Joós, G

IGEE 401 – Power Electronic Systems

Solution to Midterm Examination

Fall 2004

Special instructions:
- Duration: 75 minutes.
- Material allowed: a crib sheet (double sided 8.5 x 11), calculator.
- Attempt all questions. Make any reasonable assumption.
- All questions and sub-questions carry equal weight.
- Return the completed answer sheet attached.

1. QUESTION 1 (25 points)

A single-phase diode rectifier, fed from a 240 V, 60 Hz mains, supplies an R-L load (series
connection). The load has a dc resistance of 10 Ω, and a time constant of 300 ms.
a) Draw the waveform of the output voltage and current of the rectifier, indicating maximum
and minimum values. Draw the waveform of the voltage across the resistance and the
inductance. Give the average value of the inductor voltage.
b) Find the average rectifier output voltage and current. Compute the power delivered to the
load.
c) Draw the input ac line current waveform, indicating the peak value. Compute the rms
value. Compute the apparent input power and power factor.
d) Draw the waveform of the current in each diode. Given the voltage drop in the diode to be
2 V, compute the losses in the rectifier, assuming switching losses are negligible.
Compute the efficiency of the rectifier.

Solution:
L = τR = 0.3 × 10 = 3 H
(a) Waveforms of the output voltage and current of the rectifier are:
IGEE 401 – Power Electronic Systems Joós, G.
Midterm examination – Fall 2004

Vmax = 2 × 240 = 339.36 V; Vmin =0 V;

Waveform of the voltage across the resistance:

Waveform of the voltage across the inductance:

VL = 0 V
(b) Vo = 0.9 × 240 = 216 V;
I 0 = Vo / R = 216 / 10 = 21.6 A;
P0 = Vo × I 0 = 4665.6 W.
(c) Input ac line current waveform:

I i⋅ peak = 21.6 A;
RMS value of input current: I i = I i⋅ peak = 21.6 A;

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IGEE 401 – Power Electronic Systems Joós, G.
Midterm examination – Fall 2004

Apparent input power: S = Vi I i = 240 × 21.6 = 5184 VA;

P
Power factor: p. f . = P= o = 0.9.
S S
(d) Waveform of the current in diodes 1 and 4:

Waveform of the current in diodes 2 and 3:

Loss of diode: Pd ⋅loss = Vd I d / 2 = 2 × 21.6 / 2 = 21.6 W;

Loss of rectifier: Pr ⋅loss = 4 × Pd ⋅loss = 86.4 W
Efficiency of the rectifier: = 1 − Pr ⋅loss / Po = 1-86.4/4665.6= 0.98 = 98%.

2. QUESTION 1 (25 points)

A single-phase ac controller, fed from a 575 V, 3 phase 60 Hz mains, is used to control the
current in an inductor. The inductor impedance is 10 Ω, at 60 Hz.
a) Draw the voltage and current waveform of the inductor for a firing angle of 105 deg. Show
the extinction angle of the current and give the average value of the inductor voltage for
each half cycle.
b) Draw the line current waveform. Compute the rms value, assuming that the rms value for
105 deg is 0.5 pu of the maximum current. Compute the real and reactive power
consumed.
c) Give the angles for which the current is maximum and minimum. Draw the theoretical
relationship between the current in the inductor and the delay angle using the 3 known
points.
d) Indicate the approximate harmonic spectrum of the line current. Add the thyristor
controlled circuit required to provide a leading power factor. Indicate differences with the
inductor circuit.

Solution:

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IGEE 401 – Power Electronic Systems Joós, G.
Midterm examination – Fall 2004

(a) Waveforms of the inductor voltage and current are:

Extinction angle: β = 360 − α = 360 − 105 = 255 degree;

Average value of the inductor voltage for each half cycle: VL = 0 V. (Average period starts
from conduction point, namely α=105˚, and spans half cycle)
(b) Line current waveform is:

The maximum current achieves when α=90˚, and the value is:
I max = V / X = 575/10 = 57.5 A;
Thus, I = 0.5I max =0.5*57.5 = 28.75 A;
P = 0 W;
Q = S = V × I = 575*28.75 = 16531.25 Var.
(c) Angles for which the current is maximum and minimum:
α max =90˚, α min =180˚;
Relationship using the 3 known points:
α 90˚ 105˚ 180˚
Io (A) 57.5 28.75 0

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IGEE 401 – Power Electronic Systems Joós, G.
Midterm examination – Fall 2004

Io
α=90˚

α=105˚

α=180˚ α

(d) The approximate harmonic spectrum of the line current:

Adding a thyristor controlled capacitor can provider a leading power factor. Thus by
adjusting the firing angle of thyristors, the device can either provide reactive power to, or
absorb reactive power from the system. (Please refer to Lab 1.)

3. QUESTION 2 (25 points)

A single-phase fully controlled thyristor rectifier, fed from a 240 V, 60 Hz ac mains,
supplies the field winding of a dc motor. The winding is rated 1.5 kW at 100 V. The time
constant is 300 ms.
a) Compute the delay angle for rated voltage. Draw the approximate output voltage and load
current waveforms. Find the average value of the output voltage and current, indicating
maximum and minimum values, and the power consumed by the load.
b) Plot the average rectifier output voltage as a function of delay angle, and give the value of
the voltage for angles of 0, 60, 90 and 150 deg. Draw the approximate voltage waveform
for these angles.
c) Draw the input line current waveform for rated winding current, estimating the peak value.
Estimate the rms and peak values of the fundamental component.
d) For rated voltage, compute the input power, the apparent power, the power factor, the
displacement factor and the reactive power absorbed. Draw the approximate Q-P plot as a
function of the delay angle, for angles of 0, 60, 90 and 150 deg.

Solution:
I r = Pr / Vr =1500 / 100 = 15A;
R = Vr / I r = 100 / 15 = 6.667 ohm;
L = τR = 0.3 × 6.667 = 2 H
(a) Vo = 0.9Vi cos α = Vr Ö cos α =100/(0.9*240) =0.463 Ö α=62.4˚;
Approximate output voltage and load current waveforms:

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IGEE 401 – Power Electronic Systems Joós, G.
Midterm examination – Fall 2004

Average value of the output voltage and current are:

Vo = 100 V, I 0 = 15 A;
Vo max = 0.9 × 240 = 216 V; Vo min =0 V;
P0 = Vo × I 0 = 1500 W
(b) Vo = 0.9Vi cos α , α ∈ [0,90 o ] ;
(Note there is NO voltage source in the DC side. Thus if α excesses 90 degree, output
voltage is 0)
α 0˚ 60˚ 90˚ 150˚
Vo (V) 216 108 0 0
Rectifier output voltage waveform for angles of 0 degree:

Rectifier output voltage waveform for angles of 60 degree:

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IGEE 401 – Power Electronic Systems Joós, G.
Midterm examination – Fall 2004

Rectifier output voltage waveform for angles of 90 degree:

Rectifier output voltage waveform for angles of 150 degree:

(c) Input line current waveform:

I i⋅ peak = 15 A;
RMS and peak values of the fundamental component:
I i1 = 0.9 I i⋅ peak = 13.5 A;
I i1 peak = 2 I i1 = 19.1A;
(d) For rated voltage, the input power Pi = Po = 1500 W;
RMS value of input current: I i = I i⋅ peak = 15 A;
The apparent power, S = Vi I i =240*15 = 3600 VA;
Pi
The power factor, p. f . = = 1500 / 3600 = 0.417;
S
The displacement factor: p. f .disp. = cos α =0.463;
The reactive power absorbed, Q = S 2 − P 2 = 3273 Var.

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IGEE 401 – Power Electronic Systems Joós, G.
Midterm examination – Fall 2004

Draw the approximate Q-P plot as a function of the delay angle, for angles of 0, 60, 90 and
150 degree:

Q
α=90˚
α=150˚ α=60˚

α=0˚
P

4. QUESTION 3 (25 points)

A three-phase thyristor rectifier, fed from a 575 V, 3 phase 60 Hz mains, is used to control
the field of an ac generator. The field is rated at 200 V, 5 kW and the time constant is
equal to 300 ms.
a) Draw the output voltage waveform for a delay angle of 0 deg. Give the average value, the
frequency of the first 3 harmonic components and draw the approximate harmonic
spectrum, indicating the dc component.
b) Find the delay angle corresponding to the rated voltage. Draw the rectifier output voltage
waveform, indicating the period and peak to peak amplitude of the voltage ripple.
c) Draw the input line current waveform for rated dc current, indicating the peak and rms
values. Compute the rms value of the fundamental component.
d) Compute the input power, the power factor, the displacement factor and the reactive
power absorbed.

Solution:
I r = Pr / Vr =5000 / 200 = 25A;
R = Vr / I r = 200 / 25 = 8 ohm;
L = τR = 0.3 × 8 = 2.4 H
(a) Waveforms of the output voltage and current of the rectifier are:

Vo = 1.35 × Vi = 1.35*575 = 776.25 V

The frequencies of the first 3 harmonic components are 360Hz, 720Hz, and 1080Hz.
The approximate harmonic spectrum:

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IGEE 401 – Power Electronic Systems Joós, G.
Midterm examination – Fall 2004

(b) Vo = 1.35Vi cos α = Vr Ö cos α =200/(1.35*575) =0.258 Ö α=75.1˚;

Rectifier output voltage waveform:

Period: T= 1/60/6 = 0.002778 s = 2.778 ms;

vip + = 2 × 575 sin(60 o + α ) = 574 V
v ip − = 2 × 575 sin( 60 o
+ α + 60 o ) = - 212 V
∆vip = vip + − vip − = 574 – (– 212) = 786 V
(c) The input line current waveform for rated dc current:

I i⋅ peak = 25 A;
RMS value of input current: I i = 2 I
3 i ⋅ peak = 20.4 A;
RMS value of fundamental component: I i1 = 0.78 I i⋅ peak = 19.5 A;
(d) For rated voltage, the input power Pi = Po = 5000 W;
The apparent power, S = 3Vi I i =1.732*575*20.4 = 20316.36 VA;
Pi
The power factor, p. f . = = 5000 / 20316.36 = 0.246;
S
The displacement factor: p. f .disp. = cos α = 0.258;
The reactive power absorbed, Q = S 2 − P 2 = 19691 Var.

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