Thyristor Converters

Chapter 6

In some applications (battery charger, some ac/dc drives),

the dc voltage has to be controllable
Thyristor converters provide controlled conversion of ac
into dc
Primarily used in three-phase, high power application
Being replaced by better controllable switches

6-1

Thyristors (Review Class)

Semi-controlled device
Latches ON by a gate-current pulse
if forward biased
Turns-off if current tries to reverse

6-2

Thyristor in a Simple Circuit (Review Class)

For successful turn-off, reverse voltage required

6-3

Thyristor Converters

Fully controlled converter shown in Fig. 6-1a

Average dc voltage Vd can be controlled from a positive maximum to a
negative minimum on a continuous basis
The converter dc current Id can not change direction

Two-quadrant operation
Rectification mode (power flow is from the ac to the dc side): +Vd & +Id

Inverter mode (power flow is from the dc to the ac side): : -Vd & +Id

Inverter mode of operation on a sustained basis is only possible if a source6-4

Basic thyristor circuits: Line-frequency voltage source connected to a load

resistance
In the positive half cycle of vs, the current is zero until t=, at which a
gate pulse of a short duration is applied
With the thyristor conducting, vd = vs

vd becomes zero at t =

By adjusting the firing angle , the average dc voltage Vd and current Id

can be controlled

6-5

o Basic thyristor circuits: Line-frequency voltage source connected to a RL

load
o Initially, the current is zero until t=, at which the thyristor is fired
during the positive half cycle of vs
o With the thyristor conducting, current begins to flow, vd = vs
o Voltage across the inductor: vL=vs-vR
o During to 1, vL is positive, and the current increases
o Beyond 1, vL is negative, and the current begins to decline
2 is the instant at which current becomes zero and stays at zero until
2+ at which the thyristor is fired again

6-6

o Basic thyristor circuits: The load consists of L and a dc voltage Ed

o The thyristor is reverse biased until 1
o The thyristor conduction is further delayed until 2 at which the thyristor is
fired
o With the thyristor conducting, vd = vs
o Between 2 to 3, vL is positive, and the current increases
o Beyond 3, vL is negative, and the current begins to decline
o When A1 is equal to A2, current goes to zero at 4

6-7

Thyristor Gate Triggering

Generation of the firing signal

The sawtooth waveform
(synchronized to the ac input) is
compared with the control signal
vcontrol, and the delay angle with
respect to the positive zero crossing
of the ac line voltage is obtained in
terms of vcontrol and the peak of the
sawtooth waveform Vst.
o

v control

180
V st
o

6-8

Full-Bridge (Single- and Three-Phase) Thyristor Converters

6-9

Single-Phase Thyristor Converters

One thyristor of the top group and one of the bottom group will conduct
If a continuous gate pulse is applied then this circuit will act like a full
bridge diode rectifier and the web forms are as shown below
=0 for 1 and 2 and = for thyristors 3 and 4

6-10

1-Phase Thyristor Converter Waveforms

Assumptions: Ls=0 and purely dc current

Id

delay angle or firing angle

Prior to t=0, current is flowing through
3 and 4, and vd = -vs

Beyond t=0, thyristors 1 and 2 become

forward biased, but cannot conduct until
.
vd becomes negative between 0 and as a
consequence of the delay angle
At t=, gate pulse applied and current
commutation from thyristors 3 and 4 to 1
and 2 is instantaneous (Ls = 0), and vd = vs
Thyristors 1 and 2 will keep conducting

6-11

Average dc Voltage as a Function of the Delay Angle

The expression for the average voltage Vd:
Vd

2Vs sin t d t 0.9Vs cos

Let Vd0 be the average dc voltage with =0,

1
Vd 0

2Vs sin t d t 0.9Vs

Then, drop in average voltage due to ,

Vd Vd 0 Vd 0.9Vs 1 cos

The average power through the converter,

1T
1T
P p t dt v d i d dt
T 0
T 0

With a constant dc current (id=Id),

1T

P I d v d dt I d V d 0.9V s I d cos
T 0

6-12

Average dc Output Voltage

V d 0.9V s cos

cos
Vd 0
0.9V s

The variation of Vd as a function of

Average dc voltage is positive until =90o: this region is called
the rectifier mode of operation
Average dc voltage becomes negative beyond =90o: this
region is called the inverter mode of operation
6-13

1-Phase Thyristor Converter

o AC side inductance is included, which generally cannot be

ignored in practical thyristor converters.
o For a given delay angle, there will be a finite commutation interval
o Commutation process is similar to that in diode bridge rectifiers
o During the commutation interval, all four thyristors conduct, and
therefore, vd=0, and the voltage vLs=vs.
6-14

1-Phase Thyristor Converter

o During the commutation interval, all four thyristors conduct, and

therefore, vd=0, and the voltage vLs=vs.
di s
v s v Ls L s
dt

Id

2V s sin t dt L s di s 2L s I d

Id

2V s sin t dt 2V s cos cos 2L s I d

cos cos

2L s I d
2V s

6-15

1-Phase Thyristor Converter: with and without Ls

without Ls

with Ls

o Voltage drop due to the inclusion of Ls.

2L s I d
V d

V d 0 0.9V s cos
A

2L s I d
V d 0 0.9V s cos

6-16

Example

In the converter circuit, Ls is 5% with the rated voltage of

230 V at 60 Hz and the rated volt-ampere of 5 kVA.
Calculate the commutation angle and Vd/Vd0 with the
rated input voltage, power of 3 kW, and =30o.

6-17

Solution
5000
21.74 A
230
V
rated 10.58
I rated

I rated
Z base
Ls

0.05 Z base
1.4 mH
377

30 0
2

Pd V d I d 0.9V s cos L s I d I d 3000

I d 17.3 A

cos cos

V d 0.9V s cos

2L s I d

0
5 .9

2V s

2
L s I d 173.5 V

6-18

Thyristor Converters: Inverter Mode (Vd is negative)

Average value of vd is negative for

90o<<180o. Average power Pd is
negative (Pd=VdId) and thus power
flows from the dc to the ac side
On the ac side, Pac=VsIs1cos is
also negative because 1>90o
Inverter mode of operation is
possible because there is a source
of energy on the dc side
ac side voltage source provides
commutation of current from one
pair of thyristors to the others

6-19

3-Phase Thyristor Converters

Current Id flows through the one thyristor of the top group and one of the
bottom group
If a continuous gate pulse is applied then this circuit will act like a threephase full bridge diode rectifier and, as a result,

V d 0 1.35 V LL

6-20

3-Phase Thyristor Converter Waveforms

6-21

Average Output DC Voltage

V d V d 0

V ac 2V LL sin t
The reduction in the average dc voltage due to the delay angle

A 2V LL sin t d t 2V LL 1 cos
0

V d V d 0

2V LL 1 cos
A

1.35V LL
3
3

1.35 V LL cos 1.35 V d 0

Average Power
Pd V d I d 1.35 V LL I d cos

6-22

dc-side voltage waveforms

as a function of
Vd repeats at six times the
line frequency

6-23

Conclusions

Thyristor converters provides controlled transfer of power

between the line frequency ac and adjustable-magnitude dc

By controlling , transition from rectifier to inverter mode

of operation can be made and vice versa

Thyristor converters are mostly used at high-power levels

Thyristor converters inject large harmonics into the utility

system

6-24