110 ELECTRICAL POWER SYSTEMS

motor and is called a countervoltage. Therefore, for inversion, an alternating voltage system
must exist on the primary side of the transformer and grid control of the converter is essential.
When grid control is used we know that output voltage is V0 cos and becomes zero
when = 90 and reverses when 90 < < 180. This means the voltage becomes negative
when grid control angle lies between 90 and 180 and the applied direct voltage from the
rectifier forces current through the valves against this negative voltage or back voltage.
Triggering beyond 180 results in the a.c. systems being connected to the d.c. source in such
polarity that the flow of SCR current will be aided rather than opposed, thus allowing a short
circuit current of damaging proportions to build up in the d.c. system. The converter at the
receiving end (inverter) thus receives power and inverts. The inverter 3-phase bridge circuit
along with its voltage and current waveforms is shown in Fig. 5.9.
Commutation from valve 3 to valve 1 is possible only when phase c is positive with
respect to a and the current changeover must be complete before N by a time 0 equal to the
deionized time of the valves. It can be seen from the current waveforms that the current supplied
by the inverter to the a.c. system leads the voltage and hence the inverter may be considered
as a generator of leading vars or an absorber of lagging vars.

1 3 5
a

b
c
4 6 2

Fig. 5.9 (=) Inverter bridge connection.

4 (a) 6 (b) 2 (c) 4 (a)

Voltages

Q t
d
N O
N P Vd
Valve 3
M 5 1 3 5
a g d
b

Fig. 5.9 (>) Voltage waveforms.