LECTURE 28 (Ch.

11) AC VOLTAGE CONTROLLERS

ECE 452 Power Electronics
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Single-Phase Transformer Tap Changers

Thyristors can be used as static switches for onload tap changing of transformers. The static tap changers have a very fast switching action.
The circuit diagram of a single-phase transformer tap changer is shown below.
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0 vo V1 0 vo (V1 V2 ) V1 vo (V1 V2 )

The gating pulses of thyristors can be controlled to vary the load voltage.

0 vo V1 0 vo (V1 V2 ) V1 vo (V1 V2 )

Cycloconverters

The ac voltage controllers provide a variable output voltage, but the frequency of the output voltage is fixed. In addition the harmonic content is high at low ac voltages (high ). A variable output voltage at variable frequency can be obtained from a two stage conversion.
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First the fixed ac is converted to a variable dc (controlled rectifier), and then the variable dc is converted to a variable ac at variable frequency (inverter).

However, the cycloconverter can eliminate the need of one or more intermediate converters.
A cycloconverter is a direct frequency changer that converts ac power at one frequency to ac power at another frequency by ac-ac conversion.

Cycloconverters are naturally commutated and the maximum output frequency is a fraction of the source frequency.

Therefore, cycloconverters are low speed ac motor drives in ranges up to 15 MW with frequencies from 0 to 20 Hz.
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Single-Phase Cycloconverters

The principle of operation of single-phase cycloconverters can be explained with the following figure.

First, two single-phase controlled converters are operated as bridge rectifiers.

Their delay angles are such that the output voltage of one converter is equal and opposite to that of the other converter.

If p is the delay angle of positive converter, the delay angle of the negative converter is: n = p
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Three-Phase Cycloconverter

The circuit diagram of a three-phase/single phase cycloconverter is shown next.

The synthesis of output waveform for an output frequency of 12 Hz is also in this figure.

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The cycloconverter of previous figure can be extended to feed a three-phase load, by having six three-phase converters.

If six full-wave three-phase converters are used, 36 thyristors would be required.

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Reduction of Output Harmonics

The output voltage of cycloconverters is basically made up of segments of input voltages.

The average value of a segment depends on the delay angle for that segment.

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If the delay angles of segments were varied in such a way that the average values of segments corresponds as closely as possible to the variations of desired sinusoidal output voltage, the harmonics on the output voltage can be minimized.

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The delay angles for segments can be generated by comparing a cosine signal at the source frequency with an ideal sinusoidal reference voltage at the output frequency.

The following figure shows generation of the gating signals for the cycloconverter.

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