Svcet: EE6503 - Power Electronics
Svcet: EE6503 - Power Electronics
Svcet: EE6503 - Power Electronics
Unit 1- INTRODUCTION
Two marks
1. What is power electronics?
Power electronics is a subject that concerns the applications electronics principles into
situations that are rated at power level rather than signal level. It may be defined as a subject deals
with the apparatus and equipment working on the principle of electronics but at rated power level.
2. Give the applications of power electronics.
Aerospace
Commercial
Industrial
Telecommunications
3. Classify power semiconductor devices give examples.
Diodes: power diodes
Thyristors: SCR
Control switches: BJT, MOSFET and IGBT
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4. Define latching current of SCR. [Nov/Dec 2012] May/June 2014
The latching current is defined as the minimum value of anode current which it must attain
during turn on process to maintain conduction when gate signal is removed.
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5. What are the factors that influence the turn-off time of thyristor? [Nov/Dec 2010]
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6. What are the parameters involved in switching loss of power device? [April/May 2011]
Forward conduction loss
Loss due to leakage current during forward and reverse blocking
Switching losses at turn-on and turn-off.
Gate triggering loss.
7. What are the advantages of MOSFET?
Lower switching losses.
No Secondary breakdown.
Switching frequency high.
It has positive temperature coefficient for resistance.
8. Define the term pinch off voltage of MOSFET. [May/June 2012]
If the gate source voltage is made negative enough, the channel will be completely
depleted, offering a high value of drain to source resistance and there will be no current flow
from drain to source. The value of gate source voltage is called pinch off voltage.
9. In TRIAC which of the modes the sensitivity of gate is high.
The more sensitive of the triac is greatest in the first quadrant when turned on with positive
gate current and also in the third quadrant when turned on with negative gate current.
10. What are the types of power transistors?
Bipolar Junction Transistor (BJT)
Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor (MOSFET)
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11. Why are IGBT becoming popular in their application to controlled converters?
May/June2012
Lower hate requirements
Lower switching losses
Smaller snubber circuit requirements
12. Power BJT is a current controlled device. Why?
Because the output (collector) current can be controlled by base current.
13. What are the different types of power MOSFET?
i)N-channel MOSFET ii)P-channel MOSFET
14. How can a thyristor turned off?
A thyristor can be turned off by making the current flowing through it to a level below the
holding current.
15. Define holding current.
The holding current is defined as the minimum value of anode current below which it must
fall to for turning off the thyristor.
16. What is the use of snubber circuit? [May/June 2013]
It consists of a series combination of a resistor and a capacitor in parallel with the thyristors.
It is mainly used for dv / dt protection.
17. What losses occur in a thyristor during working conditions?
Forward conduction losses
Loss due to leakage current during forward and reverse blocking.
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Switching losses at turn-on and turn-off. Gate triggering loss.
18. Define circuit turn off time of SCR. [Nov/Dec 2011]
It is defined as the time during which a reverse voltage is applied across the thyristor during
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Circuit turn off time should be greater than the thyristor turn-off time for reliable turn-off,
otherwise the device may turn-on at an undesired instant, a process called commutation failure.
20. What is meant by commutation? (Nov/Dec 2014)
It is the process of changing the direction of current flow in a particular path of the circuit.
This process is used in thyristors for turning it off.
21. What are the types of commutation?
a. Natural commutation
b. Forced commutation
22. What is the turn-off time for converter grade SCRs and inverter grade SCRs?
Turn-off time for converter grade SCRs is 50 – 100 ms turn-off time for converter grade
SCRs and inverter grade SCRs and for inverter grade SCRs is 3 – 50 ms.
23. Define hard-driving or over-driving.
When gate current is several times higher than the minimum gate current required, a
thyristors is said to be hard-fired or over-driven. Hard-firing of a thyristor reduces its turn-on time
and enhances its di/dt capability.
24. Write down the applications of IGBT?
AC and DC motor drives
UPS systems
Power supplies
Relays and Contactors
25. What are the advantages of GTO over SCR?
a. Elimination of commutation of commutating components in forced commutation,
resulting in reduction in cost, weight and volume.
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34. What is the limitation of high frequency operation of a power electronic device? May/June
2013
1. Higher Switching losses
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