A cycloconverter is a type of power controller in which an alternating voltage at supply frequency is converted directly to an alternating voltages at load frequency

without any intermediate d.c. stages. In a line commutated cycloconverter, the supply frequency is greater than the load frequency.the operating principles were developed in the 1930s when the grid controlled mercury arc rectifier became available.the techniques were applied in Germany , where the three phase 50Hz supply was converted to a single phase ac supply at 16 2/3 Hz for railway traction. Subsequent invention of the thyristor and the development of reliable transistorized and microprocessor based control circuitry have led to a revival of interest in the cycloconversion principle. sophiscated control circuit permit the conversion of a fixed input frequency to an adjustable output frequency at an adjustable voltage. A cycloconverter is controlled through the timings of its firing pulses, so that it produce an alternating output voltage. By controlling the frequency and depth of phase modulation of the firing angles of the converters, it is possible to control the frequency and amplitude of the output voltage. Thus, a cycloverter has the facility for continuous and independent control over both its output frequency and voltage. This frequency is normally less than 1/3 of the input frequency. The quality of the output voltage wave and its harmonic distortion also impose the restriction on this frequency. The distortion is very low at low output frequencies . the cycloconverters are normally used to provide either a variable frequency from a fixed input frequency or a fixed frequency from a variable input frequency A cycloconverter can handle laod of any power factor and allows power flowin both the directions. The output voltage waveshape inevitably contains harmonic distortion components in addition to the required sinusoidal component. These distortion terms are produced as the necessary outcome of the basic mechanism of the cycloconverter, whereby output voltage is fabricated from the segments of the input voltage waves. These distortion can be minimized by adequate filters at the output. The distortion of the output voltage increases if the ratio of the output and input frequency increases. BRIDGE CONFIGURATION Here two single phase fully controlled bridges are connected in opposite directions. Bridge 1 supplies load current in the positive half of the output cycle and bridge 2 supplies load current in the negative half of the output cycle.the two bridges should not conduct together as this produce a short circuit at the input instead of 1 thyristor in the center tab transformer configuration, 2 thyristor come in series with each voltage source in the bridge configuration for resistive load, the SCR undergo natural commutation n produce discontinuous operation for inductive loads, the load current may be continuous or discontinuous, depending upon the firing angle and load power factor. The load voltages and current waveforms would be similar to discontinuous load current and for continuous load current. When the load current is positive, the firing pulses to the SCRs of bridge 2 will be inhibited and bridge 1 will be gated. Similarly, when the load current is negative, bridge 2 will be gated and the firing pulses will not be applied to the SCRs in bridge 1. This is the circulating current free mode of operation.

Thus, the firing angle control scheme must be such that one converter can conduct at a time, and the change over of firing pulses from one