Selecting Gate Drivers for HVAC Systems
Abstract
Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems consist of subsystems that require a switching power device. Depending on the subsystem, different challenges arise when selecting a gate driver IC to drive the switching power device. This application note reviews the power factor correction (PFC), motor drive, and DC/DC switching converter stages in HVAC systems, summarizes the switching requirements for each stage, and provides examples of non-isolated gate drivers that can be used to drive the switching power devices found in the aforementioned stages.
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1 Introduction
HVAC systems are used to maintain a comfortable environment inside industrial, commercial, and residential buildings. HVAC systems are typically used to control the air in the environment and consist of ventilation systems, heating systems, and air-cooling systems.
For more HVAC applications, Texas Instruments covers a variety of applications found in the HVAC system applications page.
Modern HVAC systems use gate drivers in different subsystems, such as power factor correction (PFC) circuits, DC/DC converters, and motor drives. This application note discusses the usage of gate drivers in industrial, commercial, and residential HVAC systems, including guidelines in selecting a gate driver and key features to consider for each subsystem. Figure 1-1 shows a block diagram of an outdoor air conditioner and highlights typical subsystems where gate drivers are used.
Figure 1-1 Outdoor Air Conditioner Block Diagram
