6-1

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
6-2
Thyristors (Review Class)
Semi-controlled device
Latches ON by a gate-current pulse
if forward biased
Turns-off if current tries to reverse
6-3
Thyristor in a Simple Circuit (Review Class)
For successful turn-off, reverse voltage required
6-4
Thyristor Converters
Fully controlled converter shown in Fig. 6-1a
Average dc voltage V
d
can be controlled from a positive maximum to a
negative minimum on a continuous basis
The converter dc current I
d
can not change direction
Two-quadrant operation
Rectification mode (power flow is from the ac to the dc side): +V
d
& +I
d

Inverter mode (power flow is from the dc to the ac side): : -V
d
& +I
d

Inverter mode of operation on a sustained basis is only possible if a source of
power, such as batteries, is present on the dc side.
6-5
Basic thyristor circuits: Line-frequency voltage source connected to a load
resistance
In the positive half cycle of v
s
, the current is zero until et=o, at which a
gate pulse of a short duration is applied
With the thyristor conducting, v
d
= v
s
v
d
becomes zero at et = t
By adjusting the firing angle o, the average dc voltage V
d
and current I
d

can be controlled
6-6
o Basic thyristor circuits: Line-frequency voltage source connected to a RL
load
o Initially, the current is zero until et=o, at which the thyristor is fired
during the positive half cycle of v
s
o With the thyristor conducting, current begins to flow, v
d
= v
s
o Voltage across the inductor: v
L
=v
s
-v
R
o During o to u
1
, v
L
is positive, and the current increases
o Beyond u
1
, v
L
is negative, and the current begins to decline
o u
2
is the instant at which current becomes zero and stays at zero until 2t+o
at which the thyristor is fired again
6-7
o Basic thyristor circuits: The load consists of L and a dc voltage E
d
o The thyristor is reverse biased until u
1

o The thyristor conduction is further delayed until u
2
at which the thyristor is
fired
o With the thyristor conducting, v
d
= v
s
o Between u
2
to u
3
, v
L
is positive, and the current increases
o Beyond u
3
, v
L
is negative, and the current begins to decline
o When A
1
is equal to A
2
, current goes to zero at u
4
6-8
Thyristor Gate Triggering
Generation of the firing signal
The sawtooth waveform
(synchronized to the ac input) is
compared with the control signal
v
control
, and the delay angle o with
respect to the positive zero crossing
of the ac line voltage is obtained in
terms of v
control
and the peak of the
sawtooth waveform V
st
.



|
|
.
|

\
|
=
st
control o o
V
v
180 o
6-9
Full-Bridge (Single- and Three-Phase) Thyristor Converters
6-10
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
o=0 for 1 and 2 and o=t for thyristors 3 and 4
6-11
1-Phase Thyristor Converter Waveforms
Assumptions: L
s
=0 and purely dc current
I
d
o: delay angle or firing angle
Prior to et=0, current is flowing through 3
and 4, and v
d
= -v
s
Beyond et=0, thyristors 1 and 2 become
forward biased, but cannot conduct until
o.
v
d
becomes negative between 0 and o as a
consequence of the delay angle
At et=o, gate pulse applied and current
commutation from thyristors 3 and 4 to 1
and 2 is instantaneous (L
s
= 0), and v
d
= v
s
Thyristors 1 and 2 will keep conducting
until 3 and 4 are fired
6-12
The expression for the average voltage V
d
:
Average dc Voltage as a Function of the Delay Angle
( ) o e e
t
t o
o
o
cos 9 . 0 sin 2
1
s s d
V t d t V V = =
}
+
Let V
d0
be the average dc voltage with o=0,
( )
s s d
V t d t V V 9 . 0 sin 2
1
0
0
= =
}
e e
t
t
Then, drop in average voltage due to o,
( ) o
o o
cos 1 9 . 0
0
= = A
s d d d
V V V V
The average power through the converter,
( ) dt i v
T
dt t p
T
P
T
d d
T
}
=
}
=
0 0
1 1
With a constant dc current (i
d
=I
d
),
o cos 9 . 0
1
0
d s d d
T
d d
I V V I dt v
T
I P = =
(

}
=
6-13
Average dc Output Voltage
The variation of V
d
as a function of o:
Average dc voltage is positive until o=90
o
: this region is called
the rectifier mode of operation

Average dc voltage becomes negative beyond o=90
o
: this
region is called the inverter mode of operation

o
o
o
cos
9 . 0
cos 9 . 0
0
= =
s
s
d
d
V
V
V
V
6-14
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, v
d
=0, and the voltage v
Ls
=v
s
.
6-15
1-Phase Thyristor Converter
o During the commutation interval, all four thyristors conduct, and
therefore, v
d
=0, and the voltage v
Ls
=v
s
.
( )
( ) ( ) | |
o
e
o
e o o e
e e e
o
o

o
o

(
(

=
= + =
}
=
=
}
=
}
=
= =

+

+
s
d s
d s s s
d s
d
I
d
I
s s s
s
s
s
L s
V
I L
I L V dt t V A
I L di L dt t V A
dt
di
L v v
2
2
cos cos
2 cos cos 2 sin 2
2 sin 2
1
6-16
1-Phase Thyristor Converter: with and without L
s
o Voltage drop due to the inclusion of L
s
.
| |
| |
t
e
o
o
t
e
t
A

d s
s d
s d
d s
d
I L
V V
V V
I L
A
V
2
cos 9 . 0
cos 9 . 0
2
0
0
=
=
= =
=
=
without L
s
with L
s

6-17
Example
In the converter circuit, L
s
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 V
d
/V
d0
with the
rated input voltage, power of 3 kW, and o=30
o
.
6-18
Solution
V I L V V
V
I L
A I
I I L V I V P
mH
Z
L
I
V
Z
A I
d s s d
s
d s
d
d d s s d d d
base
s
rated
rated
base
rated
5 . 173
2
cos 9 . 0
9 . 5
2
2
cos cos
3 . 17
3000
2
cos 9 . 0
30
4 . 1
377
05 . 0
58 . 10
74 . 21
230
5000
0 1
0
= =
=
(
(

=
=
=
(

= =
=
= =
= =
= =

e
t
o
o
e
o
e
t
o
o
O
6-19
Thyristor Converters: Inverter Mode (V
d
is negative)
Average value of v
d
is negative for
90
o
<o<180
o
. Average power P
d
is
negative (P
d
=V
d
I
d
) and thus power
flows from the dc to the ac side
On the ac side, P
ac
=V
s
I
s1
cos|
1
is
also negative because |
1
>90
o
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
6-20
3-Phase Thyristor Converters
Current I
d
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 three-
phase full bridge diode rectifier and, as a result,

LL d
V V 35 . 1
0
=
6-21
3-Phase Thyristor Converter Waveforms
6-22
Average Output DC Voltage
( )
( ) ( ) ( )
( )
o
o
t
o
t

o e e
o
e
t
o o
o
o

o
cos 35 . 1
35 . 1 cos 35 . 1
3
cos 1 2
35 . 1
3
cos 1 2 sin 2
sin 2
3
0
0
0
0
d LL d d d
d LL
LL
LL d d
LL LL
LL ac
d d
I V I V P
Power Average
V V
V
V
A
V V
V t d t V A
angle delay the to due voltage dc average the in reduction The
t V V
A
V V
= =
= =

= =
= =
=
=
}
6-23
dc-side voltage waveforms
as a function of o
V
d
repeats at six times the
line frequency


6-24
Conclusions
Thyristor converters provides controlled transfer of power
between the line frequency ac and adjustable-magnitude dc

By controlling o, 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