RTUEE / EC / EEEYr 2024 · Sem 42024

Q8Power Electronics

Question

2 marks

Define the duty cycle in a chopper.

Answer

The duty cycle D of a chopper is the ratio of the ON time to the total switching period; it directly sets the average output voltage as a fraction of the input.

  • D ranges from 0 (always OFF) to 1 (always ON).
  • Duty cycle is controlled by varying the ON time (variable pulse width) at constant frequency, or by varying frequency at constant ON time.
  • Modern choppers use pulse-width modulation (PWM) for duty cycle control.
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