Three phase full converter

3-phase fully controlled converter fed separately excited DC motor

Fig (1): 3-phase fully controlled converter fed separately excited DC motor

Note: Consider Vo=Va and Io=Ia

Three phase full converter is a fully controlled bridge controlled
rectifier using six thyristors connected in the form of a full wave bridge
configuration. All the six thyristors are controlled switches which are
turned on at appropriate times by applying suitable gate trigger signals.
The three phase full converter is extensively used in industrial power
applications upto about 120kW output power level, where two quadrant
operation is required. The figure (a) shows a three phase full converter
with highly inductive load. This circuit is also known as three phase full
wave bridge or as a six pulse converter.

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Dr. C. Subba Rami Reddy, Professor in EEE dept., BVRIT.
Three phase full converter

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Dr. C. Subba Rami Reddy, Professor in EEE dept., BVRIT.
Three phase full converter

For =600, the conduction sequence of thyristors T1 to T6 is shown in

Fig.2(b). Here T1 is triggered at ωt = 300 + 600 = 900, T2 at 900 + 600 =
1500 and so on. If the conduction interval of various thyristors T1, T2, .....
T6 is shown first, then it becomes easier to draw the voltage and current
waveforms. Note that each SCR conducts for 1200, when T1 is triggered,
reverse biased thyristor T5 is turned off and T1 is turned on. T6 is already
conducting. As T1 is connected to A and T6 to B, voltage vab appears
across load. It varies from 1.5Vmp to zero as shown. Here Vmp is the
maximum value of phase voltage. When T2 is turned on, T6 is
commutated from the negative group. T1 is already conducting. As T1 and
T2 are connected to A and C respectively, voltage vac appears across load.
Its value varies from 1.5Vmp to zero as shown. This sequence of triggering
is continued for other SCRs.
Note that positive group of SCRs are fired at an interval of 120°.
Similarly, negative group of SCRs are fired with an interval of 120°
amongst them. But SCRs from both the groups are fired at an interval of
60°. This means that commutation occurs every 60°, alternatively in
upper and lower group of SCRs. Each SCR from both groups conducts
for 1200. At any time, two SCRs, one from the positive group and the
other from negative group, must conduct together for the source to
energise the load. For ABC phase sequence of the three phase supply,
thyristors conduct in pairs; T1 and T2, T2 and T3, T3 and T4 and so on.
The sequence of events in Fig. 2 can also be shown more conveniently
if line voltages, instead of phase voltages, are considered. In Fig. 3 (a) are
shown line voltages vab, vac, vbc, vba etc. In this figure, for = 0°, T1 is
turned on at ωt=600, T2 at ωt=1200, T3 at ωt=1800 and so on. In Fig. 2(a),
therefore, firing angle is measured from ωt = 60° for T1, from ωt=1200 for
T2, from ωt=1800 for T3 and so on.

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Dr. C. Subba Rami Reddy, Professor in EEE dept., BVRIT.
Three phase full converter

4
Dr. C. Subba Rami Reddy, Professor in EEE dept., BVRIT.
Three phase full converter

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Dr. C. Subba Rami Reddy, Professor in EEE dept., BVRIT.
Three phase full converter

For = 600, T1 is turned on at ωt = 600 + 600 = 1200, T2 at ωt = 1800 T3

at ωt = 2400 and so on. When T1 is turned on at ωt =1200, T5 is turned
off. T6 is already conducting. As T1 and T6 are connected to A and B
respectively, load voltage must be vab as shown in Fig. 3 (b). When T2 is
turned on, T6 is commutated. As T1 and T2 are now conducting, the load
voltage is vac Fig. 3 (b). In this manner, load voltage waveform can be
drawn with the turning on or off of other SCRs in sequence. For = 90°,
the load voltage is symmetrical about the reference line ωt, therefore its
average value is zero. In Fig. 3(c), load current waveform i0 is drawn on
the assumption that load is pure L . When vca is peak positive, slope
di0/dt is maximum positive so that L(di0/dt) equals peak positive vca.
Similarly, di0/dt is maximum negative when vca is peak negative. When
current i0 has peak value, di0/dt is zero and likewise vca is zero as shown
in Fig.3(c) . For = 150°, T1 is triggered at ωt = 2100, T2 at 2700 and so on.
The output voltage waveform is shown in Fig. 3(d). It is seen from this
figure that average voltage is reversed in polarity. This means that dc
source is delivering power to ac source; this is called line-commutated
inverter operation of the 3-phase full converter bridge. It may be seen
from above that for = 00 to 900, power circuit of Fig. 1 works as a 3-
phase full converter delivering power from ac source to dc load and for
= 90° to 180°, it works as a line-commutated inverter delivering power
from dc source to ac load. It can work in the inverter mode only if the
load has a direct emf E due to a battery or a dc motor. It should be noted
that direction of current for both converter and inverter operations
remains fixed but the polarity of output voltage reverses. Source current
iA in phase A is also drawn in Fig. 3(d) for = 1500. For the arrow
direction indicated in Fig .1, iA is treated as positive. Therefore iA is
positive when T1 is conducting, i.e. when first subscript for voltages or
currents is 'a'. Likewise iA is negative when T4 is conducting, i.e. when
the second subscript for voltages or currents is 'a'. Source current

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Dr. C. Subba Rami Reddy, Professor in EEE dept., BVRIT.
Three phase full converter

waveforms for other two phases can also be drawn accordingly. For other
firing angles, source currents can be drawn similarly.
Expression for the average output voltage V0 can be obtained by
referring to Fig. 4 where vab, vac etc. are sketched from Fig. 3(a) for firing
angle delay <300. The periodicity of output voltage is /3 radians.
Average value of output voltage is obtained by finding the dashed area
abcda over a periodic cycle, Fig. 4, and then dividing it by the periodic
time.

If the sine function is used for the source voltage shown as dotted line
in Fig. 4, then vab=Vml sin ωt because vab=0 at ωt=0.

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Dr. C. Subba Rami Reddy, Professor in EEE dept., BVRIT.
Three phase full converter

2𝜋
1 3 +𝛼 3𝑉𝑚𝑙 2𝜋⁄ + 𝛼
𝑉𝑎 = 𝑉0 = 𝜋 ∫ 𝑉𝑚𝑙 sin 𝜔𝑡 𝑑(𝜔𝑡) = [− cos 𝜔𝑡] 𝜋 3
𝜋 𝜋 ⁄3 + 𝛼
3 3 +𝛼
3𝑉𝑚𝑙
= [− cos(2𝜋⁄3 + 𝛼) + cos(𝜋⁄3 + 𝛼)]
𝜋
3𝑉𝑚𝑙
= − [cos(2𝜋⁄3 + 𝛼) − cos(𝜋⁄3 + 𝛼)]
𝜋
3𝑉𝑚𝑙
=− [cos 2𝜋⁄3 cos 𝛼 − sin 2𝜋⁄3 sin 𝛼 − cos 𝜋⁄3 cos 𝛼
𝜋
+ sin 𝜋⁄3 sin 𝛼]
3𝑉𝑚𝑙
=− [− sin 𝜋⁄6 cos 𝛼 − cos 𝜋⁄6 sin 𝛼 − 1⁄2 cos 𝛼 + √3⁄2 sin 𝛼 ]
𝜋
3𝑉𝑚𝑙
= − [− 1⁄2 cos 𝛼 − √3⁄2 sin 𝛼 − 1⁄2 cos 𝛼 + √3⁄2 sin 𝛼 ]
𝜋
3𝑉𝑚𝑙
= cos 𝛼
𝜋

RMS value of output voltage V0r is

1⁄
2𝜋 2
+𝛼
1 3
2
𝑉0𝑟 = [ 𝜋 ∫ 𝑉𝑚𝑙 sin2 𝜔𝑡 𝑑(𝜔𝑡)]
𝜋
3 3 +𝛼

2𝜋 2𝜋
3𝑉 2
3
+𝛼
3𝑉 2
sin 2𝜔𝑡 +𝛼
2
𝑉0𝑟 =
𝑚𝑙
∫ (1 − 𝑐𝑜𝑠 2𝜔𝑡) 𝑑(𝜔𝑡) = 𝑚𝑙 [𝜔𝑡 − 3
] 𝜋
2𝜋 𝜋+𝛼 2𝜋 2
3 +𝛼
3
2
3𝑉𝑚𝑙 1 2𝜋 𝜋
= [2𝜋⁄3 + 𝛼 − 𝜋⁄3 − 𝛼 − (sin 2 ( + 𝛼) − sin 2 ( + 𝛼))]
2𝜋 2 3 3
2
3𝑉𝑚𝑙 1 4𝜋 2𝜋
= [𝜋⁄3 − (sin ( + 2𝛼) − sin ( + 2𝛼))]
2𝜋 2 3 3
2
3𝑉𝑚𝑙 1 𝜋 𝜋 𝜋
= [𝜋⁄3 − (sin (𝜋 + ( + 2𝛼)) − sin ( + ( + 2𝛼)))]
2𝜋 2 3 2 6
2
3𝑉𝑚𝑙 1 𝜋 𝜋
= [𝜋⁄3 − (− sin ( + 2𝛼) − cos ( + 2𝛼))]
2𝜋 2 3 6

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Dr. C. Subba Rami Reddy, Professor in EEE dept., BVRIT.
Three phase full converter

2
3𝑉𝑚𝑙
2
𝑉0𝑟 = [𝜋⁄3
2𝜋
1
+ (sin 𝜋⁄3 cos 2𝛼 + cos 𝜋⁄3 sin 2𝛼 + cos 𝜋⁄6 cos 2𝛼
2

− sin 𝜋⁄6 sin 2𝛼)]

2
3𝑉𝑚𝑙
= [𝜋⁄3
2𝜋
1
+ (√3⁄2 cos 2𝛼 + 1⁄2 sin 2𝛼 + √3⁄2 cos 2𝛼 − 1⁄2 sin 2𝛼)]
2
2 2
3𝑉𝑚𝑙 1 3𝑉𝑚𝑙
= [𝜋⁄3 + 2√3⁄2 cos 2𝛼] = [𝜋⁄3 + √3⁄2 cos 2𝛼]
2𝜋 2 2𝜋

1⁄
3 2
𝑉0𝑟 = 𝑉𝑚𝑙 √ [𝜋⁄3 + √3⁄2 cos 2𝛼]
2

It is observed from Fig. 3(d) that source current for phase A, i.e. iA (or for
any other phase) flows for 1200 for every 1800. Therefore, in case output
current is assumed constant at I0, the rms value of source current is

2𝜋 1 2
𝐼𝑠 = √𝐼02 × = 𝐼0 √
3 𝜋 3

Each SCR conducts for 1200 for every 3600. Therefore, the rms value of
thyristor current is

2𝜋 1 1
𝐼𝑇ℎ = √𝐼02 × = 𝐼0 √
3 2𝜋 3

Average value of thyristor current is

2𝜋 1 1
𝐼𝑇ℎ = 𝐼0 × = 𝐼0
3 2𝜋 3

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Dr. C. Subba Rami Reddy, Professor in EEE dept., BVRIT.
Three phase full converter

Speed – Torque characteristics:

We know Eb = K a ∅ ωm -------- (1)
Td = K a ∅ Ia -------- (2)
The back emf of the d.c. motor is,
Eb = Va − Ia R a -------- (3)
From equation (1),
K a ∅ ωm = Va − Ia R a

Va − Ia Ra Va I a Ra
ωm = = − -------- (4)
Ka ∅ Ka ∅ Ka ∅

The armature current from equation (2) can be written as,

Td
Ia = ------- (5)
Ka ∅

On substituting equation (5) in equation (4), we have

Va Td Ra
ωm = − (Ka ∅)2
------- (6)
Ka ∅

For shunt and separately excited d.c motors, with constant field
current, the flux can be assumed to be constant.
Hence, K a ∅ = K m (motor constant) -------- (7)
On substituting equation (7) in equation (5) & (1), we have
Therefore, Td = K m Ia & Eb = K m ωm
Eb = K m ωm
E Va Ia R a
⇒ωm =K b = − -------- (8)
m Km Km
Td
Also, Ia = , substituting this in equation (8), we have
Km
Va Td Ra
ωm = − -------- (9)
Km K2m

For 3 – phase fully controlled converter,

3𝑉𝑚𝑙 cosα Td Ra
ωm = − -------- (10)
π Km K2m

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Dr. C. Subba Rami Reddy, Professor in EEE dept., BVRIT.
Three phase full converter

Speed – torque characteristics:

Fig (5): Torque – Speed Characteristics of 3-phase fully controlled

converter fed separately excited motor

3 - Phase fully controlled converter fed DC series motor:

Fig (6): 3-phase fully controlled converter fed DC series motor

Speed – Torque characteristics:

We know Eb = K a ∅ ωm -------- (1)
Td = K a ∅ Ia -------- (2)

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Dr. C. Subba Rami Reddy, Professor in EEE dept., BVRIT.
Three phase full converter

The back emf of the d.c. series motor is,

Eb = Va − Ia (R a + R f ) -------- (3)
In series motors the flux is a function of armature current. In
unsaturated region of magnetization characteristic, ∅ can be assumed to
be proportional to Ia .

Therefore, ∅ ∝ Ia
⇒∅ = K f Ia --------- (4)
Substituting equation (4) in equations (1) and (2),
Td = K a K f Ia . Ia = K a K f Ia2
Td
⇒Ia = √K --------- (5)
a Kf

Eb = K a K f Ia ωm
Eb
⇒ωm = Ka Kf Ia
Va Ia (Ra +Rf )
⇒ωm = − ---------- (6)
Ka Kf Ia Ka K f Ia

Substituting equation (5) in equation (6)

Va Ra +Rf
ωm = T
−
Ka Kf √ d Ka Kf
Ka Kf

Va Ra +Rf
ωm = − ---------- (7)
√Ka Kf Td Ka Kf

The average output voltage expression for 3- phase fully controlled

converter is given by,
3𝑉𝑚𝑙
Va = cos𝛼---------- (8)
π

Substituting equation (8) in equation (7)

3𝑉𝑚𝑙 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝛼 𝑅𝑎 +𝑅𝑓
𝜔𝑚 = − --------- (9)
𝜋 √𝐾𝑎 𝐾𝑓 𝑇𝑑 𝐾𝑎 𝐾𝑓

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Dr. C. Subba Rami Reddy, Professor in EEE dept., BVRIT.
Three phase full converter

Speed – torque characteristics:

Fig (7): Torque – Speed Characteristics of 3-phase fully controlled

converter fed dc series motor

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Dr. C. Subba Rami Reddy, Professor in EEE dept., BVRIT.