Basic Power Electronics Interview Questions

9/4/23, 8:02 AM Basic Power Electronics Interview Questions - Inst Tools
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Basic Power Electronics Interview Questions

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What is holding current in SCR?
It is the minimum current required to hold the SCR in forward conduction state.
When the forward current becomes less than holding current, SCR turns from forward conduction state
to forward blocking state.
What is latching current in SCR?
It is the minimum current required to latch(turn on) the SCR from forward blocking state to forward
conduction state.
What are the different turn on methods of SCR?
Forward voltage triggering

Gate Triggering
dv/dt triggering
https://instrumentationtools.com/basic-power-electronics-interview-questions/ 1/15
Temperature triggering
Light triggering
What is snubber circuit?
The snubber circuit is used for the dv/dt protection of the SCR. It is a series combination of a resistor and
a capacitor in parallel with the SCR.
What is hard switching of the thyristor?
When gate current is several times higher than the required gate current, the SCR is said to be hard fired.
It reduces the turn ON time and enhances the di/dt capability.
What is firing angle?
The angle between the zero crossing of the input voltage and the instant the SCR is fired is called as
delay angle or firing angle.
What is meant by SOA?
SOA – Safe Operating Area determines the voltage and current boundary within which the Power Device
can be operated without destructive failure.
What are the main components used for isolating the Power Circuits, Power Semiconductor from
the low-power circuit?
Opto-Couplers, Transformers
Name some of the current controlled (current driven) devices
SCR, GTO, GTR
Name some of the voltage driven ( Voltage controlled) devices
IGBT, MCT, IGCT, SIT
What is duty cycle?
It is the ratio of the ON time of the chopper to total time period of the chopper.
D = Ton / [Ton + Toff]
Can fuses with an AC voltage rating be used in a DC applications?
Fuses must be rated for the voltage AC or DC in which they will be used.
Generally, fuses have a DC voltage rating that is half of the maximum AC voltage rating.
What are the characteristics of ideal Opamp?
Infinite open loop voltage gain

Infinite input impedance
Zero output impedance
Infinite Bandwidth
Zero offset voltage
For High voltage applications will you prefer MOSFET or IGBT?
For High voltage applications we have to use IGBT.

Because MOSFETs are low voltage devices. ie, Their voltage rating is lesser than IGBT.
General rule is MOSFETs are suitable for applications which has breakdown voltage less than 250V.
The IGBTs are suitable for applications which has breakdown voltage upto 1000V.
For High frequency applications will you prefer MOSFET or IGBT? Why?
For High frequency applications, MOSFET is the right choice of the device.
Because MOSFET has low switching losses compare to that of IGBT.
General rule of thumb is for low-frequency applications having frequency range upto 20kHz, we
have to use IGBT.
For high frequency applications having frequency range of more than 200kHz, we have to use
MOSFET.
Draw the buck topology?

In most of the power electronics interview questions, you are going to face this basic question. Not only
buck converter, the interviewer may ask you to draw other fundamental topologies too
So you should be familiar with other basic topologies like Flyback, Boost , Buck-boost….
Which is the good choice among the 2 options mentioned below to get the 12V as an output? why?
Option I: Input voltage = 48V,
Option II: Input voltage = 24V
Answer:
We know that
Duty cycle D = Vout / VInput
For case I
D = 12/48 = 0.25
For case II
D = 12/24 = 0.5
So for case II, the duty cycle is more than case I.
It means device is turned ON more time in the second case. while designing SMPS we have to consider
the principle mentioned in Q-3.
What is effect of having more duty cycle and less duty cycle? ( continuation of above question)
If the duty cycle D is greater than 0.5, the core would not be completely demagnetized at the end of the
off-period, and a DC magnetization of the core would build up, resulting in core saturation.
Relate this answer the previous question….
To design the buck converter, what are basic & essential information (parameters) we need to get
from the Customer?
We need the following inputs from the customer,

Output Voltage VOUT
Input Voltage VIN

Output Current (load current) IOUT
Maximum Ripple voltage allowed at the output side

Efficiency of the converter
How to select the inductor for the buck converter?
Once the topology is finalized in the process of power supply design, the next step is selecting the
Inductor.
We know the following basic equation

Voltage across Inductor VL = L di/dt
Rewriting the above equation as follows

L = VL.dt/di
VL = Maximum voltage appears across the Inductor

dt= The time during which the maximum voltage appears across the inductor
di = Ripple current
VL The maximum voltage appears across the inductor when the power switch is turned on. During that
time the voltage will be

VL = VOUT – VIN
dt = The time during which the maximum voltage appears across the inductor
= D/FS
= Duty cycle/Switching frequency
di = Ripple current
= Generally it is assumed in between 10% to 30% of the load current
By knowing all these values we can get the required inductor value for the buck converter.
What are the various parameters we have to consider, while selecting IGBT?
In IGBT datasheet, we have to focus on following parameters

Collector to emitter voltage VCES
Collector Current IC
Collector Dissipation PC
Junction Temperature Tj
For Selecting MOSFET, what are the major parameters we have to consider in the datasheet?
In MOSFET datasheet, we have to focus on following parameters:

Drain to Source Voltage VDSS
On state Drain to Source Resistance RDS(ON)

Reverse Recovery Current IRR
Reverse Recovery Charge QRR

Gate Charge QG
Body Diode Characteristics

ID at ambient temperature
Channel power dissipation

Channel temperature
What are the advantages of free wheeling diode in rectifier circuit?
The input power factor is improved. It prevents the output voltage from becoming negative. Load current
waveform is improved.
What is meant by commutation?
The process of changing the direction of current flow in a particular path of the circuit. It is used to turn
off the SCR.
What are the types of commutation?
Natural commutation
Forced commutation
What is natural commutation?
The process of the current flowing through the thyristor goes through a natural zero and enable the
thyristor to turn off is called as natural commutation.
What is forced commutation?
The process of the current flowing through the thyristor is forced to become zero by external circuitry is
called as forced commutation.
What are the types of commutation with respect to commutation process?
Voltage commutated chopper
Current commutated chopper

Load commutated chopper
What is meant by cyclo-converter?
It is also known as frequency changer. It converts input power at one frequency to output power at
another frequency with one stage conversion.
What are the types of cyclo-converters?
Step up cyclo-converter
Step down cyclo-converter.
What is step down cyclo-converter?
It is the converter whose output frequency is less than the input frequency.
What is step up cyclo-converter ?
It is the converter whose output frequency is more than the input frequency.
What does the Voltmeter in AC mode show? Is it RMS value or peak value?
Multimeter in AC mode shows RMS value of the voltage or current. Also when it is DC mode it will show
the RMS value only.
What is the necessity to use the special machines?
General purpose motors (Induction motors, synchronous motors) are neither precision speed nor
precision position motors. For many automated systems require high precise speed and high precise
positioning motors. In such cases special purpose motors like stepper motors, PMDC motors etc. are
used.
What are the control strategies of chopper?
The control strategies of chopper are
1. Pulse width modulation PWM (Variable TON, Constant frequency)
2. Frequency modulation (Constant TON or TOFF, Variable frequency)

3. Current Limit Control (CLC)
What is delay angle or what is firing angle of phase controlled rectifier?
The delay angle is the angle at which thyristors are triggered after zero crossing. After zero crossing of
supply voltage, one pair of thyristors is

forward biased. After delay angle(α) these SCRs are triggered.
What is Universal Motor?
It is defined as a motor which can be operated either on DC or single-phase AC supply at approximately

the same speed and output.
The universal motor is built exactly like a series DC motor. But a series DC motor cannot be run as a
universal motor, even though both motors look the same internally and externally.
We cannot use these motors in the industrial applications due to the low efficiency (25% -35%). It has
high starting torque and a variable speed characteristic. It runs at dangerously high-speed on no load.
Give some examples of power electronics applications in the day-to-day life?
We can list a huge number of power electronics applications. Few of the applications which we can see in
our daily life are

UPS – Uninterruptible Power Supply
SMPS – Switch Mode Power Supply

Speed Control of Motors
ICU
What is meant by PMDC?
PMDC stands for Permanent Magnet DC Motor
A Permanent Magnet DC Motor is similar to an ordinary dc shunt motor except that its field is provided
by permanent magnets instead of salient-pole wound field structure.
There are three types of permanent magnets used for such motors namely;
(i) Alnico Magnets
(ii) Ceramic magnets

(iii) Rare-earth magnets
The major advantages are low noise, small size, high-efficiency, low manufacturing cost.
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Basic Power Electronics Interview Questions - Inst Tools

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Basic Power Electronics Interview Questions - Inst Tools

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9/4/23, 8:02 AM Basic Power Electronics Interview Questions - Inst Tools

Inst Tools Menu

What is holding current in SCR?

What is latching current in SCR?

What are the different turn on methods of SCR?

Forward voltage triggering

What is snubber circuit?

What is hard switching of the thyristor?

What is firing angle?

What is meant by SOA?

Name some of the current controlled (current driven) devices

SCR, GTO, GTR

Name some of the voltage driven ( Voltage controlled) devices

IGBT, MCT, IGCT, SIT

What is duty cycle?

Can fuses with an AC voltage rating be used in a DC applications?

What are the characteristics of ideal Opamp?

Infinite open loop voltage gain

For High voltage applications will you prefer MOSFET or IGBT?

For High voltage applications we have to use IGBT.

Draw the buck topology?

Option I: Input voltage = 48V,

Option II: Input voltage = 24V

So for case II, the duty cycle is more than case I.

the principle mentioned in Q-3.

Relate this answer the previous question….

We need the following inputs from the customer,

Input Voltage VIN

Maximum Ripple voltage allowed at the output side

How to select the inductor for the buck converter?

We know the following basic equation

Rewriting the above equation as follows

VL = Maximum voltage appears across the Inductor

time the voltage will be

= Duty cycle/Switching frequency

In IGBT datasheet, we have to focus on following parameters

In MOSFET datasheet, we have to focus on following parameters:

On state Drain to Source Resistance RDS(ON)

Reverse Recovery Charge QRR

Body Diode Characteristics

Channel power dissipation

What are the advantages of free wheeling diode in rectifier circuit?

What is meant by commutation?

What are the types of commutation?

What is natural commutation?

thyristor to turn off is called as natural commutation.

What is forced commutation?

called as forced commutation.

What are the types of commutation with respect to commutation process?

Voltage commutated chopper

Current commutated chopper

What is meant by cyclo-converter?

What are the types of cyclo-converters?

Step down cyclo-converter.

What is step down cyclo-converter?

What is step up cyclo-converter ?

the RMS value only.

What is the necessity to use the special machines?

What are the control strategies of chopper?

The control strategies of chopper are

1. Pulse width modulation PWM (Variable TON, Constant frequency)

2. Frequency modulation (Constant TON or TOFF, Variable frequency)

What is delay angle or what is firing angle of phase controlled rectifier?

supply voltage, one pair of thyristors is

What is Universal Motor?

It is defined as a motor which can be operated either on DC or single-phase AC supply at approximately

Give some examples of power electronics applications in the day-to-day life?

our daily life are

SMPS – Switch Mode Power Supply

What is meant by PMDC?

PMDC stands for Permanent Magnet DC Motor

(i) Alnico Magnets

(ii) Ceramic magnets

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