CHAPTER 10

10.8 POWER FACTOR IMPROVEMNTS

(Sections 10.8 To 10.8.5)

 Instructional Objectives

• Study of the following:

• Schemes for the improvement of power
factor in AC-DC converters.
• Methods for harmonic reduction in the
current waveforms of the converters.
• Types of filters used to obtain ripple free
(dc) output voltage and currents, reducing
the harmonics.
• The power factor correction is a
technique of increasing the power factor
of a power supply. Switching power
supplies without power factor correction
draw current in short, high-magnitude
pulses. These pulses can be smoothed
out by using active or passive techniques.
10.8 Power Factor of phase controlled converters is low at low
output voltages (i.e higher triggering angle)

Techniques to improve PF of dc-ac converters -Techniques of

Forced Commutation

1. Extinction angle control

2. Symmetric angle control
3. Pulse-width modulation (PWM)
4. Single-phase sinusoidal PWM
5. Three phase PWM control
GTOs, IGBTs, SCR, can used as a switch. Why?
10.8.1 Extinction angle control
Forced commutation is used
to turn off SCR, switch can
be GTO or IGBT
Power
Factor
is
leading
In
Phase
control
PF is
Lagging

One
Pulse per
half cycle

Figure 10.7
Single Phase Forced Commutated semi converter
The fundamental component of input current
leads the input voltage, and the

displacement factor (and power factor) is

leading. This feature may be desirable to
simulate a capacitive load, thus compensating
the line voltage drops.
10.8.1 Extinction angle control

S1S4 or
S 3S 2
work as
Free
wheeling
paths for
inductive
loads
Power
Factor is
leading
One
Pulse per
Figure 10.8
half cycle
Single Phase Forced Commutated Full converter
 Phase control method

R-L Load: In the

lagging current case,
the output current
reverses its direction
at tY. Output voltage
reverses its direction
at T/2. Therefore, from
T/2 to tY the output
current will flow
through D2.
10.8.2 Symmetric angle control

S1

S2

One
Pulse per
half cycle

The fundamental component of input current is

in phase with input voltage, and the
displacement factor is unity (1.0). Therefore,
Figure 10.9 Symmetric angle Control the power factor is improved.
10.8.3 PWM Control More Pulses per half cycle. Why?
Filter Lower Order Harmonics
Lower Order Harmonics can be eliminated or reduced
by selecting the number of pulses/half cycle, would
also increase the magnitude of higher order harmonics
which could easily be filtered out

Average output voltage due to P number of pulses

Figure 10.10 PWM Control

10.8.4 Single-Phase Sinusoidal pulse-width control

Lower Order Harmonics

can be eliminated or
reduced by selecting the
number of pulses/half
cycle

Selecting 4/half cycle

eliminate 5th harmonic,

Selecting 6/half cycle

eliminate 7th harmonic,

Figure 10.11
Sinusoidal
pulse-width
control
10.8.5 Three-Phase PWM

Dc
load

-
Current Source Rectifiers
Power reversal by dc
voltage reversal
Controls both P & Q
+

Dc
load

Voltage Source Rectifiers -

Power reversal by dc
current reversal

Figure 10.12 Force-Commutated PWM Rectifiers

 PWM pattern and its fundamental modulating voltage VMOD

Figure 10.13 Force-Commutated Voltage Source Rectifiers

Figure 10.14 Two Force-Commutated Cascade Converters
10.9 Single Phase Semiconductor

Figure 10.15 Single Phase Semi Converter