2010 International Conference on Electrical and Control Engineering

Analysis of three-phase bridge rectifier with constant

voltage loads

Lin Chen Yunxiang Xie

Electric Power College Electric Power College
South China University of Technology South China University of Technology
Guangzhou, China Guangzhou, China
shuy227@163.com

Abstract — When rectifier is installed in power system, harmonic with capacitive loads or inductive load, with ac-side impedance
current is injected into power system. Common filtering solution and in discontinuous conduction mode conditions.
is passive filter. The design requires determining the harmonic
current generated by rectifier. So analysis and calculation of This paper presents a quantitative analysis of the operating
harmonic current of rectifier is need before design passive filters. characteristics of bridge rectifiers with constant-voltage
This paper presents a quantitative analysis of the operating considering transient and steady state and give the formula of
characteristics of bridge rectifiers with constant-voltage ac side current. Then the harmonic of ac side current can be
considering transient and steady state and give the formula of ac obtained using Fourier series.
side current. Then use Fourier series to depart harmonics
current. II. THREE-PHASE BRIDGE RECTIFIER WITH RESISTOR,
INDUCTOR AND CONSTANT-VOLTAGE LOADS
Keywords-three-phase rectifier; harmonic; commutation;
A three-phase bridge rectifier with a general load consisting
I. INTRODUCTION of resistor, inductor and constant-voltage loads is shown in
Fig.1.
With the development of power electronics technology, a
large number of power electronic equipments have been widely
applied in many industries, e.g. power, metallurgy, chemical,
communication and appliance. Diodes rectifiers are extensively
used because they are cheap and simple. Among these, one
encounters a three-phase bridge rectifier providing constant
output voltage from an inductive ac source. Thus the load and
output filter are represented by a constant-voltage Ud, as
illustrated in Fig.1. This often occurs in battery-charge/power-
supply systems, such as employed in automotive and aerospace Figure 1. Three-phase bridge rectifier with resistor, inductor and constant-
voltage loads
applications. However, for the three-phase rectifier, not only
power factor is poor, but also a current with high harmonics is Three-phase voltage sources are balanced undistorted
injected into power system. Rectifier line-current harmonics sinusoidal with line voltage amplitude Um and angular
cause overheating of transformers, lines, and neutral frequency ω as following:
conductors at power levels below the service rating. On the one
hand, different three-phase topologies for ac/dc conversion U
ua (t ) = m sin ωt (1)
have been proposed in order to obtain a low harmonic and to 3
increase power factor. On the other hand, variety filter methods U 2π
for compensation harmonic and passive power have been ub (t ) = m sin(ω t − ) (2)
proposed to improve power quality. But their design requires 3 3
determining the harmonic currents injected by rectifiers. The U 2π
uc (t ) = m sin(ωt + ) (3)
more accurate the estimate of amplitude and phase of harmonic 3 3
currents is, the more effective the resulting filter performance The ac-side inductance L is due to line, filter, and
is. transformer leakage reactance, in series and constant in per
A common practice for obtaining simple and fast harmonic phase. The ac resistance is negligible. The diodes in bridge
current estimate is to resort to Fourier series decomposition of rectifier are assumed ideal except for a finite on-voltage Vd.
simplified waveforms of the ac converter current [1-2]. But the Assuming that the source current ia, ib and ic are continuous, it
estimates obtained approximate waveforms may be quite can be shown that the voltages between point A, B and C are
inaccurate. The operation and characteristics have been given by
analyzed in [3-5]. There are single-phase diode rectifier circuits,

978-0-7695-4031-3/10 $26.00 © 2010 IEEE 3347

DOI 10.1109/iCECE.2010.816
 U After the normalization is introduced, the inductor equation
U AB = [sgn(ia ) − sgn(ib )] (4)
2 in the current of Fig.2
U ⎧ dja (ϕ )
(1)

U BC = [sgn(ib ) − sgn(ic )] (5) ⎪ = mbc (ϕ ) + m

2
⎪ dϕ
U ⎪ (1)
U CA = [sgn(ic ) − sgn(ia )]
(1) (1)
(6) ⎨ ja (ϕ ) + jc (ϕ ) = − jb (ϕ ) (14)
2 ⎪ (1)
Where sgn(⋅) is the sign function and U=Ud+2Vd. Assume ⎪ djc (ϕ ) = −m (ϕ ) + m
symmetric firing angle is α . ⎪ dϕ ab
⎩
The time variable is represented by a phase angle equivalent (1) (1)

ϕ = ωt (7) Solving for ja (ϕ ) and jc (ϕ ) yields:

π π ⎧ (1) 2π
Shift the axis to right by + α . δ represents + α . And ⎪ ja (ϕ ) = − cos(ϕ + δ − 3 ) + mϕ + C1
6 3 ⎪
normalize all voltages using the line-to-line voltage amplitude ⎪ (1) 2π
⎨ jb (ϕ ) = cos(ϕ + δ − ) − cos(ϕ + δ ) − 2mϕ − C1 − C2 (15)
Um as a base voltage in order to generalize the results ⎪ 3
u (ϕ ) ⎪ j (1) (ϕ ) = cos(ϕ + δ ) + mϕ + C
mab (ϕ ) = ab = sin(ϕ + δ ) (8) ⎪ c 2
Um ⎩
2π C1 and C2 are constants which are determined by initial
mbc (ϕ ) = sin(ϕ + δ − ) (9) conditions.
3
2π π
mca (ϕ ) = sin(ϕ + δ + ) (10) B. StageⅡ: μ < ϕ <
3 3
U + 2Vd
m = mAB = mBC = mCA = d (11) π
Um This period μ < ϕ < is solved similarly. D1 and D6 are
3
A. StageⅠ: 0 < ϕ < μ conducting shown in Fig.3.
This period is commutation period 0 < ϕ < μ from switch
D5 to D1. Switches D1, D5 and D6 are conducting, shown in
(1) (1)
Fig.2. The current ia increases from zero and the current ic
decrease to zero.

Figure 3. Second period μ < ϕ < π 3

The subscript (2) is used to represent the second period. The

defining differential equations are following:
Figure 2. First period 0 < ϕ < μ
⎧
(2)
dia (t )
⎪ −ua (t ) + 2 L ⋅ + VAB + ub (t ) = 0
The equations describing this stage according to Kirchhoff ⎪ dt
Law are: ⎪ (2) (2)

⎨ib (t ) = −ia (t ) (16)

⎧
(1) (1) ⎪ (2)
dia (t ) di (t ) ⎪ic (t ) = 0
⎪ −ua (t ) + L ⋅ − L⋅ c + uc (t ) = 0
⎪ dt dt ⎪
⎩
⎪ (1) (1) (1)

⎨ia (t ) + ic (t ) = −ib (t ) (12) Simplifying above equations yields:

⎪ (1) (1)
⎧ dja (ϕ )
(2)

⎪ −u (t ) + L ⋅ dia (t ) + U + L ⋅ dib (t ) + u (t ) = 0 ⎪2 ⋅ = mab (ϕ ) − m

⎪ a dt
AB
dt
b
⎪ dϕ
⎩
The superscript (1) denotes the first period of interest. To ⎪ (2) (2)

⎨ jb (ϕ ) = − ja (ϕ ) (17)
simplify the notation further, normalize all of the rectifier ⎪ (2)
currents taking U m ω L as a base current ⎪ jc (ϕ ) = 0
⎪
ωL ⎩
j= i (13) The solutions of above equations are:
Um

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 ⎧ (2) 1 (6 ) (2) π
ja (ϕ ) = − jc (ϕ − ) (22)
⎪ ja (ϕ ) = − 2 ⋅ [cos(ϕ + δ ) + mϕ ] + C3 3
⎪ Currents of phase b and c are handled similarly. The current
⎪ (2) 1
⎨ jb (ϕ ) = ⋅ [cos(ϕ + δ ) + mϕ ] − C3 (18) of phase a in a half cycle can be given as (23) based on above
⎪ (2) 2
procedures.
⎪ j (ϕ ) = 0
⎪ c
⎩ ⎧ 2π
C3 is constant which is determined by initial ⎪ − cos(ϕ + δ − 3 ) + mϕ + C1 0 <ϕ < μ
⎪
(2) (1)
⎪ − 1 ⋅ [cos(ϕ + δ ) + mϕ ] + C π
condition ja ( μ ) = ja ( μ ) . ⎪ 2 3 μ <ϕ <
3
⎪
⎪cos(ϕ + δ ) + cos(ϕ − π + δ ) + 2m(ϕ − π ) + C + C π < ϕ < π + μ
π π π 2π ⎪ 3 3
1 2
3 3
ja (ϕ ) = ⎨ (23)
C. StageⅢ And Ⅳ: <ϕ < + μ and +μ <ϕ < ⎪ − 1 ⋅ [cos(ϕ − π + δ ) + m(ϕ − π )] + C π
+ μ <ϕ <
2π
3 3 3 3 ⎪ 2 3 3
3
3 3
⎪
This period is commutation period π 3 < ϕ < π 3 + μ from ⎪ − cos(ϕ − 2π + δ ) − m(ϕ − 2π ) − C2 2π
<ϕ <
2π
+μ
⎪ 3 3 3 3
switch D6 to D2. Switches D1, D2 and D6 are conducting, ⎪ 2π
⎪0 + μ <ϕ <π
shown in Fig.4. ⎩ 3
4
π
The voltage between phase b and a in interval ( π , ) is the
3
π
same value as that between phase a and b in interval (0, ). So
3
the following formula (24) is right.
ja (ϕ ) = − ja (ϕ + π ) (24)
E. Solving coefficients
Figure 4. In analytic formula above of phase a current, there are
three unknown coefficients to be determined. Two cases may
The supply voltage between phase a and c in interval occur in the rectifier: commutation doesn’t exist or
π 2π commutation does exist.
( , ) is the same value as that between phase a and b in
3 3
When commutation doesn’t exist, namely stage Ⅰdoesn’t
π (1) ( 2)
exist, the first period is stage Ⅱabove with initial conditions,
interval (0, ), it is easy to show that shifting ja (ϕ ) / ja (ϕ ) ,
3 (2) 1
(1) ( 2) (1) ( 2) μ = 0 and ja (0) = 0 ,i.e. − ⋅ cos δ + C3 = 0 .Then
jb (ϕ ) / jb (ϕ ) and jc (ϕ ) / jc (ϕ ) by π 3 radians and 2
reversing the sign results 1 ( 2) ( 2)

( 3) ( 4) ( 3) ( 4) ( 3) ( 4)
C3 = ⋅ cos δ is found. ja (ϕ ) and jb (ϕ ) have been also
in ja (ϕ ) / ja (ϕ ) , jb (ϕ ) / jb (ϕ ) and jc (ϕ ) / jc (ϕ ) . 2
obtained. Since phase current isn’t positive in this period, the
(3) (1) π
ja (ϕ ) = − jb (ϕ − )
( 2)
(19) commutation period doesn’t exist. The sign of ja (ϕ ) is
3
π π
ja (ϕ ) = − jb (ϕ − )
(4) ( 2)
(20) checked at .
3 3
Currents of phase b and c are handled similarly. ( 2)
If ja (ϕ ) is positive, the commutation period does exist.
2π 2π 2π Coefficient C1 can be solved by initial condition
D. StageⅤandⅥ: <ϕ < + μ and +μ <ϕ <π (2)

3 3 3 with ja (0) = 0 . Coefficient C3 is determined by the continuity

(2) (1)
π 2π of ja (ϕ ) at ϕ = μ , i.e. ja ( μ ) = ja ( μ ) . Coefficient C2 is
Similarly, the current of phase a in interval ( ,) is
3 3 implied in below equations (25):
π
identical to that of phase c in interval (0, ). So
3
( 5) (6)
ja (ϕ ) and ja (ϕ ) are obtained:

(5) (1) π
ja (ϕ ) = − jc (ϕ − ) (21)
3

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 ⎧ (3) π (1) an = 0 , n even (31)
⎪ jb ( 3 ) = − jc (0) 2 π
⎪
⎪ j (3) ( π ) = j ( 2) ( π )
an =
ωπ ∫
0
ja (ϕ ) cos nϕ dϕ , n odd (32)
⎪ b b
bn = 0 , n even (33)
⎨ 3 3 (25)
⎪ (2) 1 π π 2 π
⎪ jb (π 3) = ⋅ [cos( + δ ) + m ] − C3 bn = ∫ ja (ϕ ) sin nϕ dϕ , n odd (34)
⎪ (1) 2 3 3 ωπ 0

⎪⎩ − jc (0) = − cos δ − C2
IV. CONCLUSION
From these initial conditions, the coefficients are given:
This paper analyzes operation characteristics of three-phase
⎧ 2π bridge rectifier with constant-voltage load considering
⎪C1 = cos(δ − ) transient and steady state. And the ac-side current formula is
⎪ 3
given and analyzed by Fourier series. The solution obtained is
⎪ 1 π π
⎨C2 = − ⋅ cos( + δ ) − cos δ − m + C3 (26) useful for passive filter design and its parameters optimization.
⎪ 2 3 6 The parameters determination of passive filters needs meeting
⎪ 3 3 the national harmonic standard of THD. So THD, i.e.
⎪C3 = cos( μ + δ ) + ⋅ mμ − ⋅ sin( μ + δ ) + C1
harmonic expression with passive filter parameters must be
⎩ 2 2
given before design passive filter and optimization of the
III. HARMONICS BY RECTIFIER parameters. Analysis operating process and give ac-side
When rectifier acts as a load in power system, it often current expression of three-phase rectifier is the fundamental
considered as a harmonic current source injecting harmonic work.
into power system. Before analysis of power system with
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