E-Learning Tool for dc Choppers

This work presents a software tool in order to facilitate the learning of the dc choppers. This tool consists of an integrated web-access set of multimedia animation-clips which present, in an interactive way, how the different dc choppers topologies work. The different topologies are classified depending on their quadrant operation and then the user can realize the circuit's performance from the simplest class-A to the four quadrant operation class-E converter. To do this, all circuit parameters including load values, duty ratio, and frequency may be selected by the user. Moreover, the load includes an electromotive force (EMF) that allows understanding the energy flow between the source and the load and then, the quadrant operation. Other useful characteristic of the tool is the way in which the circuits are drawn because they can be shown as a bridge or in their simplest form in the case of only the essentials devices being shown. The information about the currents and voltages paths is dynamically presented with sliding rules over the graphs during simulations indicating the state of semiconductor switches by means of changing colours. The multimedia system includes documentation on all the subjects, showing basic concepts and equations, in pdf format and links to industrial manufacturers.