University of Sunderland

FACULTY OF TECHOLOGY

ELX303

Electrical Power

EXAMINATION

Date: May 2019 Time:

Instructions to Candidates:

Time allowed - 3 hours

There are SIX questions set. You must attempt

FOUR questions. All questions carry equal marks.

This is a closed book examination – this means you are

not permitted to use any text books or study aids in
the examination.

Non-programmable calculators are allowed.

You must answer the required number of questions

only.

You should put a cross through any work you do not

wish to be marked.
 Question 1

a) It is important to manage heat dissipation for power control components such as Thyristor.
Draw the following and label your drawings:

(i) A top view of a Thyristor mounted to a heatsink

(5 Marks)
(ii) The equivalent heat schematic
(5 Marks)

b) A thyristor in a fully-controlled converter that supplies 660 A to a D.C. load is mounted on a

0.5 kg aluminium heat sink. If the forward voltage across the device is 1.5 V, and aluminium
has a specific heat capacity of 895 J(kg °C)–1. The ambient temperature is 40 °C maximum
and the thyristor is mounted directly on the heat sink.

(i) Calculate the steady state temperature of the thyristor junction, given that the
thermal resistance of the heat sink is 0.15 °C W–1 and that of the device is 0.12°CW– 1.
(3 Marks)
(ii) How long does the heat sink take to reach a steady-state temperature?
(2 Marks)
c) The thyristor/heat sink arrangement of the previous question is subject to a non-repetitive
overload of 1320 A (twice full-load).

(i) How long may this overload be sustained without danger of overheating the junction
of the device, with TJ = 125oC max?
(5 Marks)
d) The 11kV/415V, three-phase, 50 Hz, 2.5 MVA transformer feeding a converter has a
reactance of 0.05 p.u. If the snubber resistance and capacitor in parallel with each power
device in the converter are 100Ω and 0.1F respectively.
dV
(i) Calculate the maximum across each device.
dt
(5 Marks)
 Question 2

a) Explain how an arc is generated in a switchgear when it is interrupting a fault current and
how this may cause damage. State two methods of arc extinction in circuit breakers. Then
explain the objectives of achieving arc interruption for each method.

(10 Marks)

b) Describe one technique of achieving arc interruption in medium voltage A.C. switchgear.
Sketch a typical waveform found in high voltage switchgear. Describe why it is important to
ensure that the medium between the moving and fixed contacts of the switchgear has
sufficient dielectric strength at the point of arc extinction. Explain how ‘sufficient dielectric
strength’ is ensured at this point.

(7 Marks)

c) List the six operational requirements of switchgear.

(6 Marks)

d) What is the symmetrical breaking current and asymmetrical making current of a circuit
breaker with a 250MVA symmetrical breaking capacity and rated voltage of 6.6KV? Given that
the maximum offset for the transient is 1.8.

(2 Marks)
 Question 3

a) A dual-converter supplies power to a 560 V, 50 A, separately excited D.C. motor with an

armature resistance of 1.4 Ω. The voltage drop on the bridge thyristors is 2VT = 4 V, at rated
motor current. Power is supplied by an ideal three-phase source with a line voltage of 415 V.
Find the necessary firing-angle and motor back e.m.f. for:

(i) Motoring operation at rated load current with a motor terminal voltage of 500 V
(8 Marks)
(ii) Regeneration operation at rated load current with a terminal voltage of 500 V.
(5 Marks)

b) The speed control of an AC motor can be achieved by using 2 common types of drive circuit,
namely the six step and the PWM types.

(i) Describe with the aim of diagrams, the difference between the two types of controller.
You should list and explain the power electronic devices used, as well as the details of
the DC link for each device.

(12 Marks)
 Question 4

a) Certain countries including the UK have strict legal requirements which stipulate that certain
transmission and distribution voltages are kept within given parameters.

(i) Explain how poor power factor affects lines losses and explain two methods that can
be employed to provide compensation.
(6 Marks)

b) A three-phase overhead line has a load of 30MW, the line voltage is 33kV and power factor is
0.85 lagging. The receiving end has a synchronous compensator, 33kV is maintained at both
ends of the line.

(i) Calculate the MVAr of the compensator given that the line resistance is 6.5Ω per phase
and inductance reactance is 20Ω per phase.

(6 Marks)

(ii) Repeat your calculation using the short-circuit current at node method. Compare and
explain the difference between the results.

(10 Marks)

(iii) In practice, most of the compensation calculations tend to be approximations. Explain

this inherent variability in terms of these calculations.

(3 Marks)
 Question 5

a) Classify the flowing converters as shown Figures 1, 2 & 3 as A.C./D.C., A.C./A.C. direct or
A.C./A.C. indirect, and state whether they have unidirectional or bidirectional power flow.

(i)

Figure 1
(3 Marks)

(ii)

Figure 2
(3 Marks)

(iii)

Figure 3
(3 Marks)
b) A 3 MVA supply transformer to a fully-controlled three-phase rectifier has a per-unit
resistance of 0.02 and a per-unit reactance of 0.05. The transformer ratio is 11 kV/415 V with
a supply short-circuit level of 100 MVA at the 11 kV supply terminals. The rectifier supplies a
1.2 MW load at 300 V d.c. and the forward voltage drop across each thyristor is 1.5 V in the
on state.

Determine and prove each of the regulation effects in the system, and the firing angle to
maintain 300 V to the load at 1.2 MW, assuming a nominal transformer secondary voltage of
415 V.

i) Show that the Thyristor Forward Voltage Drop is 1.5V (1 Mark)

ii) Show that the Supply Resistive Drop is 11.73V (2 Marks)
iii) Show that the Full-Load Current (Transformer) is 4.1736kA (2 Marks)
iv) Show that the rms Current is 3.266kA (2 Marks)
v) Show that the Firing Angle is 53.948˚ (9 Marks)
 Question 6

a) Determine the firing angle α of a delayed full-wave rectified sinewave which has an average
value of half the maximum value Ym, as shown in Figure 4:

Figure 5 – Delayed Full-Wave Rectified Sinewave

(8 Marks)

b) A single-phase input voltage Eo is feeding a thyristor that has a complex load in series, as
shown in Figure 2. Derive the mathematical expression for the voltage across the load based
on the graph also shown in Figure 2.

Figure 6 – Complex Load

(5 Marks)

c) Determine the power factor that the generator must operate at in Figure 7 to deliver power
at the power factors stated. All p.u. values are referred to the voltage bases shown and 100
MVA. You may ignore the reactive loss in the generator-transformer.
 Load A = 52MW, p.f. = 1
Load B = 202MW, p.f. = 0.8 Lagging

Figure 7 – Network
(12 Marks)

END OF PAPER