75 (b) D= 0.5
 In the figure, time T = TON + TOFF
is constant but TON and TOFF both are
variable.

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Generations of DC-DC Converters
Power DC/DC converters have plenty of topologies, there are more
than 1000 topologies of power DC/DC converters.

 First-generation (classical/traditional) converters

 Second-generation (multi-quadrant) converters

 Third-generation (switched-component SI/SC) converters

 Fourth-generation (soft-switching: ZCS/ZVS/ZT) converters

 Fifth-generation (synchronous rectifier, SR) converters

 Sixth-generation (multiple energy-storage elements resonant)

converters

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 DC/DC Converter Family Tree

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 DC/DC Converter Family Tree (Continued)

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 DC/DC Converter Family Tree (Continued

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 The First-Generation Converters
The first-generation converters perform in a single-
quadrant mode and in low-power range (up to around
100W). it has briefly five categories:

 Fundamental converters
 Transformer-type converters
 Developed converters
 Voltage-lift converters
 Super-lift converters

Fundamental converters
Three types of fundamental DC/DC topologies were constructed,
which are Buck converter, Boost converter and Buck–Boost
converter. They can be derived from single-quadrant operation
choppers. For example, buck converter was derived from
A-type chopper. These converters have two main problems: linkage
between input and output, and very large output voltage ripple.
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Transformer-Type Converters

 Since all fundamental DC/DC converters keep the linkage from

input side to output side and the voltage transfer gain is low.

 Transformer-type converters were developed during 1960s to

1980s.

 These are a large number of converters such as:

 Forward converter,
 Push–Pull converter,
 Fly-back converter,
 Half-Bridge converter,
 Full Bridge converter and
 zeta (or ZETA) converter.

 Usually, these converters have high transfer voltage gain and

high insulation between both sides.

 Their gain usually depends on the transformer’s turns ratio N,

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The Second-Generation Converters

The second-generation converters are called multiple-

quadrant operation converters.

These converters perform in two- and four-quadrant

operation with medium output power range (say 100W or
higher).

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The Second-Generation Converters
Usually, one-quadrant operation requires at least one switch.

Therefore, a two-quadrant operation converter has at least

two switches, and a four-quadrant operation converter has at
least four switches.

Multiple-quadrant choppers were employed in industrial

applications for a long time. It can be used to implement the
DC motor multiple-quadrant operation.

• Class-A converter (one-quadrant operation)

• Class-B converter (two-quadrant operation)
• Class-C converter
• Class-D converter
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• Class-E (four-quadrant operation) converter
The Third-Generation Converters

 The third-generation converters are called switched

component converters

 These are made of either inductor or capacitors, which are so-

called switched-inductor and switched-capacitors.

 They can performing two- or four-quadrant operation with

high-output powe rrange (say 1000W).

 Since they are made of only inductor or capacitors, they are

small. Consequently, the power density and efficiency are
high.

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The Fourth-Generation Converters

 The fourth-generation DC/DC converters are called soft-

switching converters.

 There are four types of soft-switching methods:

 Resonant-switch converters

 Load-resonant converters

 Resonant-DC-link converters

 High-frequency-link integral-half-cycle converters

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 Fifth Generation (Synchronous rectifiers)
converters

 These converters are called series resonance dc-dc

converters.

 These converters are generally used in the

development of computing technology progress.

 The converters of low power levels, with low output

voltage and strong current are generally required in
communications, computer components and other
industrial applications.

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 Sixth Generation (Multi-element resonant) Converters

 The converters concerned with this group are

called multiple energy-storage elements and
resonant power converters.

 Various topologies are the series resonant

converters and parallel resonant converters that
consist of multiple energy-storage elements.

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 Step-Down Buck Converter

(a) Circuit diagram

 The state of the converter

in which the inductor current
is never zero for any period of
time is called the continuous
conduction mode (CCM)

(b) Waveforms
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 Step-Down Buck Converter

 When the switch S is commanded to the on-state, the

diode D is reversed biased. When the switch S is off, the
diode conducts to support an uninterrupted current in the
inductor
 The relationship among VS, VO & D can be derived, for
instance, from the VL waveform as:

(VS - VO) DT = VO (1 – D)T

VO / VS = D
D=ton/(ton+toff)
D= ton/ T

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 Transformer Version of Buck Converters

 Among buck derived dc-dc converters

following are the most popular:

 Forward Converter
 Push-pull converter
 Half-bridge Converter
 Full-bridge Converter

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 Step-Up Boost Converter
To obtain average value of output voltage
greater than Vs, a capacitor must be
Connected in parallel with the load & this
Results in topology of boost converter

The relationship among VS, VO & D

can be derived, for instance, from
the VL waveform as:

VS DT = ( VO – VS) (1 – D)T
Hence, the dc voltage transfer
function, defined as the ratio of the
out put voltage to the input
voltage, is
VO / VS =1 / 1 - D

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DC Chopper (Step up )
 When chopper is on the inductor
stores energy during Ton period. When
the chopper is off, the inductor current
can not die down instantaneously, but The dc step-up chopper
this current is forced to flow through the
diode & load for a time Toff. As a result, + -
voltage across load exceeds the source
voltage & is given by:
Vo = Vs + L(di/dt)
 In this manner the circuit acts as a
-
step-up chopper & the energy stored in +

L is released to the load.

 When chopper is on, current through
L would increase from I1 to I2 & source
voltage is applied to L, then VL = Vs
I2
 When chopper is off, current would
I1
fall from I2 toI1 & VL = Vo – Vs. I1
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 Buck-Boost Converter

 The condition of a zero volt-

second product for the
inductor in steady state yields

VS DT = – VO (1 – D)T

Hence, the dc voltage transfer

function, defined as the ratio of
the out put voltage to the input
voltage, is

MV = VO / VS = -D / 1 - D
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 Buck-Boost Converter

 The output voltage VO is negative with respect to the

ground. Its magnitude can be either greater or smaller
(equal at D=0.5) than the input voltage as the name of the
converter implies
 The value of the inductor that determines the boundary
between the CCM & DCM is
Lb = (1 – D)2 R / 2f
 The structure of the output part of the converter is
similar to that of the boost converter ( reversed polarities
are the only difference). Thus the value of the filter capacitor
can be obtained from
Cmin = D VO / Vr R f

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 THANKS

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