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Course overview
This course covers power electronics from semiconductor switching devices through rectifiers, DC-DC converters, and inverters to motor drive applications. It is structured for students who have completed basic circuit theory and are encountering controlled power conversion for the first time. The course increases in complexity from device characteristics to full converter analysis and control. After completing it, students can analyze rectifier and converter circuits, compute output voltage and ripple, and apply switching theory to inverter design problems.
Details
Target audience: Third or fourth-year B.Tech ECE students studying Power Electronics as a core or elective subject, and those preparing for GATE EC or EE.
Duration: 10 to 12 hours
Prerequisites
- Basic circuit theory: Kirchhoff laws and AC circuit analysis
- Semiconductor device characteristics at the p-n junction level
- Basic control systems concepts for converter feedback
Learning outcomes
- Explain SCR triggering and turn-off mechanisms and identify suitable turn-off circuits
- Compute average output voltage for single-phase and three-phase controlled rectifiers at a given firing angle
- Derive voltage conversion ratio for buck, boost, and buck-boost converters in CCM
- Determine inductor and capacitor values for a DC-DC converter given ripple specifications
- Analyze a single-phase voltage source inverter output and compute THD
- Select switching devices and control strategies for a given DC motor drive application
Modules
Module 1: Power Semiconductor Devices
Topics
- Diode switching characteristics and reverse recovery
- SCR structure, triggering, and turn-off methods
- TRIAC and DIAC operation
- MOSFET and IGBT as switching devices
- Gate drive circuits and isolation techniques
Article slugs
scr-structure-triggeringtriac-diac-operationigbt-mosfet-power-switchinggate-drive-circuits
Lab slug: power-device-characterization-lab
Module 2: Rectifiers and Controlled Converters
Topics
- Single-phase and three-phase uncontrolled rectifiers
- Single-phase fully controlled converter analysis
- Three-phase fully and half-controlled converters
- Output voltage ripple and filter design
- Power factor in controlled rectifiers
Article slugs
single-phase-controlled-rectifierthree-phase-rectifier-analysisoutput-voltage-ripple-rectifierspower-factor-controlled-converters
Lab slug: controlled-rectifier-lab
Module 3: DC-DC Converters
Topics
- Buck converter: operation and steady-state analysis
- Boost converter and voltage gain derivation
- Buck-boost and Cuk converter topologies
- Continuous and discontinuous conduction modes
- Switching losses and efficiency calculation
Article slugs
buck-converter-analysisboost-converter-analysisbuck-boost-converterccm-dcm-converters
Lab slug: dc-dc-converter-lab
Module 4: Inverters and AC Drives
Topics
- Single-phase and three-phase voltage source inverters
- PWM techniques: sinusoidal and space vector PWM
- Total harmonic distortion and output filtering
- Variable frequency drives for induction motors
- GATE-level problems on inverters and converters
Article slugs
voltage-source-inverterpwm-techniques-invertersthd-output-filteringvariable-frequency-drive
Lab slug: inverter-pwm-lab