UNIT 1

1.1 A parallel connected R C snubber protects a device against dv/dt.

1.1.1 Determine the the value of R if the discharging current must be limited to 10 A and supply
voltage is Vs = 240 V. (3)
1.1.2 Determine the dv/dt if Cs = 0.1 F. (3)
1.1.3 Calculate the power dissipated in the snubber resistor if the device operates at 1 kHz.
(3)

1.2 A thyristor controls a load of RL = 5  supplied from Vs = 240V; the stray inductance is
neglected and the thyristor operates at a frequency of 500 Hz. If the required dv/dt is 120 V/sec
and the discharge current is to be limited to 100 A, determine:
1.2.1 the values of Rs; (3)
1.2.2 the value of Cs; (3)
1.2.3 the snubber loss. (3)

1.3 Determine the series inductance Ls that is added to a semiconductor device to limit di/dt
to 75 A/sec if the supply voltage is 240 V. (3)

1.4 Draw the graphs of voltage and current for one period showing the switching times and a
simplified variation of the parameters (control, vT, iT and PD) of a transistor device.
Control
signal

t 1

vd (t)
id (t)

t 8

Pd (t)

4
t
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1.5 Consider that the power dissipated into a transistor device is 180 W and the thermal
parameters of the device are Rth-jc = 0.11 K/W, Rth-cs = 0.03 K/W, Rth-sa = 0.11 K/W and the
ambient temperature is 350C. Determine the junction temperature. (3)

1.6 Calculate the thermal resistance for a heat sink used for a transistor with the power
dissipated on it of 200W, Rth-jc = 0.09 K/W, Rth-cs = 0.02 K/W, the ambient temperature of
450C and if the maximum allowable temperature of the junction is 950C. (3)

1.7 According with the calculation the thermal resistance of the heat sink is 0.14 K/W and in
the shop you find two heat sinks one of 0.16 K/W and another of 0.1 K/W.
1.7.1 What value do you choose? (3)
1.7.2 Briefly (two three words) explain why. (3)

1.8 A freewheeling diode is connected parallel on an inductive load of L = 250 H; the
resistance is negligible (R = 0), the voltage source is Vs = 200 V
1.8.1 Calculate the value of the current after t1 = 100 sec. (2)
1.8.2 Determine the energy E stored in the inductor. (2)

1.9 What are you doing if the number of series connected devices resulted from the calculation
is 7.25? Do you choose:
a) 7
b) 8
(3)

1.10 Two diodes are connected in series to share a voltage of Vs = 5 kV. The reverse leakage
currents of the diodes are Is1 = 30 mA and Is2 = 25 mA.
1.10.1 Find the diode voltages if the voltage-sharing resistance are R1 = R2 = R = 100 k. (4)
1.10.2 Determine the voltage-sharing resistors if the diode voltages are VD1 = VD2 = Vs / 2.
(Assume R1 = 100 k). (4)

1.11 Ten thyristors are used in a string to withstand a dc voltage of Vs = 20 kV. The maximum
leakage current and recovery charge difference of thyristors are 10 mA and 150 C,
respectively. Each thyristor has a voltage-sharing resistance of R = 56 k and capacitance
of C1 =0.5 F. Determine:
1.11.1 The maximum steady-state voltage sharing VDS(max). (2)
1.11.2 The steady-state derating factor DRFsteady. (2)
1.11.3 The maximum transient voltage sharing VDT(max). (2)
1.11.4 The transient voltage derating factor DRFtransient. (2)
1.11.5 The number of thyristors if the maximum voltage in steady-state and transient should be
1200 V and derating factor in both situations should be 25%. (3)

1.12 The ideal firing pulse on thyristors connected in parallel is:

a) from the same source and has a long rise time and of short duration;
b) from the same source and has a short rise time and is of long duration;
c) from the same source and has a long rise time and is of long duration;
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d) from the same source and has a short rise time and is of short duration;
e) from different sources and has a short rise time and is of long duration.
(2)

1.13 A thyristor must control a DC load of R = 10  and L = 400 mH that is supplied from VS =
360V. The latching current of the thyristor is IL = 75 mA and the firing pulse width is 30
sec.
1.13.1 Find if the thyristor will be ON after the firing pulse is finished (6)
1.13.2 If the thyristor is OFF find the parallel resistor R2 across the load in order to ensure the
latching current after 30 sec. (4)
1.13.3 Calculate the width of the pulse that ensures thyristor to stay ON with no other auxiliary
resistor. (5)

1.14 Two identical MOSFET's that share current equally are mounted on a common heat sink.
The thermal resistances are as follows: Junction to Case: 1,2 °C/W; Case to Heat Sink: 0,3
°C/W; Heat Sink to Ambient air: 0,75 °C/W; The maximum allowed junction temperature:
125 °C; Ambient air temperature: 25 °C
1.14.1 Sketch the thermal equivalent circuit for the combination. (3)
1.14.2 Determine the maximum power that can be safely dissipated by each device. (2)
1.14.3 Determine the heat sink temperature. (2)
1.14.4 If one MOSFET would be removed, determine the maximum power that the
remaining one could dissipate before exceeding the maximum junction temperature.
(2)
1.14.5 Determine the maximum heat sink temperature with only one MOSFET. (2)
1.14.6 Determine the maximum current through the single MOSFET if the drain to source
resistance is equal to 14 mΩ. (2)
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EXTRA PROBLEMS

1.15 The switching waveforms for a BJT with a turn-on snubber are shown below, where VCC
= 400 V, VCE(sat) = 2.5 V, and the collector current in the on-state is ICE = 80 A. The
collector leakage current is negligible (ICEO = 0 A). Calculate the total average power
dissipation.

vCE
VCC

VCE(sat)
t

5 s 115 s 10 s toff = 90 s
iC ICE

t
T

1.16 The switching waveforms for a BJT with a turn-off snubber are shown below. Use the
same values as in the previous problem and calculate again the total average power
dissipation.

vCE
VCC

VCE(sat)
t

5 s 115 s 10 s toff = 90 s
iC ICE

t
T
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1.17 The switching waveforms for a BJT with turn-on and turn-off snubbers are shown below.
Use the same values as in the previous two problems and calculate again the total average
power dissipation.

vCE
VCC

VCE(sat)
t

5 s 115 s 10 s toff = 90 s
iC ICE

t
T

1.18 The maximum junction temperature of a transistor is TJ = 125 ºC and the ambient
temperature is TA = 35 ºC. If the thermal impedances are RJC = 0.3 ºC/W, RCS = 0.1 ºC/W,
and RSA = 0.2 ºC/W, calculate a) the maximum power dissipation, and b) the sink
temperature.

1.19 A power MOSFET with RJC = 0.3 ºC/W is operating with a total average power of 120 W.
The device is mounted on a heat sink with parameters RCS = 0.1 ºC/W, and RSA = 0.4 ºC/W.
If the ambient temperature is TA = 25 ºC, determine the temperature of the: a) junction, b)
case, and c) heat sink.

1.20 A rectifier must be connected to a 220 VRMS supply with a series inductance of Ls = 40 μH.
Calculate the minimum required di/dt rating of the thyristors in the rectifier.

1.21 A device is connected to a 400 V DC supply and must be protected by a RC snubber for a
maximum dv/dt of 500 V/μs.
1.21.1 Determine the value of the maximum discharge current if the snubber resistor is Rs = 20
Ω.
1.21.2 Determine the value of the snubber capacitance Cs.
1.21.3 Calculate the power dissipated in the snubber resistor if the device operates at 5 kHz.

1.22 A thyristor controls a load of RL = 2  supplied from Vs = 230VRMS; the stray inductance
is neglected and the thyristor operates at a frequency of 100 Hz. If the value of Rs is 4.7 Ω and the
value of Cs is 1 F, determine:
1.22.1 the discharge current;
1.22.2 dv/dt;
1.22.3 the snubber loss.

1.23 Problem 7.7, p. 351, Rashid, 3rd edition.