Power Semiconductor Applications

Question 1

What is an AC to DC converter called?

Answer 1

A rectifier

Question 2

What is a DC to DC converter called?

Answer 2

A Chopper/SMPS/Transformer

Question 3

What is a DC to AC converter called?

Answer 3

An inverter

Question 4

Draw a half-wave rectifier and its resultant waveform when supplied by an AC-only sinusoid

Answer 4

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Question 5

Draw a full-wave rectifier and its resultant waveform when supplied by an AC-only sinusoid

Answer 5

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Question 6

What is the difference between using a diode and a thyristor in a rectifier?

Answer 6

Diode -> Uncontrolled rectifier

Thyristor -> Controlled rectifier

Question 7

What is the firing angle of a controlled rectifier?

Answer 7

The number of radians into a period at which a rectifier’s thyristor is switched ON

Question 8

Draw a triac and specify what it can be used for

Answer 8

Used for variable voltage AC output

Question 9

What is a DC chopper also known as?

Answer 9

A buck converter

Question 10

What does a buck converter do?

Answer 10

Converts from a fixed DC voltage to an adjustable DC voltage using PWM

Question 11

Draw a buck converter

Answer 11

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Question 12

What is the output voltage of a buck converter if its input is V_(s) and its thyristor has a duty cycle of δ?

Answer 12

δV_(s)

Question 13

What is a boost converter?

Answer 13

DC to DC step-up converter