Structuring a Switched Mode Power Supply Course, Part I: Lectures

Abstract

A power electronics course on switched mode power supplies is impossible without a hands-on experience. Training in industry is almost always done using a hands-on approach, where the students learn by doing. Traditional Bachelor and Master courses on switched mode power supplies are mainly divided between oral lectures and a laboratory experiments. The theory is explained in the oral lectures and student are building or doing measurements on a typical converter during the laboratory assignments. In this paper (Part I) an overview of topics is given that has to be included in a course. In the accompanying paper (Part II) [1] it is described how the laboratory assignments should match the theory of the oral lectures. To improve the oral lectures, use is made of simulation and animation to show the workings of the converters, as well as design tools to assist the student in quickly designing the main parameters of a converter. Each topic is introduced by explaining the theoretical background, and ideal simulation and animation is used to explain the basics of operation. The design tools are used by the students to have a good overview of the influence of parameters on the converter behavior. Finally, a detailed simulation demonstrates the non-linear component parameters, and the impact a control can have, as well as the origin of EMI problems and losses. The Lecture outline, methods, topics as well as the lecture objectives(Understand, Analyze and Calculate) are discussed in detail.