Maximize The Efficiency Of Induction Heating By Minimizing IGBT Losses

Focus:

Within the typical induction cooker, a switched-mode power converter employing an IGBT power switch produces a magnetic field, which is then converted to heat by the cooking vessel. Through proper selection and use of the IGBT, designers can minimize its losses in the induction cooker and thereby maximize the overall efficiency of the application. This article explains the principles of operation behind induction cooking and gives an overview of the various sources of loss in the application including those of the IGBT for the case where soft switching is employed. (The converter shown here uses a quasi-resonant flyback topology.) The two dominant losses in the IGBT—conduction and turn-off losses—are discussed in detail, providing designers with tips on how to accurately measure these losses so that IGBT performance in the application can be properly assessed and optimized.

What you’ll learn:

• How to evaluate IGBT performance in induction cooker applications
• How to minimize IGBT losses in induction cooker applications

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Author & Publication:

Alan Ball, ON Semiconductor, Phoenix, Ariz., How2Power Today, Sep 28 2012

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