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Three-Phase Rectifiers

The highest possible value of average output voltage from a single-phase full-wave
rectifier is (2Vm/π) = 0.63662Vm. At the same time, single-phase rectifiers are
suitable up to power loads of about 15 KW. For higher power demands three-phase
rectifiers are preferred due to the following reasons:
(i) Higher dc voltage
(ii) Less ripple content in output current; therefore better load performance
(iii) lower size of filter circuit parameters.
Three-phase rectifiers are classified as under:
(a) Three-phase half-wave rectifier

(b) Three-phase mid-point, 6-pulse rectifier

(c) Three-phase bridge rectifier and

(d) Three-phase 12-pulse rectifier.

Three-phase half-wave rectifier

Circuit diagram of a three-phase half-wave rectifier using three diodes is shown in

Fig.12. The three diodes D1, D2 and D3, one in each phase, have their cathodes
connected together to common load R. As the cathodes of three diodes are connected
together, circuit of Fig.12 is also known as common-cathode circuit for a 3-phase
half-wave rectifier. The three-phase supply voltage is shown as va, vb and vc.

Fig.12 Three-phase half-wave rectifier with common cathode arrangement

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The rectifier element connected to the line at the highest positive instantaneous
voltage can only conduct. In Fig.12, a diode with the highest positive voltage will
begin to conduct at the cross-over points of the three-phase supply.

It is seen from Fig. 13 (a) that diode Dl will conduct for ωt =30° to ωt =150° as this
diode senses the most positive voltage va as compared to the other two diodes, during
the interval. Diode D2 will conduct from ωt = 150° to 270° and diode D3 from ωt =
270° to 390°. The conduction of diodes in proper sequence is shown in Fig. 13 (b). It
is observed that for one cycle of supply voltage, output voltage has three pulses, the
circuit of Fig. 12 can therefore be called a 3-phase 3-pulse diode rectifier or 3-phase
half-wave diode rectifier. The average output voltage obtained over one cycle is

Fig. 13 (a ) Line to neutral source voltages (b) diode conduction (c) load voltage
(d ) load current (e ) source current and (f) voltage across diode Dl.
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Consider now a three-phase half-wave diode rectifier with common-anode

arrangement as shown in Fig. 14. In this circuit, a diode will conduct only during the
most negative part of the supply voltage cycle. Each diode conducts for 120°. The
load voltage waveform vo derived from Fig. 15 (d), follows the negative supply
voltage envelope.

Fig.14 Three-phase half-wave rectifier with common anode arrangement

Fig. 15 (a) Line to neutral source voltages (b) diode conduction for Fig.12, (e) diode
conduction for Fig. 14, (d) load voltage.

The three-phase half-wave rectifier circuits of Figs. 12 and 14 can be connected in

series as shown in Fig. 16 (b). The circuit configuration shown in Fig. 16 (d) is called
3-phase full-wave bridge rectifier, or 3-phase six-pulse bridge rectifier
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Three-phase bridge Rectifier

In a 3-phase bridge rectifier each leg has two series-connected diodes. Upper diodes
Dl, D3, D5 constitute the positive group of diodes. The lower diodes D2, D4, D6 form
the negative group of diodes.

Fig. 16. Three-phase six-pulse rectifier (b) circuit obtained from Fig. 12 and Fig.14
(c) circuit of (b) rearranged and (d) diode numbering scheme altered.

It is seen from the source voltage waveform Vs of Fig. 17 (a) that from ωt = 30° to
150°, voltage va is more positive than the voltages vb and vc Therefore, diode D1
connected to line 'a' conducts during the interval ω = 30° to 150°. Likewise, from ωt =
150° to 270°, voltage vb is more positive as compared to va and vc, therefore, diode D3
connected to line 'b' conducts during this interval. Similarly, diode D5 from the
positive group conducts from ωt = 2700 to 3900 and so on. Voltage vc is the most
negative from ωt =900 to 2100 • Therefore, negative group diode D2 connected to line
'c' conducts during this interval. Similarly, diode D4 conducts from 2100 to 3300 and
diode D6 from 3300 to 4500 and so on.

Average value of load voltage Voav

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Fig. 17 Three-phase diode-bridge rectifier (a) 3-phase input voltage waveform

(b) conduction sequence of diodes (c) output voltage waveform (d) input current
waveform (e) diode current waveform through Dl and (j) voltage variation across
diode Dl .
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Example (5)

A 3-phase bridge rectifier, using diodes, delivers power to a load of R = 10Ω at a dc

voltage of 400 V. Determine the maximum value of line voltage, rms value of phase
voltage and the maximum value of load current.

Solution:

It is given the dc output voltage.