RTUEE / EC / EEEYr 2024 · Sem 42024

Q3Power Electronics

Question

10 marks

Explain the construction, operation, and output waveforms of both boost and buck converters.

Answer

Buck converter steps voltage down (Vo = D·Vin); boost converter steps it up (Vo = Vin/(1-D)). Both use an inductor to store and transfer energy controlled by a switching transistor.

  • Buck: Vo < Vin; D controls step-down ratio.
  • Boost: Vo > Vin; Vo → ∞ as D → 1 (limited by losses in practice).
  • Both achieve high efficiency (>90%) through reactive energy storage (no resistive loss).
  • Inductor current ripple: ΔiL = (Vin - Vo)·D/(fsL) for buck; ΔiL = Vin·D/(fsL) for boost.
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