EEng-6024

Power System II
Advanced Power electronics for utility
application

Yoseph Mekonnen

Page 1
Lecture 3
Rectifiers

Page 2
 Three Phase Rectifier
 Commonly used in high power applications.
 Gives six pulse ripple in the output voltage.
T
1
Vdc   VL ( )d
T 0
2 / 3
6

2 
/3
3Vm sin( )d

3 3Vm
  1.654Vm

1/ 2
1T 2 
Vrms    VL ( )d 
T 0 

 
2 / 3
6 2
 3Vm sin( ) d
2  /3

3 9 3
 Vm     1.655Vm

 2 4 
cos(2 )  1  2 sin 2 ( )

Page 3
 Controlled Rectifier
 SCR: Acts like a diode where you can select when conduction
will start, but not when it stops.

Fig. Two-transistor behavioral model of a

thyristor.

 Stay off until a gate pulse is applied while VAK> 0.

 Once on, behaves like a diode and does not turn off until i ->0.
 To stay off (after VAK > 0 again) must have i stay at 0 for a
short time tq-> (10 –l00us)
 Thyristor is a semi-controlled device: we control the turn on
point, but only turns off when circuit conditions force it to.

Page 4
 …Contd..

AC-DC converters employing thyristor are extensively

used for changing constant ac input voltage to controlled dc
output voltage.
 In a controlled rectifiers, a thyristor is tuned off as AC
supply voltage reverse biases it, provided anode current has
fallen to level below the holding current.

Controlled rectifiers have a wide range of applications,

from small rectifiers to large high voltage direct current
(HVDC) transmission systems.
They are used in many kinds of motor drives, traction
equipment, controlled power supplies, and many other
applications.

Page 5
Single-Phase Half Wave Controlled rectifiers

A single-phase half-wave rectifier uses a single thyristor

to control the load voltage.
The thyristor will conduct, ON state, when the voltage VT
is positive and a firing current pulse iG is applied to the gate
terminal.
Delaying the firing pulse by an angle ‘α’ does the control of
the load voltage. T
The firing angle ‘α’ is measured from the position where a
diode would naturally conduct.

Page 6
 …Contd..

Since the load is resistive and therefore the load current

has the same waveform as the load voltage.
The thyristor goes to the non-conducting condition, OFF
state, when the load voltage and, consequently, the current
try to reach a negative value.

Page 7
Single-Phase Full Wave Controlled rectifiers
Thyristors T1 and T2 must be fired simultaneously during the positive
half-wave of the source voltage Vs to allow conduction of current.
Alternatively, thyristors T3 and T4 must be fired simultaneously
during the negative half wave of the source voltage.
Resistive Load

Page 8
 RL Load

RL Load
A high-load inductance generates a
perfectly filtered current and the rectifier
behaves like a current source.
With continuous load current, thyristors
T1 and T2 remain in the on-state beyond
the positive half-wave of the source
voltage Vs.
For this reason, the load voltage Vd
can have a negative instantaneous
value.
The firing of thyristors T3 and T4 has
two effects:
a. they turn off thyristors T1 and T2; and
b. After the commutation, they conduct
the load current.

Page 9
 3 phase

Three phase Controlled Rectifiers Switch Output Voltage

Pair
Firing T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6
Angle T1T6 Vab
00 600 1200 1800 2400 3000 3600 T1T2 Vac
600 1200 1800 2400 3000 3600 4200 T3T2 Vbc
900 1500 2100 2700 3300 3900 4500 T3T4 Vba
T5T4 Vca
T5T6 Vcb
T1T6 Vab

Page 10