Analytical exercises, Circuits, Devices, Networks and Microelectronics

CDNuE Problem exercises in power electronics: Power amplifiers Version 3.5

Qualification note: Given the various editions the given answers might be questionable. When in
doubt use common sense, native ability, and synaptic plasticity.

Default: 25W power transistor with TJMAX = 155oC,
cooled by top hat heat sink with CA = 9.8oC/W.
Default ambient temperature TA = 25oC.
12-1. (a) For a safety margin TJ = 10oC what
would be the de-rated power handling capability of
the default transistors plus heat-sink?
(b) If the heat sink is omitted, the case itself
must serve as a heat sink. Assume that it is
equivalent to a heat sink of value CA = 30oC/W.
What is the naked transistor de-rated power
handling capability including safety margin?
Answers: 8W, 3.41W
12-2. What minimum power transistor rating
(watts) is needed for an application with power
dissipation PD = 10W if the transistor is affixed to a
large heat sink CA = 6oC/W, is assumed to have
TJMAX = 150oC and requires safety margin TJ =
15oC?
12-3. As part of the USMC superman program, a
class-B power assist unit is strapped to the lower
back muscle group. Assume that it uses the default
transistors and heat sink and requires a safety
margin of TJ = 20oC. For biological considerations
the case temperature TC should not exceed 48oC
(body temperature + 11oC). Determine
(a) the maximum power that each transistor
(there are two of them) is allowed to handle PD(ea).
(b) the maximum power PL(Max) that the
circuit can deliver to the muscle group based on
PD(worst).
Answers: 2.35W, 11.6W
12-4. An ideal class-A amplifier with 12V supply
rails is used to supply an undistorted sinusoidal
signal of amplitude 10V to an output transducer of
RL = 20. Operation assumes VL = VS.
Determine:
(a) Maximum power to the load PL(Max)
(b) Maximum power from the supply = Ps.
(c) Worst-case PD(ea transistor).
Answers: 2.5W, 14.4W, 7.2W
12-5 An ideal class-B amplifier is used to drive a
sonar unit that requires PL(Max) = 20W, RL = 5
and VS = 16V. It uses 25W power transistors, with
TJMAX = 155oC for which a 20oC safety margin (TJ)
is required. Determine
(a) VL(max), VL(worst), PD(worst, ckt)
(b) Thermal resistance CA required of the heat
sink for (a) (keep in mind that class-B uses two
power transistors)
(c) Suppose that a heat sink twice as large is
used (which halves the thermal resistance CA).
Then what maximum power PD(ckt) can the circuit
can dissipate and what power PL(Max) can be
delivered to the sonar, assuming that the sonar
transducers can handle the overstress?
Answers: (a) 10.4W (b) 16.0oC/W
12-6. An ideal class-B output stage is used as a
metabolic intelligence booster for ECE students. It
operates from a battery pack that provides 5V
rails. Assume student synaptic plasticity RL = 20,
and 5W transistors with TJMAX = 150oC and heat-sink
CA = 25oC/W.

(a) For the output requirements given determine

PD(ckt, worst), and VL(worst).
(b) If operated at VL(worst).what is PS , PL and
the conversion efficiency .
(c) If the circuit is operated at maximum
metabolic boost what is TC ?

1
Analytical exercises, Circuits, Devices, Networks and Microelectronics

12-7. A ideal class-B amplifier associated with an
antenna coupler is used to drive a RL = 8 load
Available transistors are 25W with TJMAX = 150oC.
Each transistor is given a top hat heat sink that has
thermal resistance CA = 20oC/W.
12-10. The circuit shown uses Darlington
transistors 2n6059 and 2n6052, with estimated
hFE ( =super) = 750, worst case.

(a) If thermal safety margin TJ = 25oC what

maximum power can these transistors deliver to RL?
(b) What minimum supply voltage VS is
needed?

Answers: 19.7W, 17.8V

12-8. A class-AB power amplifier is to be designed

for a 6.0W, 12 load. Darlington power transistors
with F = 1250 and rated at 10W for TJMAX = 150oC,
are available. A diode biasing network with diodes
of junction size 1/20 that of the power transistors is
to be used to give class AB operation.

(a) What is the optimum VS and IS(max) ?

(b) If we require that the current through the
diodes vary by no more than a factor of 6, what Ibias
(current source) is necessary and what IQ results?
(c) Suppose that the only power supply
available has Vs = 15V. VL(Max) does not change,
and neither does the Ibias requirement. But
VL(worst), PD(worst, classB) , and PDQ do. What
are their values?
(d) What is PD(worst, total)?
(e) What size heat sinks CA are needed for each
transistor if we require a safety margin TJ = 25oC?
Design for a PL(Max) = 15W applied to an RL = 8
load and determine
(a) VS(min) and corresponding IS(max) ?
(b) VBE multiplier circuit (Ibias,,R1, R2) for
which current through R1 and R2 , IR = 0.2mA and
IC5 varies by no more than a factor of 5. Assume
that VBE = 0.7V for all transistors when at quiescent
current levels.
(c) What are the quiescent current and power
levels, IQ and PDQ, respectively
(d) What is the PD(worst, tot) for the circuit?

Answers: (a) 15.5V, 0.62A (b) 3.43mA, 3.5k,

12-9. An ideal class-B output stage operates from 10.5k
power supply rails of 12V. Assuming the default
power transistors and heat sinks, and assuming
worst-case power dissipation determine: 12-11 For problem P-10, suppose that the
assumption that hFE ( = super) = 750 is incorrect and
(a) Smallest RL that the circuit can drive that it is closer to hFE = 1500.
without exceeding the TJMAX limit of the transistors.
(b) If a junction safety factor TJ = 20oC is (a) Redesign the VBE multiplier and
imposed, what is the PD(worst) for each transistor, (b) Determine PDQ for the circuit.
VL (worst case) and the maximum allowed output
voltage VL?
(c) For the VL (max)identified by part (b)
determine the IS drawn from the power rails and
case temperature TC of each transistor.

Answers: (a) 1.68, (b) 7.33W, 7.64V, 4.64V

2
Analytical exercises, Circuits, Devices, Networks and Microelectronics
12-12 For problem 12-10, suppose that the only
power supply available is a 18V source. What is:
(a) VL(worst)
(b) PD(worst tot)
(keep in mind that PD(class B, worst) and PDQ both
change.
(c) What is the PS at V = VL(max) and the
maximum efficiency?
Answers: (a) 11.5V, (b) 12.6W (c) 26.6W
12-13 For problem P-10, suppose that the only
power supply available is a 12 V source and the
intent is that PL(max) remains unchanged.
(a) What new value of RL is necessary?
(b) What new value of Ibias and IQ are necessary?
(c) What new value of PDQ and PD(tot) result?
12-14. The circuit shown uses compound super-
beta transistors (also called the Sziklai topology).
Assume PL(max) = 20W driving an RL = 4.5 load.
Also assume sufficient symmetry in the pull and
pull-down transistor so that 1 = 2 = 25 and 3 = 4
= 40. Assume that R3, R4 divert 25% of the current
away from the base nodes of the Q1, Q2 drive
transistors (R3 , R4 increase the ON-OFF speed).
3
Determine:
(a) VL(max) and resulting IS(max) .
(b) S for each compound transistor pair.
(c) If Ibias = 4.5mA and the current IR through
R1 and R2 is elected to be 0.25mA what values result
for quiescent levels IQ and PDQ assuming VS =
VL(max)?
(d) If the power supply is VS = 15V what is
VL(worst) and PD(worst, tot) for the circuit ?
(e) For part (d) what is the PS at VL = VL(max)
and the efficiency?
Answers: (a) 13.5V, 0.96A (c) 119mA, 3.21W
(e) 31.86W, 62.8%
12-15. Standard equipment issue for the hunter-
killer garden guard-frog includes a directed energy
pulse unit capable of annihilating insects at 12 ft. It
requires 10W of power at 2MHz and has resistance
RL = 6. If it uses a power bridge with opamps
rated at 5W ea and TJMAX = 150oC, determine:
(a) Minimum power rail requirements VS and
maximum average current I S drawn from these
power rails.
(b) Assume that the opamps are constrained to
operate at TJ < 110oC and that available heat sinks
are of size CA = 20oC/W. Determine the worst case
power dissipated and the minimum number of
opamps needed to drive this load.
(c) Determine case temperature TC that results
each time the GGF fires its weapon if 4 opamps are
used to power the pulse weapon..
12-16. The handheld synaptic scrambler uses a
9V battery pack to supply the power rails. It is
driven by a power bridge construct with 4 opamps.
The opamps are constrained to TJMAX = 155oC and
rated at 5W. Each has a top-hat heat sink of thermal
resistance CA = 24oC/W. A safety margin TJ =
20oC is desired.
What is:
(a) PD(max, ea)
(b) PL(max)
(c) RL(min) for the output transducer
Answers: (a) 2.2W, (b) 21.7W
Analytical exercises, Circuits, Devices, Networks and Microelectronics

12-17. The circuit shown is a parade
commander 8W class AB wearable audio vest
unit with design requirement PDQ 5% of
PD(worst, class B). Transistors Q1 and Q2 are
5W power transistors and Q3 and Q4 are
medium power transistors. Each transistor pair
of the Sziklai form with S = 800. Voltage rails
are based on a utility belt of 3.6V Li-Ion
batteries to give VS = 7.2V.
12-18. The cuff rotator unit for the Mark-12
exoskeleton uses a power bridge to operate its 4,
40W ligature, for which VS(optimum) = 9.0V. The
unit uses 4 opamps rated at 25W and TJMAX = 155oC,
and a heat sink for each of thermal resistance CA =
20oC/W. It is essential that the opamps have a safety
margin TJ of at least 40oC. This condition is met if
a 9V battery pack is used.
Unfortunately, there are no 9V batteries left and we
have to use two 12V storage batteries. How does
this affect

(a) PD(ckt) and PD(ea)?

(b) TC and TJ ?

Will the thermal requirements be met? Confirm by

means of values for parts (a) and (b).

Choose R1 = 3.0k and assume VBE5 junction

VJ = 0.6V at quiescent and determine:

(a) VL(worst) and PD(worst, B)

(b) RL(min)
(c) Based on PDQ what is IQ?
(c) If RL = 4.0 what is IB(max) ?
(d) For Ibias,= 3.2mA what is IC5 (max)
and the size of Q5 in Watts