AC to DC Power Conversion

Now and in the Future

PCIC-2001-14

Tony Siebert Anders Troedson Stephan Ebner

Member, IEEE Member, IEEE Member, IEEE
ABB Automation, Inc ABB Automation, Inc ABB Industrie AG
P.O. Box 372P.O. Box 372 CH- 5300 Turgi
Milwaukee, WI 53201 Milwaukee, WI 53201 Switzerland
USA USA
 Agenda

• Introduction
• System Design Factors
• Technology Assessment
–
• Technology Comparison
• Innovative Information Technology (IT) support
• Conclusions

-2-
 Rectifier History
1902 Invention of Semiconductor Diode (Crystal type)
1947 Invention of Transistor

1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000

1950 Development of Contact Rectifier

1939 First 50 kV HVDC transmission
1925 Mercury-Arc rectifier for grid control
1913 Fist Mercury-Arc rectifier

Mercury Arc Rectifier Contact Rectifier

-3-
 Rectifier History
Introduction of Thyristor Technology
Introduction of Diode Technology

1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000

1958 First semicond. Diode rectifier

1960 First diode plant > 100 kA
1968 First thyristor rectifier
1970 First diode rectifier unit > 100 kA

Thyristor Rectifier Diode Rectifier

-4-
 Rectifier History
Ongoing Development of Thyristor Rectifier Technology
Ongoing Development of Diode Rectifier Technology

1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000

1985 First thyristor rectifier for Aluminium Smelter

1990 First thyristor rectifier for DC-Arc Furnace

2” Thyristor Rectifier 3” Thyristor Rectifier 4” Thyristor Rectifier

-5-
 Rectifier History
Introduction of IGCT Technology
Introduction of GTO Technology
Introduction of IGBT Technology

1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000

Mid-1990’s first Chopper rectifier in Eletrolysis

IGBT Chopper Module PowerPac3

IGCT Chopper Module
-6-
 System design and decision factors
AC-Network Design Parameter
Ä Voltage level / voltage variation
Ä Frequency / frequency variation
Ä Available short circuit capability
Ä Allowed power factor
Ä Allowed harmonic distortion
Further Decision Factors
Ä System reliability
Ä System efficiency
Ä Reparability and diagnostics
Ä Footprint and mechanical dimension
-7-
DC-Process Design Parameter
Ä Voltage / current operating range
Ä Voltage / current ripple
Ä Voltage / current regulation accuracy
Ä Voltage / current regulation speed
Ä Overload capabilities
Ä Investment- / install- / life-cycle cost
Ä Production load schedule criteria
Ä Energy day-time tariffs criteria
Ä Plant start-up / lay-off criteria
 Process Ratings

Typical Rectifier Rating

Rectifier Application Current (Amps) Voltage (DC)
Chemical electrolysis 5,000 - 150,000 40 - 1,000 Volts
Aluminum potline 10,000 - 300,000 < 1,300 Volts
DC Arc Furnace 50,000 - 130,000 600 - 1,150 Volts
Graphitizing Furnaces 20,000 - 120,000 50 - 250 Volts
Zinc/Lead, etc electrolysis 5,000 - 100,000 100 - 1,000 Volts
Copper refining 10,000 - 50,000 40 - 350 Volts
Traction substations 1,000 - 5,000 500 - 1,500 Volts
LV AC Drive (DC bus) 0 - 10,000 250 - 1,000 Volts
MV Drive (DC bus) 0 - 5,000 3,400 - 6,000 Volts

-8-
 Technology Assessment

• Diode

• Thyristor

• Diode and DC/DC Converter

(Chopper)

• Active Rectifier

-9-
 Diode Rectifier Topology
3 - phase bridge connection Double wye connection with interphase transformer

6 puls circuit
6 puls circuit

LOAD
LOAD

- 10 -
 Diode System Regulation Principle
Idc
[kA]

T *) t [seconds]

Step of current setpoint

Step of OLTC
current without saturable reactor ramp control ( load impedance related )

current with saturable reactor ramp control

Range of saturable reactor control

T *) typ. 3 .. 5 s depending on OLTC drive

(saturable reactor control up to 5 ms depending on the load)
- 11 -
 Diode Rectifiers

24-Pulse Diode Rectifier

+7.5°

• Simplest Technology Load

• Longest use -7.5°

• Used with On-Load-Tap-Changers

• Used with saturable core reactors
(amplistats, voltage controlled reactors)

- 12 -
 Thyristor Rectifier Topology

3 - phase bridge connection Double wye connection with interphase transformer

6 puls circuit
6 puls circuit

LOAD
LOAD

- 13 -
 Thyristor System Regulation Principle

Idc
[kA]
Steps only with OLTC

T *) t [milliseconds]

Step of current setpoint

theor.current without phase angle ramp control () ( load impedance related )

current with phase angle ramp control in operation

Range of phase angle control

T *) typ. 100 ms .. 300 ms

possible up to 5 ms depending on the load
- 14 -
 Thyristor Rectifiers

24-Pulse Thyristor Rectifier

+7.5°

Load

• Simple Technology -7.5°

• Widely Used
• Can be used with On-Load-Tap-
Changers
• Relatively fast control of current

- 15 -
 Diode Rectifier + DC-Chopper Topology
3 - phase bridge connection

6 puls circuit

LOAD

- 16 -
 DC-Chopper Regulation Principle
T on T off

Idc
[kA]

Tmod 2)

t [milliseconds]
T 1)
Step of current setpoint
theor.current without PWM ramp control ( load impedance related )

current with PWM ramp control

Range of modulation control

T 1) typ. 100 ms .. 300 ms with electrolyis process load Tmod 2) typ. 0.2 ms .. 1 ms
possible up to 1 .. 5 ms depending on the load
- 17 -
 Diode Rectifier with Chopper Converter

+7.5°

• Newer Technology -7.5°

• Relatively entering into Market

• Merging of older (diode) and new
technology
• Fast control of current

- 18 -
 Active Rectifier Topology (AC-Chopper)
3 - phase bridge connection

6 puls circuit

Active Current Source Inverter

LOAD

- 19 -
 AC-Chopper Regulation Principle
T on T off

Idc
[kA]

Tmod 2)

t [milliseconds]
T 1)
Step of current setpoint
theor.current without ramp control ( load impedance related )

current with ramp control

Range of modulation control

T 1) typ. 100 ms .. 300 ms with electrolyis process load Tmod 2) typ. 0.2 ms .. 1 ms
possible up to 1 .. 5 ms depending on the load
- 20 -
 Active Rectifier (AC-Chopper)
Active Current Source Inverter

Load

• Newest Application of Technology

• Limited Market entry
• Based upon proven technology
• Fast control of current

- 21 -
 Technology use by Process

Application Diode Thyristor Chopper Active Rectifier

Chemical Electrolysis Seldom Standard Seldom Future
Aluminum Potline Standard Seldom Not Acceptable Distant Future
DC Arc Furnace Not Acceptable Standard Seldom Future
Graphitizing Furnace Standard Seldom Future Future
Zinc Electrolysis Standard Seldom Future Future
Copper Refining Seldom Standard Seldom Future
Traction Substation Standard Seldom Future Distant Future
LV AC Drive (DC Link) Standard Seldom Not Applicable Seldom
MV Drive (DC Link) Standard Seldom Not Applicable Seldom

- 22 -
 Technology Share

Technology Share of Units > 10 kA

100%

90%

80%

70%
Chopper
60% Thyristor
50% Diode
40%

30%

20%

10%

0%
1972

1974

1976

1978

1980

1982

1984

1986

1988

1990

1992

1994

1996

1998
- 23 - 2000
 Technology Comparison

• Power Factor
• Efficiency
• Harmonic Distortion
• Reliability / Availability / Service Support
• Space Requirements
• System Cost

- 24 -
 The Process Load Characteristic

Udo

100 %

U Range 75 %
Chlorine
Zinc
50 %

Aluminium
25 % Copper

100 %
I Range Id

- 25 -
 Power Factor Comparison
Power Factor vs Transformer Impedance

0.9600
0.9500
Power Factor

0.9400
0.9300
Diode / DB
0.9200
0.9100 Thyristor / DB
0.9000
0.8900
0.8800
6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Transformer Impedance
Note: Low Transformer Impedance = High Voltage
Harmonics

- 26 -
 Power Factor Comparison
Diode vs Thyristor with Electrolysis Process Load

1.00
PF [-]

0.95
0.90
0.85
0.80
0.75
0.70
0.65 Ud

0.60
0.55
0.50
Id
0.45
0.40
250.00 300.00 350.00 400.00 Ud [V] 450.00

Diode OLTC Thyristor OLTC Thyristor Uncompensated Thyristor Compensated

- 27 -
 Power Factor Comparison

• Diode Good
• Thyristor Low
• Diode and Chopper Good
• Active Rectifier Best

- 28 -
 Efficiency vs. Voltage

0.99

0.98

0.97
0.96
Efficiency

0.95

0.94
0.93

0.92

0.91

0.9
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600
Voltage
Typ Dio/Thy Bridge Typ Dio/Thy Single Way
Typ Chopper Dio/Thy Projects

- 29 -
 Comparison at Nominal load Operation
Nominal Load Operation DC-Voltage: 500 V
DC-Current: 70 kA
DC-Power: 35 MW

Diode Thyristor Chopper

System System System
AC-Power (12p-Transformer) 39 MVA 41 MVA 38 MVA
Power Factor without correction 0.91 0.86 0.93
Compensation up to PF=0.93 3 MVAR 8 MVAR -
Compensation up to PF=0.98 10 MVAR 15 MVAR 7 MVAR
Losses
Transformer (including harmonics) 430 kW 450 kW 400 kW
Rectifier 183 kW 192 kW 170 kW
Chopper 250 kW
Line Filter (for PF=0.93) 56 kW 84 kW
Total 669 kW 726 kW 820 kW
Relative Difference -151 kW -94 kW 0 kW
Efficiency (for Components considered) 0.981 0.980 0.977

- 30 -
 Comparison at Reduced load Operation
Reduced Load Operation DC-Voltage: 440 V
DC-Current: 50 kA
DC-Power: 22 MW

Diode Thyristor Chopper

System System System
AC-Power (12p-Transformer) 25 MVA 34 MVA 24 MVA
Power Factor without correction 0.90 0.65 0.93
Compensation up to PF=0.93 3 MVAR 8 MVAR -
Compensation up to PF=0.98 10 MVAR 15 MVAR 7 MVAR
Losses
Transformer (including harmonics) 240 kW 260 kW 170 kW
Rectifier 105 kW 120 kW 100 kW
Chopper 250 kW
Line Filter (for PF=0.93) 56 kW 84 kW
Total 401 kW 464 kW 520 kW
Relative Difference -119 kW -56 kW
Efficiency (for Components considered) 0.982 0.979 0.977

- 31 -
 Efficiency Comparison

• Diode High
• Thyristor Medium - High
• Diode and Chopper Low
• Active Rectifier Medium - Low

- 32 -
 Harmonic Comparison

20 kA, 200 V DC, 6 Pulse Rectifier

D i o d e a n d C h o p p e r ( 0 d e g r e e s ) a n d Thyristor
(variable d e p e n d i n g o n o u t p u t D C v o l t a g e )

16

14

12

10

AC Current in [kA] 8

0
0o 1
5
10o 7
11 60o
13
20o 17
19 40o
30o 23 25
29 20o
40o 31
50o
Harmonic Number 35
37 0o
41
60o 43
47

- 33 -
 Harmonic Comparison

• Diode Good
• Thyristor Lower
• Diode and Chopper Good
• Active Rectifier Best

- 34 -
 Reliability Comparison

Based Upon Component Count of

Rectifier Devices

• Diode High
• Thyristor High
• Diode and Chopper Low
• Active Rectifier Medium

- 35 -
 Service Skill Comparison

• Diode Low
• Thyristor Medium
• Diode and Chopper High
• Active Rectifier High

- 36 -
 System Cost Comparison

Diode Rectifier 105%

Thyristor Rectifier 100%
Diode & Chopper 124%
Active Rectifier 115%

Based upon past projects, component count and further

developments.

- 37 -
 Space Comparison

• Diode Average
• Thyristor Larger
– (with power factor included)
• Diode and Chopper Larger
• Active Rectifier Average

- 38 -
 Conclusions
Considerations
• Total System Requirements
• Future Provision of System
Requirements
• Customer’s Experience / Background
• Technology comparison for exact
project

– All Technologies Will continue for near

future
- 39 -
- Thank You -