Book Review: Four New Volumes Cover the Design of Power Electronics Systems
This four-volume series is an updated version of the three-volume series by Dr. Slobodan Cuk, published originally by TESLAco in 1983 as a second hardcover edition with Volume 1 and Volume 2 printed in one hardcover and volume 3 in a second hardcover. The first paperback edition published in 1981 consisted of first two volumes only. This third edition now has an additional fourth volume.
The objective of this updated and new 2015 series is to provide a fundamental introduction to this complex field to novice engineers as well as to serve as reference books to experienced practicing Power Electronics specialists.
Technical papers in this series have a twofold objective: advance the field with new research results and educate the Power Electronics community at large. This material is now also crucial for the understanding of the new switching methods: Hybrid Switching Method and Storageless Switching Method and a number of related new converter topologies and the magnetics and control improvements that have been introduced in last several years.
This four-volume set provides the four pillars on which the current Power Electronics system design relies. The four volumes are:
Volume 1. Power Electronics: Topologies, Magnetics, and Control
- Provides a comprehensive view of Power Electronics and introduces novice engineers to the three key areas of expertise: Topologies, Magnetics, and Control.
- Describes buck, boost, and flyback dc-dc converters, forward and bridge converters.
- Presents properties of ferromagnetic materials leading to modeling and design of transformers and inductors.
- Provides general method of PWM control and regulation.
- Introduces the fourth basic non-isolated converter type, the Cuk converter. Unlike the buck, the boost, and the flyback converters, this converter introduces for the first time capacitive energy transfer to formulate the most general State-Space Averaging Method, using the missing state-space equations for capacitor currents and respective charge balance in addition to state-space equations for inductor currents and corresponding original volt-second balance on inductors. The Cuk converter also motivated formulation of new general magnetic circuits methods, Coupled-Inductors and Integrated Magnetics, and demonstrated their implementation in the non-isolated and isolated converters.
Volume 2. Power Electronics: Modeling, Analysis, and Measurements
- Includes papers published by Caltech Power Electronics Group.
- Summarizes development of modeling and analysis methods, culminating in the formulation of the general State-Space Averaging Method, as well as accompanying measurement techniques.
- The Cuk converter covered in all four volumes was the key motivation owing to its floating capacitor and respective capacitive energy transfer requiring additional charge-balance on capacitors. This was missing from the buck and boost converters that required volt-second balance on inductors only.
- The key insight of the new State-Space Averaging Method was that the DC and AC models could be formulated in general without resort to any particular connection of the switches, inductors, capacitors and transformers.
- Accompanying measurement techniques describe how the loop-gain frequency response could be measured without breaking the feedback loop.
- Practical design examples describe application of modeling and measurement techniques.
Volume 3. Power Electronics: Advanced Topics and Designs
- This volume contains new publications made by the Power Electronics Group at Caltech and design engineers at TESLAco. Chapters are based on the chronological order of publications date.
- The principal purpose of these publications is to introduce research results.
- New material in a pedagogical context orients the reader in the motivation, background, and objectives of the new work.
- Technical papers cover modeling and analysis, magnetics, Cuk converter practical designs, DC-AC inverters, and review papers.
Volume 4. Power Electronics: State-Space Averaging and Cuk Converters
- Describes the State-Space Averaging Method and the Cuk converter that was a prime motivator for development of this general analysis and synthesis method.
- State-Space Averaging eliminates the switching process from consideration and arrives at the analytical model for both steady-state and dynamic properties of the converter. This produces a unique small signal equivalent circuit model, which is now called the canonical model that contains the three essential properties of any dc to dc converter:
- dc-dc conversion
- Low-pass filter
- Control signal adjusts the conversion ratio
- Application of the State-Space Averaging method speeds switching converter simulations and eliminates the inherent convergence and accuracy problems of all present simulation methods.
- Three key U.S. patents describe the basic Cuk converter, its isolated Cuk converter, and the Coupled Inductor and Integrated Magnetics extensions.
- Describes new general magnetics concepts: coupled-inductor and integrated magnetics, which are now proven to be equally beneficial for new switching methods and novel topologies.
About the Author
Dr. Cuk spent 25 years as Professor of Electrical Engineering at Caltech, where he taught undergraduate and graduate courses and also supervised students completing their PhD degrees in power electronics. After leaving Caltech, Dr. Cuk founded and is CEO of TESLaco, a California-based innovator in power electronics Technology. Among his key inventions and contributions to power electronics technology: Cuk converter, state-space averaging, couple inductors/integrated magnetics, Tesla converter, hybrid, storageless, and PWM/Resonant switching methods, single-stage isolated bridgeless PFC, Cuk-buck and Cuk-buck2 converters, Cuk rectifier, rapid on-board charger for EVs, and isolated storageless Cuk converter.
To Purchase and Review Four Volumes
Each of the four books in this series may be purchased from Amazon. Insert “Slobodan Cuk” in the search box, click on search, and the detailed book and ordering information will appear.
In addition to Amazon, you can use http://teslaco.com/books as an alternative to view information and order books directly from CreateSpace (Amazon subsidiary) the common printer/publisher for both sites by going onto www.teslaco.com. This article may also be viewed at http://teslaco.com/books/review.
