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Q.1. What is the function of bleeder resistor in a power JK Flip Flop (3)

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harmonics are confined to this closed delta and do not
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Q.5. Define firing angle? Voltage Stabilizer (1)
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Answer: Firing angle may be defined as – Waveform coding
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The angle between the instant thyristor would Zener Diode (1)

conduct if it were a diode and the instant it is

triggered.
The angle measured from the instant that gives the
largest average output voltage to the instant it is
triggered.

Q.6. What is the main use of Triac?

Answers: A Triac is a bidirectional thyristor with three

terminals. It is used extensively for the control of power
in ac circuits.

Q.7. What is forced commutation?

Answer: In forced commutation, the commutating

components L and C do not carry load current
continuously. In this commutation method, forward
current of the thyristor is forced to zero by external
circuitry called commutation circuit.

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Q.8. What are the requirements for an SCR to be

triggered by a gate pulse?

Answer: Requirements for an SCR to be triggered by a

gate pulse are –

SCR should be in forward biased mode.

A positive gate voltage between gate and cathode.
The gate pulse width should be chosen to ensure
that anode current rises above the latching current.

Q.9. Why the feedback diodes are connected in

antiparallel with thyristors in inverter circuits?

Answer: when in the inverter circuit, load is other than

resistive, then load current is not in phase with load
voltage. For such type of load, diodes are connected in
anti parallel with thyristors to allow the current to flow
when the main thyristors are turned off.

Q.10. What is the advantage of adding an inductor L in

series to the load circuit of an SCR converter?

Answer: Current through an inductor L cannot change

instantaneously, health and inductor L in series with
the load circuit does not allow current to fall to zero
and prevents discontinuous operation of the SCR
converter. The load performance deteriorates if load
current becomes discontinuous. Using inductance of
very high value results into almost constant and ripple
free load current.

Q.11. What are the different forced commutation

methods used for improving the power factor in
controlled AC- DC rectifiers?

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Answer: Forced commutation methods are-

Resonant pulse commutation (or class B

commutation).
Complementary commutation (or Class C
commutation).
Impulse commutation (or class D commutation).

Q.12. How maximum string efficiency can be achieved?

Answer: String efficiency is a term that is used for

measuring the degree of utilization of SCRs in a string.
For obtaining highest possible string efficiency, the
SCRs connected in series / parallel string must have
identical IV characteristics. So the voltage distributed
across SCR should be uniform.

Q.13. Why circulating current inductor is required in a

dual converter?

Answer: Though average output voltages of the two

converters in dual converter are equal, get their
instantaneous voltages Vo1 and Vo2 are out of phase
which results in a voltage difference and as a
consequence, a large circulating current flow between
the two converters but not throw the load. This
circulating current is limited by inserting an inductor
between the two converters.

Q.14. Why switched mode power supplies are preferred

over the continuous types?

Answer: SMPS possesses higher efficiency because of

its high frequency operation and suitable for low power
application only.

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Q.15. Which type of pulse can be used to reduce the

turn on time of an SCR?

Answer: A rectangular pulse of high amplitude and

narrow width. The turn on time is reduced by using
higher values of gate current. When Gate current is
several times higher than the minimum Gate current
required, thyristor is said to be hard fired or overdrive.
Hard firing or over driving of a thyristor reduces its turn
on time.

Q.16. How an SCR triggered by a current pulse applied

to the gate cathode can be turned off?

Answer: If current pulse is applied to Gate cathode

then the SCR can only turned off by operating it in
Reverse blocking state or by reversing the polarity of
the anode and cathode voltage.

Q.17. What is GTO?

Answer: GTO is pnpn device, can be turned on like an

ordinary thyristor by a pulse of positive Gate current,
but it can be turned off easily by a negative Gate pulse
of appropriate amplitude.

Q.18. What are the advantages of a GTO as compared to

conventional thyristor?

Answer: The advantages of a GTO as compared to

conventional thyristor are as follows –

GTO has faster switching speed.

Its surge current capability is comparable with an
SCR.

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It has more di/dt rating at turn on.

GTO circuit has lower size and weight as compared
to SCR circuit unit.
GTO has higher efficiency.
GTO unit has reduced acoustical electromagnetic
noise due to elimination of commutation chokes.

Q.19. What is dc chopper?

Answer: A DC chopper is a static device that converts

fixed DC input voltage to a variable DC output voltage
directly.

Q.20. What is the difference between latching current

and hold current for the thyristor?

Answer: Latching current- The minimum value of

anode current which the thyristor must attain during
turn on process to maintain conduction even after the
removal of gate pulse is called latching current.

Holding current – It is defined as the minimum value of

anode current below which it must fall for turning off
the thyristors. In general latching current is greater
than holding current.

Q.21. what happens then the cathode of a thyristor is

made more positive than its anode?

Answer: When Cathode is made more positive with

respect to anode, thyristors operates in Reverse
blocking mode, and the device behaves as if two diodes
are connected in series with reverse voltage applied
across them.

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Q.22. How thyristors can be switched from a non

conducting state to a conducting state?

Answer: With anode positive with respect to cathode,

thyristor can be turned on by any one of the following
techniques –

Forward voltage triggering.

Gate triggering.
dv/dt triggering.
Light triggering.
Temperature triggering.

Q.23. Why input power factor of a single phase half

controlled bridge rectifier is higher than that for a fully
controlled bridge rectifier supplying an RL load for the
same firing angle?

Answer: Input power factor of a single phase half

bridge rectifier is higher than that for a fully controlled
bridge rectifier of RL load for the same firing angle
because some energy is returned by the inductor to
source in a fully controlled bridge rectifier. So that
power delivered to load will decrease. Where, Power
factor of input supply = supplied power to load/ source
volt ampere.

Q.24. What is a unijunction transistor?

Answer: A unijunction transistor is made up of an n-

type silicon base to which p-type emitter is embedded.
It has three terminals the emitter, base one B1 and base
two B2 between base B1 and B2, the unijunction behave
like ordinary resistance.

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Q.25. Why is a GTO thyristor preferred over SCR in

chopper and inverter circuits?

Answer: Due to its fastest switching speed and its

elimination of forced commutation losses, mainly we
use it in inverter and chopper circuits.

Q.26. Why efficiency of stepper motor is low?

Answer: Unlike Dc motors, stepper motor current

consumption is independent of load. They draw the
most current when they are doing no work at all.
Because of this, they tend to run hot.

Q.27. What are the advantages of using freewheeling

diodes?

Answer: The advantages of using freewheeling diodes

are: Input power factor is improved. Load current
waveform is improved and as a result load performance
is better. As energy stored in L is transferred to R
during the freewheeling period, overall converter
efficiency improves. Freewheeling diode prevents the
load voltage V0 from becoming negative.

Q.28.How di/dt protection is achieved in a thyristor?

Answer: If the rate of rise of anode current i.e. di/dt is

large as compared to the spread velocity of carriers
local hotspots will be formed near the gate connection
on account of higher current density. This localized
heating may destroy the thyristor. Therefore, the value
of di/dt can be maintained below acceptable limit by
using a small inductor in series with the anode circuit.

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Q.29. Give one example of uncontrolled turn on and

off?

Answer: Power diode.

Q.30. When turn on of a thyristor takes place?

Answer: When turn on of a thyristor is required, a

positive Gate voltage between gate and Cathode is
applied. With gate current established charges are
injected into the inner player and voltage at which
forward breakdown occurs is reduced. Higher the gate
current, lower is the forward breakdown voltage.

Q.31. An SCR is in conducting state, a reverse voltage is

applied between anode and cathode, but it fails to turn
off. What could be the reason?

Answer: Holding current is the minimum value of

anode current below which it must fall for turning off
the thyristor.

Q.32. How SCR can be turned on?

Answer: The SCR can be turned on by following ways:

dv/dt Triggering, i.e. applying anode voltage at a
sufficiently fast rate. When anode voltage is greater
than Vbo i.e., forward break over voltage SCR can be
turned on. Applying sufficiently large Gate current will
turn on SCR. But increasing the temperature of SCR to
sufficiently large value will damage the device.

Q.33. Which one is the fastest switching device among

JFET, BJT, MOSFET and triode?

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Answer: MOSFET is the fastest switching device,

because it is a majority carrier device it does not have
minority carriers, which take long time to settle down.

Q.34. Which snubber circuit is used to shape the turn

on switching trajectory of thyristor and / or to Limit
di/dt during turn on?

Answer: L-R snubber polarized circuit is used to shape

the turn on switching trajectory of thyristor and / or to
limit di/dt during turn on.

Q.35. To turn off a GTO what is required at the gate?

Answer: A negative Gate current of 20 to 25% of anode

current is required to turn off GTO.

Q.36. Why the use of multiphase rectifier is preferred in

place of single phase rectifier?

Answer: Multiphase rectifiers are preferred because:

Higher DC voltage.
Better Transformer utilization factor.
Better input power factor.
Less ripple content in output current.
Lower size of filter circuit parameters because of
higher ripple frequency.

Q.37.Define input power factor of the converter circuit?

Answer: This is defined as the ratio of the total mean

input power to the total RMS Apparent power input to
the converter.

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Q.38. What is the waveform of the current flowing

through the diode in a buck boost converter?

Answer: Trapezoidal wave.

Q.39.What is the relation between the output power of

a single phase full bridge inverter and a single phase
half bridge inverter?

Answer: Output voltage of a single phase full bridge

inverter is two times of output voltage of single phase
half bridge inverter.

Q.40. What is the effect of blanking time on output

voltage in PWM inverter?

Answer: High order time harmonics in output voltage.

Q.41. What is the reason of using a tertiary winding in a

forward converter?

Answer: In forward converter a tertiary winding is

added to the Transformer so that the magnetizing
current can return to the input source vs. when the
transistor turns off. The Transformer magnetizing
current must be reset to zero at the end of each cycle.
Otherwise, the Transformer can be driven into
saturation, which can cause damage to the switching
device.

Q.42. In a single phase to single phase cycloconverter,

the magnitudes of harmonic components are quite
large. How they can be reduced?

Answer: In a single phase to single phase

cycloconverter, the magnitude of harmonics is quite
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9/4/23, 8:03 AM Power Electronics and Drives Interview Question Answers - Electronics Post

large, it can be reduced by using a 3 phase input supply.

Q.43. Which device is used for switching in a switched

mode power supply?

Answer: The device used for switching in a switched

mode power supply is MOSFET because it is used in
high frequency operations. In SMPS we require high
frequency operating device like MOSFET.

Q.44. What is the use of inter group reactor in a single

phase cycloconverter circuit?

Answer: Though the output voltages of the two

converters have the same average value, there output
voltage waveforms as a function of time are however
different and as a result, there will be a net potential
difference across the two converters which results in a
circulating current. This circulating current can be
avoided by inserting intergroup reactor. Therefore, the
intergroup reactors are used to limit circulating
current.

Q.45. How many switches are used to construct a three

phase cycloconverter?

Answer: Three phases of three phase cycloconverter

use three sets of three phase half wave circuits and
each circuit requires 6 thyristors. So, total 18 thyristors
are required.

Q.46. Why the performance of a phase controlled

converter is degraded for large values of firing angle α?

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Answer: As the output voltage of phase controlled

converter depends on firing angle (decreases with
increase in Alpha), the performance of converter
degraded for large value of α.

Q.47. Which converter can operate both in 3 pulse and 6

pulse modes?

Answer: A 3 phase semi converter has the unique

feature of working as a 6 pulse converter α less than 60
degree and a three pulse converter for α greater than or
equal to 60 degree.

Q.48. What do you mean by slewing in stepper motor?

Answer: When a stepper motor operates at high speed,

then it is termed as slewing.

Q.49. For what firing angles the thyristor controlled

inductor will work as a variable inductor or as fixed
inductor?

Answer: A thyristor controlled inductor work as a fixed

inductor when (α≤ 90o) and as a variable inductor when
(α > 90o).

Q.50. What do you understand by string efficiency

related to thyristors?

Answer: String efficiency is a term that is used for

measuring the degree of utilization of SCR in a string.

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