Teaching Behavioral Modeling and Simulation Techniques for Power Electronics Courses

This paper suggests a pedagogical approach to teaching the subject of behavioral modeling of switch-mode power electronics systems through simulation by general-purpose electronic circuit simulators. The methodology is oriented toward electrical engineering (EE) students at the undergraduate level, enrolled in courses such as “Power Electronics,” “Industrial Electronics,” or the like. The proposed approach is demonstrated by simulation example of a realistic active power factor corrector (APFC) system. The paper discusses the derivation of PSPICE/ORCAD-compatible behavioral models, their software implementation, and fast time domain, frequency domain, and stability analysis simulation techniques suitable for virtual study of complex nonlinear feedback systems. Some “tricks of the trade” are also suggested. The paper can be helpful to instructors of a “Virtual Power Electronics Laboratory” course wanting to conduct a software experiment on a PFC system.

I. Introduction

Recent advances in power electronics have led most higher education institutions to include courses on power electronics in their undergraduate electrical engineering (EE) curricula. Power electronics is an interdisciplinary area that incorporates several of the disciplines of electrical engineering. Courses such as “Power Electronics” or “Industrial Electronics” are usually offered to undergraduate students once they acquire prerequisite units on electrical circuits, electronic devices, electronic circuits, control systems, energy conversion, electric drives, and the like. Advanced topics on power electronics may also be suggested to graduate students. Whereas the lectures on power electronics introduce students to the theoretical concepts and basic analysis techniques, a practical power electronics laboratory that usually accompanies these courses allows students to gain some hands-on experience. However, in order to experiment with a power electronics system, a prerequisite knowledge of many practical issues and of rather complex electronic building blocks is required. This is especially true when a realistic system is studied.