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.