Optimum nonlinear turn-off snubbers: design and application

The optimization of the general turn-off snubber, consisting of a nonlinear saturable snubber capacitor with an energy recovery circuit, is done in terms of minimum total energy loss in the power electronic turn-off circuit. To analyze this nonlinear circuit without a computer simulation, a two-step piecewise-linear approximation of the capacitor´s capacitance-voltage curve is presented. Results regarding the total energy loss in the circuit during the switch turn-off indicate that the nonlinear capacitor as a snubber element is superior to the normal linear capacitor even if the ceramic capacitor is used only up to its specified voltage value