DC Choppers

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Prof. T.K. Anantha Kumar, E&E Dept., MSRIT
 Introduction
• Chopper is a static device.
• A variable dc voltage is obtained from a
constant dc voltage source.
• Also known as dc-to-dc converter.
• Widely used for motor control.
• Also used in regenerative braking.
• Thyristor converter offers greater efficiency,
faster response, lower maintenance, smaller
size and smooth control.
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Prof. T.K. Anantha Kumar, E&E Dept., MSRIT
 Choppers are of Two Types
 Step-down choppers.
 Step-up choppers.
 In step down chopper output voltage is less
than input voltage.
 In step up chopper output voltage is more
than input voltage.

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Prof. T.K. Anantha Kumar, E&E Dept., MSRIT
 Principle Of
Step-down Chopper

Chopper
i0
+

V R V0


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Prof. T.K. Anantha Kumar, E&E Dept., MSRIT
• A step-down chopper with resistive load.
• The thyristor in the circuit acts as a switch.
• When thyristor is ON, supply voltage appears
across the load
• When thyristor is OFF, the voltage across the
load will be zero.

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Prof. T.K. Anantha Kumar, E&E Dept., MSRIT
 v0
V

Vdc

t
tON tOFF
i0

V/R
Idc
t
T

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Prof. T.K. Anantha Kumar, E&E Dept., MSRIT
Vdc  Average value of output or load voltage.
I dc  Average value of output or load current.
tON  Time interval for which SCR conducts.
tOFF  Time interval for which SCR is OFF.
T  tON  tOFF  Period of switching or chopping period.
1
f   Freq. of chopper switching or chopping freq.
T
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Prof. T.K. Anantha Kumar, E&E Dept., MSRIT
Average Output Voltage
 tON 
Vdc  V  
 tON  tOFF 
 tON 
Vdc  V    V .d
 T 
 tON 
but    d  duty cycle
 t 
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Prof. T.K. Anantha Kumar, E&E Dept., MSRIT
 Average Output Current
Vdc
I dc 
R
V  tON  V
I dc    d
R T  R
RMS value of output voltage
tON
1
VO   v dt
2
o
T 0

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Prof. T.K. Anantha Kumar, E&E Dept., MSRIT
 But during tON , vo  V
Therefore RMS output voltage
tON
1
VO  
2
V dt
T 0

2
V tON
VO  tON  .V
T T
VO  d .V
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Prof. T.K. Anantha Kumar, E&E Dept., MSRIT
 Output power PO  VO I O
VO
But IO 
R
 Output power
2
V
PO  O

R
2
dV
PO 
R
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Prof. T.K. Anantha Kumar, E&E Dept., MSRIT
Effective input resistance of chopper
V
Ri 
I dc
R
Ri 
d
The output voltage can be varied by
varying the duty cycle.
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Prof. T.K. Anantha Kumar, E&E Dept., MSRIT
 Methods Of Control
• The output dc voltage can be varied by the
following methods.
– Pulse width modulation control or constant
frequency operation.
– Variable frequency control.

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Prof. T.K. Anantha Kumar, E&E Dept., MSRIT
 Pulse Width Modulation
• tON is varied keeping chopping frequency ‘f’ &
chopping period ‘T’ constant.
• Output voltage is varied by varying the ON
time tON

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Prof. T.K. Anantha Kumar, E&E Dept., MSRIT
 V0
V

tON tOFF

t
T
V0

t
tON tOFF
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Prof. T.K. Anantha Kumar, E&E Dept., MSRIT
 Variable Frequency Control
• Chopping frequency ‘f’ is varied keeping either
tON or tOFF constant.
• To obtain full output voltage range, frequency
has to be varied over a wide range.
• This method produces harmonics in the
output and for large tOFF load current may
become discontinuous

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Prof. T.K. Anantha Kumar, E&E Dept., MSRIT
 v0
V

tON tOFF
t
T
v0

tON tOFF
t
T
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Prof. T.K. Anantha Kumar, E&E Dept., MSRIT
 Step-down Chopper
With R-L Load

Chopper
i0
+
R

V V0
FWD L

E

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Prof. T.K. Anantha Kumar, E&E Dept., MSRIT
• When chopper is ON, supply is connected
across load.
• Current flows from supply to load.
• When chopper is OFF, load current continues
to flow in the same direction through FWD due
to energy stored in inductor ‘L’.
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Prof. T.K. Anantha Kumar, E&E Dept., MSRIT
• Load current can be continuous or
discontinuous depending on the values of ‘L’
and duty cycle ‘d’
• For a continuous current operation, load
current varies between two limits Imax and Imin
• When current becomes equal to Imax the
chopper is turned-off and it is turned-on when
current reduces to Imin.
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Prof. T.K. Anantha Kumar, E&E Dept., MSRIT
v0 Output
voltage
V
tON tOFF
t
T
i0 Output
Imax current

Continuous
Imin current
t
i0 Output
current
Discontinuous
current
t
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Prof. T.K. Anantha Kumar, E&E Dept., MSRIT
 Expressions For
Load Current
iO For Continuous Current Operation
When
Chopper Is ON (0  t  tON)

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Prof. T.K. Anantha Kumar, E&E Dept., MSRIT
 i0
+
R

V V0
L

E
-
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Prof. T.K. Anantha Kumar, E&E Dept., MSRIT
 diO
V  iO R  L E
dt
Taking Laplace Transform

 RI O  S   L  S .I O  S   iO  0   
V  E
S S
At t  0, initial current iO  0   I min
V E I min
IO  S   
 R R
LS  S   S 
 L L
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Prof. T.K. Anantha Kumar, E&E Dept., MSRIT
Taking Inverse Laplace Transform
V E  
 R
  t  
 R
 t
iO  t   1  e  L
  I min e  L
R  
This expression is valid for 0  t  tON ,
i.e., during the period chopper is ON.
At the instant the chopper is turned off,
load current is iO  tON   I max
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Prof. T.K. Anantha Kumar, E&E Dept., MSRIT
 When Chopper is OFF

i0

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Prof. T.K. Anantha Kumar, E&E Dept., MSRIT
When Chopper is OFF  0  t  tOFF 
diO
0  RiO  L E
dt
Talking Laplace transform

0  RI O  S   L  SI O  S   iO  0   
E 

S
Redefining time origin we have at t  0,
initial current iO  0 
I max
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Prof. T.K. Anantha Kumar, E&E Dept., MSRIT
 I max E
 IO  S   
S
R  R
LS  S  
L  L
Taking Inverse Laplace Transform
R
 t E R
 t 
iO  t   I max e L
 1  e L

R 
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Prof. T.K. Anantha Kumar, E&E Dept., MSRIT
The expression is valid for 0  t  tOFF ,
i.e., during the period chopper is OFF

At the instant the chopper is turned ON or at

the end of the off period, the load current is
iO  tOFF   I min
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Prof. T.K. Anantha Kumar, E&E Dept., MSRIT
To Find I max & I min
From equation
V E  
 R
  t  
 R
 t
iO  t   1  e  L
  I min e  L
R  
At t  tON  dT , iO  t   I max
V E  
dRT
 
dRT
 I max  1  e
L
  I min e
L
R  
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Prof. T.K. Anantha Kumar, E&E Dept., MSRIT
From equation
R
 t E R
 t 
iO  t   I max e L
 1  e L

R 
At t  tOFF  T  tON , iO  t   I min
t  tOFF  1  d  T
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Prof. T.K. Anantha Kumar, E&E Dept., MSRIT
  
1 d  RT
1 d  RT 
E
 I min  I max e L
 1  e L 
R  
Substituting for I min in equation
V E  
dRT
 
dRT
I max  1  e
L
  I min e
L
R  
we get,
 
dRT

V 1  e L
 E
I max 
R  
RT  R
 1  e L 
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Prof. T.K. Anantha Kumar, E&E Dept., MSRIT
Substituting for I max in equation

1 d  RT  
1 d  RT 
E
I min  I max e L
 1  e L 
R  
we get,
  dRT
V  e  1 E L
I min  
R L RT  R
 e  1 
 I max  I min  is known as the steady state ripple.
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Prof. T.K. Anantha Kumar, E&E Dept., MSRIT
Therefore peak-to-peak ripple current
I  I max  I min
Average output voltage
Vdc  d .V
Average output current
I max  I min
I dc approx  
2
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Prof. T.K. Anantha Kumar, E&E Dept., MSRIT
Assuming load current varies linearly
from I min to I max instantaneous
load current is given by

iO  I min 
 I  .t
for 0  t  tON  dT 
dT
 I max  I min 
iO  I min   t
 dT 
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Prof. T.K. Anantha Kumar, E&E Dept., MSRIT
RMS value of load current
dT
1
  0 dt
2
I O RMS  i
dT 0

 I max  I min  t 
2
1
dT

I O RMS  
dT 0  I min  dT  dt
  I max  I min  2 2 I min  I max  I min  t 
dT 2
1
   I min    t   dt
2
I O RMS 
dT 0   dT  dT 

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Prof. T.K. Anantha Kumar, E&E Dept., MSRIT
RMS value of output current
1
 2  I max  I min  
2 2
I O RMS    I min   I min  I max  I min  
 3 
RMS chopper current
dT
1
  i dt
2
I CH 0
T 0

2
  I max  I min  
dT
1
I CH 
T 
0
 I min  
  dT
 t  dt
 
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Prof. T.K. Anantha Kumar, E&E Dept., MSRIT
 1
 2  I max  I min  
2 2
I CH  d  I min   I min  I max  I min  
 3 
I CH  d I O RMS 
Effective input resistance is
V
Ri 
IS
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Prof. T.K. Anantha Kumar, E&E Dept., MSRIT
Where
I S  Average source current

I S  dI dc

V
 Ri 
dI dc
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Prof. T.K. Anantha Kumar, E&E Dept., MSRIT