1

ENEL371S2
Power Electronics 1
Lecture 4 Buck Converter
Discontinuous Conduction
Department of ECE
University of Canterbury
2012
Continuous and Discontinuous
Conduction
Read Chapter 7, Mohan etc.
CONCEPT
Continuous and Discontinuous
i
L
t
i
L(min)
i
L(max)
i
L(min)
Continuous Conduction
i
L
t
Average
Value
i
L(min)
i
L(max)
i
L(min)
Current Conduction State
of Inductor (Energy
Storage Device) in
switching cell play an
important role in DC-DC
converter circuit analysis
Buck Regulator
Discontinuous Conduction Mode (DCM)
Read Chapter 7, Mohan etc.
Basic Requirements
Things we need to calculate
1. Output/Input voltage ratio
2. Boundary between CCM and DCM
Things we need to know
1. Draw the inductor current waveform
2. Draw the inductor voltage waveform
3. Draw three circuit states (ON/OFF/IDLE)
For the steady-state analysis of Buck
Regulator in DCM
Assumptions
v
o
R C
L
v
C
i
L
v
L
i
C
i
o
To simplify the analysis, for steady-state buck
voltage regulator, it is reasonable to assume
1. v
C
is reasonably ripple free (~1% ripple) and i
o
is
ripple-free (i
o
=I
o
) too
2. Since average capacitor current i
c
is zero, average
value I
L
of inductor current i
L
and average value I
o
of resistor current i
o
are equal
0 0
1 1
0, 0
s s
o o L
T T
L C
s s
i I I
v dt i dt
T T
= =
= =
} }
C o
v v =
Buck Converter (Regulators)
Two Tasks:
1. Boundary between
CCM and DCM
2. Step-down Ratio in
DCM
:
on on
s on off
duty ratio
t t
k
T t t

= =
+
Boundary btw CCM and DCM
I
L
: average inductor current
I
o
: average output/load current
When inductor current i
L
goes to zero at the end of
switch off period, circuit
reaches the boundary
between CCM and DCM.
Average inductor current
at this boundary I
LB
:
( )
(max) (min) (max)
1
2
1 1
2 2
LB L
L L L
I i
i i i
= A
= =
CCM
Boundary btw CCM and DCM
( ) ( )
( )
(max)
1 1
1
1
2
1 1
2 2
d o
L
d
s s
LB OB
s
LB L L
v v
I k k k
v
f L f L
I I k k
f L
I i I

A = =

= =
`

= = A

)
With given T
s
, v
d
, v
o
, L and k,
if average inductor current I
L
(output current I
o
) becomes
less than I
LB
, then i
L
will
become discontinuous.
(max)
1
0 0.5,
8
d LB
LB
s
v dI
k I
dk f L
= = =
CCM
Inductor current ripple
Boundary btw CCM and DCM
( )
1
1
2
d
LB OB
s
v
I I k k
f L
= =
( ) ( ) ( )
min
1
1 1 1
2 2 2
d o
s o o s s
v v R
L k k k k
f I I f f
| |
= = =
|
\ .
o d
v kv =
With given T
s
, v
d
, v
o
, I
O
and k, if the inductor
value L is less than L
min
, i
L
will become
discontinuous.
o o
v I R =
Resistive Load
Can be used for the design of inductor value L
Circuit States in DCM
charging
discharging
0 idle
d o
L o
v v
v v

Steady State
0 0
( ) 0, ( ) 0
T T
L C
v t dt i t dt = =
} }
Step-Down Ratio in DCM
( ) ( )
( )
1
0
0
1
1
( ) 0
(
0 1
) 0
,
s s
s
k k T kT
d o o
k
o
d
T
L
T
v v dt v t dt
v k
v t d
k k DCM
v k
t
k
+
+ =
= < + s
+
=
}
}
}
1
, 1
o
d
v
k k k CCM
v
= + =
Discharging duration k
1
T
s
is still unknown, how to get it ?
Step-Down Ratio in DCM
o
d
v
v
Increased gain due to discontinuous conduction;
but variable gain makes control difficult.
Typical
Gain
Resistor
Load
Gain
Step-Down Ratio in DCM
( )
0
(max) (max) 1
(max) 1 (max)
Average output current in DCM:
1
1
2 2
1 1
2 2
T
o L L
L s L s
L L
I I i dt
T
I kT I k T
T
I k k I
= =
| |
= +
|
\ .
= + <
}
Discharging duration k
1
T
s
definitely depend on
load/output (inductor)
current I
o
Step-Down Ratio in DCM
( )
1
1
(max)
Discharging inductor :
1 s
k k T
o s
L o
kT
v k T
I v dt
L L
+
= =
}
( )
(max) 1
1
2
o L
I I k k = +
( )
1 1
2
o
o
s
v k k k
I
f L
+
=
2
1 1
2
0
s o
o
f LI
k kk
v
+ =
Quadratic equation can be
easily solved for k
1
.
Quadratic Equation
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quadratic_equation
Step-Down Ratio in DCM
1
2
1 1
2
1 1
2 2
1
0
1
2
0
2
0
8 8 1 1
2 2
o
o
s
s o
o
s s
k
v
R
I
f L
k kk
f LI R
k kk
v
f L f L
k k k k k k
R R
>

+ =
`

+ =

)
| | | |
= + = + +
| |
| |
\ . \ .
Scenario 1: With Constant Resistance Load R
1 2
2
8
o
d
s
v k k
v k k
f L
k k
R
= =
+
+ +
Step-down
Ratio in DCM
Step-Down Ratio in DCM
1
0
2
1 1
2
1
2
0
8 1
2
s o
k
o
s o
o
f LI
k kk
v
f LI
k k k
v
>
+ =
| |
= + +
|
|
\ .
Scenario 2: If v
o
is fixed and I
o
is variable
1 2
2
8
o
d
s o
o
v k k
v k k
f LI
k k
v
= =
+
+ +
Step-down
Ratio in DCM
Step-Down Ratio in DCM
Scenario 2
k
DCM
CCM
Step-Down Ratio in DCM
( )
( )
1 1
1 1
1
1
1
2 2
2 2
o
o
o
s d s o
o
s s d
o
d
v k k k
I
v k k k
f L v k k f LI
I k
f L f L v k
v k
v k k
+
=

+

= = =
`

=

+
)
Scenario 3: If v
d
is fixed and v
o
is variable
1
2
o
s o
d
d
v k k
f LI
v k k
k
v k
= =
+
+
Step-down
Ratio in DCM
Step-Down Ratio in DCM
k =1.0
The duty-ratio of 0.5 has the highest value of the critical current
Scenario 3
Lecture 4 - Summary
Boundary between CCM and DCM
Step-down Ratio in DCM It will
change with the load (I
o
or R)
0
1) ( ) 0
T
L
v t dt =
}
2)
L L
i i
+
A = A
Homework #4
Download homework #4 questions for
Lecture 4 from
Learn/ENEL371/Term3/Lecture4
How to calculate the capacitor/output
voltage ripples of Buck Converter in
DCM ? Do homework #4
24
Contact Information:
Dr. Keliang Zhou
Office: Electrical A512
Email: keliang.zhou@canterbury.ac.nz
Phone: 3642240 Ext.6240