CHAPTER TWO

Line or Naturally Commutated

Converters





Introduction
The main function of the converter called
rectifier is to convert ac power into dc power,
mainly for highly inductive loads.

The converters are of three types:
Uncontrolled converter
Fully controlled converter
Half or Semi-controlled converter





Introduction Contd
Uncontrolled converter
This circuit employs diodes to provide a
fixed output voltage from a given ac supply.
They are used in many power electronics
applications such as switching dc power
supplies, ac motor drives and dc servo
motors.
In most of these applications, the rectifiers
are directly fed from the ac source, i.e.
without power transformers.



Introduction Contd
Fully controlled converter
This circuit uses SCRs to provide an
adjustable output voltage by controlling
what we call phase or firing angle of the
SCR.

The load voltage can also reverse thus
allowing power inversion.


Fully controlled converter Contd
Turn-off of switching devices is brought
about by ac line voltage reverse-biasing
the SCRs, a process called natural or line
commutation.

They are used in applications such as high-
voltage dc power transmissions and dc
motor and ac motor drives where
regeneration is required.


Introduction Contd
Half or Semi-controlled converter
It uses a combination of diodes and
SCRs.

Its output voltage is adjustable but it only
allows power flow from the supply to the
load.


Half or Semi-controlled converter contd
They are used in applications where
adjustable dc voltage is required but
regeneration is not.

Examples are dc power supplies with
adjustable dc output voltage, battery
chargers and dc motor drives where
regeneration is not required.


Introduction Contd
In this chapter, we analyze practical
single- and three-phase thyristor
converters.

The diode converter is considered to be a
special case of the fully controlled
thyristor converter where the firing angle
is zero.


Introduction Contd
After going through this chapter, the
student will know
the converter configurations,

understand the operation of these circuits
and also

know the analytical expressions required to
determine their performances.


1-Phase Fully Controlled Bridge Converter
or Rectifier

It is a 2-pulse bridge converter

It uses 4 SCRs to control the average load
voltage.

The circuit is shown on the next slide















Fig. 2.1 Single-phase fully controlled bridge
converter circuit



Analysis of Single-Phase Controlled
Converter
Case I: Converter Feeding Highly Inductive
Load

In a practical circuit, there is a source
inductance L
s
on the ac side and a load
inductance L
d
on the dc side.


Analysis of Single-Phase Controlled
Converter
Case I: Converter Feeding Highly Inductive
Load Contd
In this analysis, it is assumed that L
s
is zero
and L
d
is infinite. With the assumption that
, is constant.

The effects of L
s
not being zero and L
d
not
being infinite will be considered later
d d
I t i = ) (
=
d
L

The converter uses two groups of SCRs:
one group consists of T
1
and T
3

which have common cathode
connection and

the other consists of T
2
and T
4
which
have a common anode connection.

The two groups operate independently of
each other.
If the gate currents to the SCRs were applied
continuously, then they would behave like
diodes and
for the common cathode connection, the
thyristor with its anode at the highest
potential would conduct and

for the common anode connection, the
SCRs with its cathode at the lowest
potential would conduct.
It follows that if the SCRs were gated
continuously,

then T
1
and T
2
would start conducting as
soon as the voltage v
s
became positive

and T
3
and T
4
would start conducting as
soon as the voltage v
s
became negative.


Using gate current pulses,
the start of conduction can be delayed by
time

with respect to where as diodes they would
naturally start conducting.

The angle is called the firing angle

or delay angle.
e
o
=
d
t

o



SCRs T
1
and T
2
are fired simultaneously
during the positive half wave of the source
voltage and

SCRs T
3
and T
4
fired simultaneously during
the negative half wave of the source
voltage.

To ensure simultaneous firing, each pair of
SCRs uses the same firing signal.



When T
1
and T
2
are conducting
When T
3
and T
4
are conducting










S d
v v =

S d
v v =


d t t s
t t
d t t
I i i i
i i
I i i
= =
= =
= =
4 1
4 3
2 1
0
d t t s
t t
d t t
I i i i
i i
I i i
= =
= =
= =
4 1
2 1
4 3
0














Fig. 2.2 Waveforms of the fully controlled bridge rectifier with =
d
L



Output Voltage
The output voltage

Has two pulses per cycle.
The average or mean value of the output voltage:





where V
s
is the rms value of the source voltage.
o t e o e + s s = t t V v
d
for sin
max

| |
o
t
o
t
u
t
u u
t
o
o t
o t
o
cos
2 2
cos
2
cos sin
max
max max
s
do
V V
V
d
V
V
= =
= =
+
+
}



The rms value of the output voltage:








( )
2
1
2
max
2
1
2 2
max
2 cos 1
2
1
sin
1
) (
(

=
(

=
}
}
+
+
o t
o
o t
o
u u
t
u u
t
d
V
d V RMS V
d



The rms value of the output voltage:








( )
2
1
2
max
2
1
2
max
2
2 sin
2
2 sin
2
2
2 sin
2
(
(

|
.
|

\
|
+
+
=
(
(

=
+
c o t
t
t
u
u
t
o t
o
V
V

s
V
V
= =
2
max



Input Line Current
The input current is given by


It is a square waveform with amplitude

The waveform is phase shifted from the
source voltage by the delay angle .

4 1 t t s
i i i =

o

d
I



Input Line Current Contd
It can be expressed in terms of its Fourier
components as


From the basic definition of rms, the rms
value of the input current can be shown to
be

Note that

=
,... 5 , 3 , 1
) ( sin 4
) (
k
d
s
k
t k I
t i
o e
t
e
d S
I I =




Voltages and Currents of Thyristors
The peak inverse or reverse voltage

The peak value of the thyristor current

From KCL

Hence and

s RM
V V V 2
max
= =

d T
I I =
max

d T T
I i i = +
3 1
d T T
I AV I AV I = + ) ( ) (
3 1
2 ) (
d T
I AV I =



Voltages and Currents of Thyristors Contd
Because T
1
and T
3
do not conduct
simultaneously, we can also write

Hence
or

or

or
2 2
3
2
1 d T T
I i i = +

) ( ) ( ) (
2 2
3
2
1 d T T
I Av i Av i Av = +

2 2
3
2
1
) ( ) (
d T T
I RMS I RMS I = +

2 ) (
d T
I RMS I =

2 2
) ( 2
d
T
I RMS I =
Power and Some Performance Parameters
The total harmonic distortion (THD) of the
input current is given by




Since the semiconductor switches are
considered to be ideal,
the input power = the output power.
( )
( )
% 43 . 48 100
9 . 0
9 . 0
100
2
2
2 2
2
2 2 2
1
2
1
2
=

=
d
d d
I
I
d
s
s s
I
I I
I
I
I I
THD
d
d
t
t

Power and Some Performance Parameters
Contd
The input power is given by



And the output power by


t
o
|
cos 2 2
cos
1
1 1
0
s d
s s
T
s s
V I
I V dt i v
T
P = = =
}

t
o cos 2 2 1
0 0
s d
d do
T
d
d
T
d d
V I
I V dt v
T
I
dt I v
T
P = = = =
} }

Power and Some Performance Parameters
Contd
The displacement factor defined as the
cosine of the phase angle between the
fundamental component of the input current
and voltage is given by

Input power factor


o | cos cos
1
= = DPF

o cos 9 . 0 DPF
power apparent input
power input
1
= = =
s
s
I
I
PF

Power and Some Performance Parameters
Contd
The output dc power



And the output ac power

d
s
d do dc dc dc
I
V
I V I V P = = = o
t
cos
2 2

d s d d ac
I V RMS I RMS V P = = ) ( ) (

Power and Some Performance Parameters
Contd
Therefore the rectification efficiency is




Transformer utilization factor

o o
t
q cos 9 . 0 cos
2 2
= = =
ac
dc
P
P

o cos 9 . 0
power apparent input
= = =
d s
dc dc
I V
P P
TUF