Power Electronics I

Lecture 13

Prof. Dr. Mostafa I. Marei

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 Ac voltage control
Three-phase Full-wave voltage controllers
The circuit diagram of the three-phase full-wave (bidirectional)
controller is shown below with a y-connected resistive load.
The firing sequence of thyristors is T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6.

T1

VA
T6 -VC T2
-VB

VC VB
T5 T.3
-VA

T4

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 To draw the waveforms for the output phase a voltage, Van , three steps
need to be done: 1) Draw the input phase A voltage and their neighboring
line voltages VAB/2 and VAC/2

0.8
-VB -VC

0.6
VAB VAC
VA
0.4

0.2

0 VC VB
-0.2

-0.4 VA

-0.6 VAB/2
o
60
-0.8
VAC/2

-1
00.5236 1.5708 2.618 3.6652 4.7124 5.7596 6.8068 7.854 8.9012 9.9484

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 2) Draw the arrows for the conduction angles of thyristors.
For Example at α=60o.

1
-VB -VC
0.8

0.6
VAB VAC
VA
0.4 T4 T5 T6
0.2

0 VC VB
-0.2 T1

-0.4
T1 T2 T3 VA

-0.6 VAB/2
o
60
-0.8
VAC/2

-1
00.5236 1.5708 2.618 3.6652 4.7124 5.7596 6.8068 7.854 8.9012 9.9484

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 3) Finally, draw the output phase voltage Van on top of the three traces
drawn before by studying the conducting thyristors for each sector.

1
-VB -VC
0.8

0.6
VAB VAC
VA
0.4 T4 T5 T6
0.2

0
VC VB
-0.2 T1

-0.4 T1 T2 T3 VA

-0.6
VAB/2
60o VAC/2
-0.8
Van
-1
00.5236 1.5708 2.618 3.6652 4.7124 5.7596 6.8068 7.854 8.9012 9.9484
For 60 o ≤ α < 90 o, only two thyristor conduct at any time.
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For 90 o ≤ α < 150 o, although two thyristors conduct at any time, there
are periods when no thyristors are on.

For α = 120 o

For α ≥ 150 o, there is no period for two conducting thyristors and the
output voltage becomes zero at α = 150 o.

The range of delay angle is

0 o ≤ α < 150 o 6
For 0 ≤ α < 60 o
Immediately before the firing of T1 , two thyristors are conducting
T5 & T6. Once T1 is fired, three thyristors conduct.
A thyristor turns off when its current attempts to reverse.
The conditions alternate between two and three conducting
thyristors.
For α = 30 o

vBA = vAC
vAC = vCB

vAB = vBC

𝑣𝐵𝐶
2 T6 -VB -VC
T5

VAB VAC
VA

T5, T5, T6, T6, T1, T1, T2,

T6 T6, T1 T1, T2 T2, T3
T1 T2 T3 VC VB
T1 T2 T3 T4 7
If we defined the instantaneous input phase voltages as:

v AN  2 Vs sin t
 2 
v BN  2 Vs sin  t  
 3 
 4 
vCN  2 Vs sin  t  
 3 

The instantaneous input line voltages as:

 
v AB  6 Vs sin  t  
 6
 
vBC  6 Vs sin  t  
 2
 7 
vCA  6 Vs sin  t  
 6 
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The rms output voltage for a Y-connected load:

Similar to half-wave controllers, the expression for the rms output

voltage depends on the range of delay angle.

For 60 o ≤ α < 90 o
4   / 3 v AB 2
Vo  [ ( ( ) dt )]1 / 2
2  2
2   / 3 / 6 sin 2 t
 6 Vs
    / 6 4
dt

1  3 sin 2 3 cos 2 …….. (1)

 6 Vs (   )
 12 16 16

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For 90 o ≤ α < 150 o;

4 5 / 6 v AB 2
Vo  [ ( ( ) dt )]1 / 2
2  2
2  sin 2 t
 6 Vs
    / 6 4
dt

1 5  sin 2 3 cos 2
 6 Vs (    ) …….. (2)
 24 4 16 16

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For 0 ≤ α < 60 o;

…….. (3)

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The power devices of a three-phase bidirectional controller can be
connected together as shown in the figure below.

This arrangement is also known as tie control and allows assembly of

all thyristors as one unit.

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Three-phase Bidirectional Delta-connected controllers

If the terminals of a three-phase system are accessible, the control

elements (or power devices) and load may be connected in delta as
shown in the figure below.

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Since the phase current is a normal three - phase system is only
1 / 3 of the line current, the current rating of thyristors would be less
than that if thyristor were placed in the line (star connected AAC
controller),

Let us assume that the instantaneous line-to-line voltages are

v AB  vab  2 Vs sin t
 2 
vBC  vbc  2 Vs sin  t  
 3 
 4 
vCA  vca  2 Vs sin  t  
 3 

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 Input line voltages

For α=120 o and resistive load:

Thyristors gating signals

Phase currents

ia = iab - ica

Line currents

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For resistive loads, the rms output phase voltage can be determined
from

…….. (4)

The rms phase current: I ab  Vo / R

The rms Thyristor current : I R  I ab / 2
2
Po 3I ab R I ab R Vo 1 sin 2 
The power factor =         
VA 3Vs I ab Vs Vs  2 
The maximum output voltage would be obtained when α = 0 , and the
control range of delay angle is
0 ≤ α ≤ π  Vs ≥ Vo ≥ 0
The line currents, which can be determined from the phase currents,
are i a  i ab  ica
ib  ibc  i ab
ic  ica  ibc 16
We can notice from the previous figure that the line currents depend
on the delay angle and my be discontinuous.

If In is the rms value of the nth harmonic component of a phase

current, the rms value of phase current can be found from

Due to the delta connection, the triplen harmonic components (i.e.

Those of order n=3m, where m is an odd integer) of the phase
currents would flow around the delta and would not appear in the line.
The rms line current becomes

As a result, the rms value of line current would not follow the normal
relationship of a three-phase system such that

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 α=90 o

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An alternative form of delta-connected controllers which requires
three thyristors and simplifies the control circuitry is shown in the figure
below. This arrangement is also known as a neutral-point controller.

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