Concordia University

Department of Electrical and Computer

Engineering

Power Electronics (I) ELEC-433/6411

Week 3
Line frequency diode rectifiers
(Chapter 5)
 Outline
• Introduction
• Single-phase half-wave rectifier
– Resistive and resistive inductive loads. Free-wheeling diode.
• Single-phase full-wave (bridge) rectifier
– DC and AC side components for highly inductive loads
– Calculation of the DC bus voltage and power factor
– Rectifier for DC voltage sources. Grid voltage distortion
• Three-phase full wave (6-pulse) rectifier
– Output voltage and input current components
– Calculation of the DC bus voltage and power factor
• Comparison of single-phase and three-phase rectifiers
2
 Diode rectifier
• Most inexpensive ac-dc converter.
• Output dc voltage is uncontrolled/unregulated
• Unidirectional power flow capability
• Draw highly distorted current from the utility (capa
citive filter)

3
 Single-phase half-wave and R load

Diode turns On at the Diode turns Off when

beginning of the the current becomes
positive semi-cycle zero
(due to forward bias).

Diode “on”, vdiode = 0.

vd = vs, i= vs/R Diode “off”, i = 0. vdiode = vs.

4
Single-phase half-wave and RL load
• Diode turns On at the
beginning of the
positive semi-cycle.
• Diode turns Off when
the current be comes
zero.
• For deriving an equa
tion for the current:
vs  v L  v R
di
vs  L  iR
dt
• Use of a free-wheeling
diode... 5
Single-phase half-wave rectifier with a
free-wheeling diode

• The “free-wheeling diode” becomes forward biased in

the negative semi-cycle, providing an alternate path for
the load current what makes the main diode block with
zero current.
6
 Single-phase diode bridge rectifier

• Power is transferred to the dc side during both semi-cycles.

• For basic analysis the load can be assume to be R or RL.
• For dc voltage supplies, a CDC is used for filtering.
7
 Single-phase diode bridge rectifier
D1 and D2 are on in the positive
semi-cycle. vd = vs and is = id.

D3 and D4 are on in the negative

semi-cycle. vd = - vs and is = - id.

• 2 Diode groups. The diode with the anode at the

highest potential conducts for the top group. The
diode with the cathode at the lowest potential
conducts for the bottom group.
8
 Single-phase diode bridge rectifier
(highly inductive load)
vd (t )  vs
id if vs  0
is  
 id if vs  0

Vd 0  0.9Vs
I s  I d and I s1  0.9 I d
DPF  cos 1  1
I s1
PF  DPF  0.9
Is

• Fourier series of the dc side voltage and the ac side current can be
calculated with ease. (Rashid. Examples 3.10 and 3.11)
• Diode voltage and current ratings?
9
DC side harmonic components (Rashid, example 3.10)

10
Only even harmonics!
 Diode rectifier input current

• Assumptions: Ripple free dc current due to a load

such as the field winding of a dc or a synchronous
motor and negligible source impedance.
11
 Single-phase diode bridge rectifier

• Large capacitor at the dc side for filtering and energy storage.

As Cd increases, the ripple in vd decreases BUT the peak value
of is increases, increasing the crest factor of the input current.
12
 Single-phase diode bridge rectifier

• Dc bus voltage waveform has a smaller ripple.

• The ac current is distorted and the DPF1.
• Calculation of Fourier series not straightforward.
13
 Line voltage distortion
dis
v PCC  v s  Ls1
dt
is  is1   ish
h 1
dis1
v PCC _ 1  v s  Ls1
dt
di
v PCC _ dist  Ls1  sh
h 1 dt

This slide will be discussed in details in

a following lecture on grid interfaces
and power quality.

• PCC is the Point of Common Coupling

• Ls2 is employed for reducing current distortion.
• Option of using a 2nd order LPF (Example 3-22 Rashid)
14
 Line voltage distortion

• Voltage supplied to other loads is distorted.

• The degree of distortion depends on the magnitude of the
current harmonics and the strength (LS) of the source
15
How much harmonics can an input current
contain? Harmonic guidelines: IEEE 519

Vs
I SC  Strength of the system…
Ls

16
Effect of 1 rectifiers on neutral currents
in  ia  ib  ic

ia  ia1   iah
h 1

ia  2 I s1 sin 1t    2 I sh sin  h t 
h 1

   

ib  2 I s1 sin 1t  120   2 I sh sin  h t  h120

h 1

   

ic  2 I s1 sin 1t  120   2 I sh sin  h t  h120
h 1

• In a balanced system, all non-triplen harmonics and the

fundamental components add up to zero.
• The triplen harmonics at the neutral wire add up to three
times the value at the line conductors.
17
 Effect of 1 rectifiers on neutral currents

• The rms current in the neutral wire can be very high.

• Latest guidelines: Neutral conductor should be designed to
carry as much current as the line conductors!

18
 Three-phase full bridge rectifiers (6-pulse)

• Simplified case: Ideal source and inductive load.

• Now there are 2 groups with 3 diodes each. (Order of diodes “on”.)
• Diode current and voltage ratings?
19
 How to obtain the DC-side voltage & AC-side
current waveforms?
• From the instantaneous values of the source (phase) voltages, one identifies
the largest and the smallest ones. As an example: Vb>Vc>Va.
• The diode of the positive group connected to the phase/source with the highest
voltage (Vb) is ON (D3), for a total of 120°.
– The voltage VPn = highest voltage (Vb)
– The current in the phase with the highest voltage (Ib) is Id.
• The diode of the negative group connected to the phase/source with the lowest
voltage (Va) is ON (D4).
– The voltage VNn = lowest phase voltage (Va)
– The current in the phase with the lowest voltage (Ia) is -Id.
• The voltage that appears across the load (VPN = VPn - VNn) = Vba, “the” largest
phase voltage minus/to “the” smallest phase voltage. It only lasts for 60°.
(360°/6, for the possible 6 line voltages: Vba, Vca, Vcb, Vab, Vac, Vbc.)
• The current in the phase with “intermediate” voltage (Vc) is zero. This lasts for
60°.
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 Waveforms
• Voltage waveforms
vd  vPn  v Nn
1  /6
Vd 0 
 /3  / 6
2VLL cos t dt

Vd 0  1.35VLL  2.34Vs

• Output current is as-

sumed ripple free.

id if D1 On

ia   id if D4 On
0 if D D Off
 1 4

21
Three-phase Diode Rectifier Analyses
vPn

van vbn vcn

0 t

vNn
ed  vPN
Area A 2VLL Ed
0 π π
t

6 6 ia  is is1

120
0 t

120

ib
0 t

ic
0 t
22
 Input current components

I s1
I s  0.816 I d I s1  0.78 I d I sh  DPF  1 PF  0.955
h

• Inductive current and negligible source impedance

23
 Three-phase diode bridge rectifier

• Large capacitor at the dc side for filtering and energy storage

24
Three-phase rectifier waveforms

25
 Comparison of 1 and 3 rectifiers
• Single-phase rectifiers introduce more distortion
in the dc (voltage) and ac (current) sides then a
three-phase.  Require larger filters!
• Single-phase rectifiers present lower PF.
• Single-phase rectifiers result in harmonic currents
in the neutral.
• Three-phase rectifiers result in higher output
voltages.
• Three-phase rectifiers supply a given amount of
active power to a load with lower ac currents
(lower distribution losses and voltage drops)
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