5

Cycloconverter
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Classification
5.3 Principle of Operation of Single-phase to Single-phase Cycloconverter
5.3.1 Stepup Cycloconverter
5.3.2 Stepdown Cycloconverter
5.4 Three-phase to Single-phase Cycloconerter
5.5 Three-phase to Three-phase Cycloconverter
5.6 Output Voltage Equation
5.7 Reduction of Output Harmonics

5.1 INTRODUCTION
Cycloconverter is a frequency changer that converts ac power at one input frequency to
output power at a different frequency with a one-stage conversion process.

FIG. 5.1: Block diagram of cycloconverter

Various applications of Cycloconverter are:

Speed Control of high-power ac drives in cement, ball mills, rolling mills etc.

Induction heating.

Slip-power recovery Scherbius drives.

Static VAR generation.

Variable speed constant frequency (VSCF) power generation for aircraft or shipboards.
176 Advanced Power Electronics

5.2 CLASSIFICATION
(A) On the basis of its operation:
(i) Step-up cycloconverter i.e. fo > fi.
(ii) Step-down cycloconverter i.e. fo < fi.
(B) On the basis of configuration:
(i) Mid-point type cycloconverter.
(ii) Bridge type cycloconverter.

5.3 PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION OF SINGLE-PHASE TO SINGLE-PHASE

CYCLOCONVERTER
Basic principle of operation and working of single-phase to single-phase step-up as well as
step-down cycloconverter is explained below:
5.3.1 Single-phase to Single-phase step-up cycloconverter
Power circuit diagram for single-phase to single-phase mid-point type cycloconverter is
shown in Fig. 5.2(a) and of the bridge cycloconverter type in Fig. 5.2(b). Step-up cycloconverter
requires forced commutation for turning-off the thyristors.

FIG. 5.2: Single-phase to Single-phase cycloconverter

Mid-point Cycloconverter: Power circuit consists of a single-phase transformer with
mid tap on the secondary winding and four thyristors. Two of these thyristors P1, P2 are for
positive group and the other two N1, N2 are for the negative group as shown in Fig. 5.2(a).
Directions of voltage and current marked in Figure are taken as positive.
During the positive half cycle of supply voltage, terminal ‘a’ is positive with respect to
terminal ‘b’ and so SCRs P1 and N2 are in forward blocking mode from ωt = 0 to ωt = π.
Therefore, at ωt = 0, SCR P1 is triggered, so load get connected with supply and load
voltage v0 follows the positive envelope of the supply voltage as shown in Fig. 5.3. At instant
ωt1, SCR P1 is force commutated and forward biased thyristor N2 is triggered so that load
voltage v0 now follows the negative envelope of the supply voltage as shown in Fig. 5.3.
Cycloconverter 177

At ωt2, thyristor N2 is force commutated and P1 is triggered again. So the load volatage v0
is now positive and follows the positive envelope of the supply voltage as shown. In this way,
thyristor P1 & N2 are turned-on and off during the positive half cycle of supply voltage.

FIG. 5.3: Waveforms for step-up cycloconverter (Mid Point-type)

During negative half cycle of the supply voltage terminal ‘b’ is positive with respect to
terminal ‘a’ and so SCRs P2 and N1 are in forward blocking mode from ωt = π to ωt = 2π.
Therefore, at ωt = π, N2 is forced commutated and forward biased SCR P2 is triggered. So,
load voltage v0 becomes positive and follow the positive envelope of the supply voltage as
shown. At ωt6, thyristor P2 is force commutated and forward biased thyristor N1 is triggered.
So, load voltage becomes negative and follow the negative envelope of the supply voltage as
shown in Fig. 5.3.
In this way, SCRs P1 and N2 conducts for positive half cycle of the supply and P2, N1 in
the negative half cycle of the supply. These are so on switened alternately between positive
and negative envelopes at a high frequency. As a result output voltage of frequency f0 higher
than the input supply frequency fi is obtained.
In Fig. 5.3, fi is the input supply brequaving and fo is the output frequency. As can be seen
from the waveform that fo = 6fi i.e. step-up operation is achieved. Therefore, it should be
noted that frequency of output voltage fo depends on the rate of triggering of positive and
negative group SCRs alternately in can half cycles of the supply.
Bridge-type Cycloconverter: Power circuit of single-phase to single-phase bridge-
type cycloconverter consists of eight thyristors i.e. four for positive group (P1 to P4) and four

* When positive group SCRs conduct, load voltage v0 follows positive envelope of the supply voltage and
when negative group SCRs conduct, v0 follows negative envelope of the supply voltage.
178 Advanced Power Electronics

negative group (N1 to N4) as shown in Fig. 5.2(b).

As can be seen from the Fig. 5.2(b), during positive half cycle of supply voltage, thyristor
pairs P1,P2 and N1, N2 are in forward blocking mode. When forward biased thyristors P1, P2
are triggered together at ωt=0, the load voltage is positive and follows the positive envelops of
the supply voltage as shown in Fig. 5.4.
At ωt1, thyristor pair P1, P2 is force commutated and forward biased pair N1, N2 is triggered.
So, now load voltage is negative and follows negative envelope of the supply voltage as shown.
At wt2, pair N1, N2 is force commutated and pair P1, P2 is triggered. So, the load voltage
becomes positive and follws the positive envelope of the supply voltage.
During negative half cycle of supply voltage, thyrister pairs P3, P4 and N3, N4 are in
forward blocking mode. Therefore these pairs are turned on and force commutated during
negative half cycle as shown in Fig. 5.4.
In this way, a high-frequency turning-on and force commutation of pairs P1P2, N1N2 and
pairs P3P4, N3N4 gives output voltage of frequency greater than input supply frequency.

FIG. 5.4: Waveforms for step-up cycloconverter (Bridge-type)

5.3.2 Single-phase to Single-phase step-down cycloconverter
In step-down cycloconverter, frequency of output voltage fo is less than the input supply
frequency fi i.e. fo < fi. It also does not require forced commutation for turning-off the thyristors.
Rather, thyristors are turned-off by line, or natural or class F commutation which is provided by
ac supply. Power circuit diagram for mid-point type and bridge type step down cycloconverter
is shown in Fig. 5.2(a) and (b), respectively.

* Whenever gate pulse is applied to a thyristor in forward blocking mode, it starts conducting i.e. gets turn-on.
Cycloconverter 179

Bridge type cycloconverter: This type of cycloconverter will be discribed both for
discontinuous as well as continuous load current. The load is assumed to consist of R and L in
series.
Case (a): Discontinuous load current:
From Fig. 5.2(b), it can be seen that during positive half cycles of ac supply, thyristor pairs
P1P2 and N1N2 are in forward blocking mode and during negative half cycles of ac supply,
thyristor pairs P3P4 and N3N4 are in forward blocking mode.
So, at ωt = α, forward biased SCR pair P1P2 is triggered. With this, load current io starts
building up gradually (due to inductive load) in the positive direction and load voltage v0 follows
the supply voltage waveform as shown in Fig. 5.5. Load current i0 becomes zero at ωt = β
(where π < β < π + α) due to inductive nature of load. Thyristor pair P1P2 is thus naturally
commutated at ωt = β.
After half a cycle i.e. during negative half cycle, forward biased SCR pair P3P4 is triggered
at ωt = π + α. Load current i0 again builds up in positive direction from zero as shown in
Fig. 5.5. At ωt = π + β, load current decays to zero and SCR pair P3P4 is naturally commutated.
At ωt = 2π + α, SCR pair P1P2 is triggered again. After three positive half cycles of load voltage
and load current, thyristor pair N3N4 is triggered at ωt = 3π + α. When pair N3N4 conducts, load
current direction is reversed and it builds up gradually in the negative direction as shown in
Fig. 5.5. In the next half cycle (i.e. positivie cycle of ac supply) forward biased pair N1N2 is
triggered at ωt = 4π + α. Now, i0 again builds up gradually in negative direction and it decays to
zero before SCR pair N3N4 in sequence is triggered again.

FIG. 5.5: Voltage & current waveforms (Bridg type) for step-down
cycloconverter with discontinous conduction
180 Advanced Power Electronics

In this way, three negative nalf cycles of load voltage and load current, equal to the
number of three positive half cycles are generated. Now, SCR pair P1P2 is triggered again at
ωt = 6π + α to fabricate further three positive half cycles of load voltage and in this way
operation repeats.
In Fig. 5.5, averages output voltage and current waves are also shown by dotted lines. It
f
can also be seen from Figure that frequency of output voltage and current is f0 = i i.e. step
3
down operation is achieved.
Case (b): Continuous load current :
As we know that during positive half cycles of ac supply, SCR pair P1P2 and N1N2 are in
forward blocking mode and during negative half cycles, SCR pairs P3P4 and N3N4 are in
forward blocking mode.
At ωt = α, SCR pair P1P2 is triggered and so positive output voltage appears across load
and load current starts building up gradually due to inductive nature of load as shown in Fig. 5.6.
At ωt = π, supply voltage and load voltage are zero. As load current is assumed continuous, so
SCR pair P3P4 is triggered in sequence at ωt = π + α, a reverse voltage appears across P1P2 and
it is therefore turned-off at ωt = π + α by nature commutation. When P1P2 is commutated, then
load current has built-up to a value equal to AA, see Fig. 5.6. With the turning-on of P3P4 at
ωt = π +α, output voltage is again positive as it was with P1P2 on. As a consequence, load
current builds up further than AA as shown in Fig. 5.6.

FIG. 5.6: Voltage and current waveforms for step down cycloconverter
(Bridge type) with continuous load current
Cycloconverter 181

At ωt = (2π +α), when P1P2 is again triggered, SCR pair P3P4 is naturally commutated and
load current through P1P2 builds up beyond AB as shown. At the end of three positive half
cycle of output voltage, load current is AC.
Now, SCR pair N3N4 is triggered at ωt = (3π + α), load voltage becomes negative and
load current i0 decreases from positive AC to Negative AP as shown in Fig. 5.6. Now SCR pair
N3N4 is commutated and pair N1N2 is triggered at ωt = (4π+α). Load current i0 becomes more
negative than AP at (5π+α). For three negative half cycles of output voltage, current i0 is
shown in Fig. 5.6.
The positive group of voltage waves and current waves consists of three pulses and same
f
is true for negative group of waves. The output frequency is f0 = i i.e. step down operation is
3
achieved as shown in Fig. 5.6.
Mid Point Cycloconverter: The operation of Mid-point type cycloconverter shown in
Fig. 5.2(a) can be easily explained for both discontinous and continuous load currents. The
voltage and current waveforms would be same as shown in Fig. 5.5 for discontinuous load
current and as in Fig. 5.6 for continuous load current.
For mid point type, during positive half cycles of supply voltage, SCR P1 and N2 are in
forward blocking mode and during negative half cycles of supply voltage, SCR P2 and N1 are
in forward blocking mode. So, replace P1P2 by P1, P3P4 by P2 N1N2 by N2 and N3N4 by N1 for
mid-point type operation.

5.4 THREE-PHASE TO SINGLE-PHASE CYCLOCONVERTERS

Many industrial applications using ac motors require sinusoidal ac voltages as input. Single-
phase to single-phase cycloconverters are seldom used in single-phase induction motor control
because it can supply only non-sinusoidal output voltage. Alternatively, a very nearly sinusoidal
output voltage can be fabricated from three-phase input voltage waves by means of three-
phase to single-phase cycloconverters. A three-phase to three-phase cycloconverter can also
be derived from three, three-phase to single-phase cycloconverters, as would be described
later in this subsection.
A three-phase to single-phase cycloconverter is shown in Fig. 5.7. The positive group
converter P is a three-phase half wave controlled rectifier that can conduct load current that
flows downward towards the neutral. Similarly, negative group converter N is also a three-
phase half wave controlled rectifier which conducts the load current in the reverse.
The IG reactor is sometimes necessarily used to limit the circulating current common to P
and N converters. The low frequency load voltage is fabricated by P and N converters making
use of three-phase input supply. This is achieved by varying progressively the firing angle of
three thyristors of a three-phase half wave circuit. It is well known that the average direct
voltage output is given by
Vd = Vdo cos α …(5.1)
182 Advanced Power Electronics

FIG. 5.7: Three-phase to Single-phase cycloconverter.

where α is the firing angle or delay angle and Vdo is the maximum output voltage with zero firing
delay. This only means that the variation of α will produce a sine wave output whose instantaneous
values change with the firing angle in proportion to average direct voltage.
Assume that the rectifier firing angle is slowly varied as shown in Fig. 5.8. In Fig. 5.8, the
firing angle at A is 900 and the mean output voltage is zero. At B, the firing angle is somewhat
less than 90°, at C the firing angle is still further reduced than it is at B, and so on. In this manner,

FIG. 5.8: Synthesis of sinusoidal output voltage

(three-phase to single-phase cycloconverter).
a continuously decreasing delay in firing angle is introduced at C, D, E, F, and at G. The firing
angle is zero where the mean output voltage, given by Vo = Vdo cos α, is maximum. After point
G, firing angle is progressively increased at points H, I, J, K, L, and M. At M, the firing angle is
again 90° and the value of mean output voltage is zero. The firing circuit is suitably designed to
introduce progressive firing angle delay as discussed. In Fig. 5.8, the single-phase output voltage
fabricated from three-phase input voltage is shown by thick curve. Mean output voltage wave is
obtained by joining points pertaining to average voltage values. It is seen from Fig. 5.8 that
fabricated output voltage given by thick curve can be resolved into fundamental frequency output
voltage plus several other harmonic components. The load inductance can, however, filter out
the high-frequency unwanted harmonics. Figure 5.8 reveals that for one half-cycle of fundamental
Cycloconverter 183

frequency output voltage (marked mean output voltage in this figure), there are eight half cycles
1
of supply frequency voltage. This shows that output frequency f o =   f s where f is the
8 s

supply frequency. The output frequency can be varied by varying the number of input waves
chosen for synthesizing the output voltage which in fact means the rate of variation of the firing
angle. To summarize, to obtain positive half cycle of low frequency output voltage, the firing
angle is varied from 900 to 0°. The corresponding negative half cycle is obtained when the firing
angle varies from 90° to 180° and back to 90°. This is illustrated in Fig. 5.9.

FIG. 5.9: Voltage and current waveforms of a three-phase

half wave cycloconverter

5.4 THREE-PHASE TO THREE-PHASE CYCLOCONVERTERS

When a three-phase low frequency output is required, three sets of phase controlled three-
phase to single-phase cycloconverters with a phase displacement of 1200 between their outputs
are connected, as shown in Fig. 5.10.

(a) schematic diagram

184 Advanced Power Electronics

(b) basic circuit arrangments

FIG. 5.10: Three-phase to three-phase cycloconverter (mid point type)

With a balanced load, 1he neutral connection is no longer necessary and may be omitted.
The simplest arrangement using three-phase half wave circuits is shown in Fig. 5.10. This
circuit requires eighteen thyristors.
Three-phase to three-phase cycloconverter in bridge configuration
This six-pulse three-phase to three-phase cycloconverter employs thirty six thyristors as
shown in Fig. 5.11. Each phase group consists of a three-phase dual converter with two IGRs.
The load phases are shown star-connected in the figure.

FIG. 5.11: Three-phase bridge type cycloconverter using thirty six thyristors
In this arrangement, as individual phase groups are isolated from each other on the input
side, the interconnection of load phases in star and delta is possible. The magnitude of the output
Cycloconverter 185

voltage in a three-phase bridge circuit is double of that in the three-phase half wave arrangement.
The VA rating of a bridge circuit is also double of three-phase half wave circuit provided the
voltage and current ratings of the thyristors of these two circuits are identical. The three-phase
bridge circuit gives a smooth variation of output voltage and is suitable for the control of large
industrial drives though the control and the firing circuits are complex and expensive.

5.5 OUTPUT VOLTAGE EQUATION FOR CYCLOCONVERTER

In general, for m-phase half-wave converter, each phase conducts for 2π/m radians in
one cycle of 2π radians, as shown in Fig. 5.12.

FIG. 5.12: Output valtage waveform for m-phase

half-wave converter with firing angle
The instautaneous phase voltage,
v = Vm cos ωt = 2 Vph cos ωt …(5.2)
π π 
− + α
Where VPh m voltage.
= rms value of per phase supply m  From Fig. 5.12, it can be seen that
−π
conduction takes place from to for α=0º. For any firing angle α, the conduction is from
m
 π   π 
to  + α  . So, average output voltage,  − + α .
m   m 

π 
 +α 
m 
m
V0 =
2π  π
∫Vm

cos ωt.d ωt
 − +α 
 m 

 m  π
or V 0 = V m    s in  cos α …(5.3)
π
  m 
If Vrms is the fundamental rms value of per phase output voltage of cycloconverter, the
peak output voltage for zero firing angle is,
m π
2Vrms = V0 = 2VPh   sin
 π m
186 Advanced Power Electronics

m  π
or Vrms = VPh   sin  …(5.4)
π
  m
But in practice, the firing angle αp of positive group cannot be reduced to zero and firing
angle αn of negative group can never be equal to 180º because of commutation overlap and
thyristor turn off time. As a result, αp ≠ 0 but must have some finite value. Let this minimum
value of firing angle for positive group be αmin. For this firing angle, maximum output voltage
per phase is,
m  π
(V0 )max = Vm   sin  cos α min …(5.5)
 π m
So, the expression for the fundamental rms phase value of the output voltage of a
cycloconverter is,
 m  π 
Vrms = r  VPh   sin  …(5.6)
  π  m 
Where, r = cosαmin and is called the voltage reduction factor.
As αmin > 0, so ‘r’ is always less than unity.

5.6 REDUCTION OF OUTPUT HARMONICS

It can be noticed from Figure 5.5 and Figure 5.6 that the output voltage is not purely
sinusoidal, and as a result the output voltage contains harmonics. Also, the input PF depends on
the delay angle of thyristors and is poor, especially at the low output voltage range.
The output voltage of cycloconverters is basically made up of segments of input voltages
and the average value of a segment depends on the delay angle for that segment. If the delay
angles of segments were varied in such a way that the average values of segments correspond
as closely as possible to the variations of desired sinusoidal output voltage, the harmonics on the
output voltage can be minimized. Also, the average output voltage of a segment is a cosine
function of delay angle. The delay angles for segments can be generated by comparing a
cosine signal at source frequency (vc = 2 Vs cos ωst) with an ideal sinusoidal reference
voltage at the output frequency (vr = 2 Vs cos ω0t).
The maximum average voltage of a segment (which occurs for αp = 0) should be equal to
the peak value of output voltage:

2 2Vs
Vp = = 2 V0
π
which gives the rms value of output voltage as

2Vs 2Vp
V0 = =
π π
Cycloconverter 187

SOLVED PROBLEMS
Example 5.1: A 3-phase to single-phase cycloconverter employs 3-phase positive
and negative group converters. Each converter is supplied from delta/star transformer
with per phase turns ratio of 2: 1. The supply voltage is 4000 V, 50 Hz. The RL load has
R = 2Ω and at low output frequency, ω0L = 1.5Ω. In order to account for communication
overlap and thyristor turn-off time, the firing angle in the inversion mode should not
exceed 160º. Compute
(a) the value of the fundamental rms output voltage.
(b) rms output current and
(c) output power.
Solution: (a) Per phase input voltage to transformer = 400 V.
Per phse input voltage to converter,

400
Vph = = 200V
2
Voltage reduction factor, r = cos (180 – 160) = cos 20º
For 3-phase pulse device, m = 3. From Eq. (5.6), the rms value of fundamental voltage is

 3 3
Vor = cos 20 200  . sin  = 155.424V
 π π

155.424 1 .5
(b) Rms output current = − 6 tan −1
2 + 1 .5
2 2 20

I or = 62.17 − 36.87 º Amps.

(c) Output power 2

I or ⋅ R = (62.17) 2 × 2 = 7730.22W.

Example 5.2: Repeat Example 5.1 in case 3-phase to 1-phase cycloconverter employs
6-phase bridge converter.
Solution: (a) Per phase input voltage to converter = 200 V

Line voltage input to bridge converter = 200 3 V

Voltage reduction factor, r = cos 20º
For 6-phase device, m = 6. From Eq. (5.6), the rms value of output voltage is

 6 π
Vor = cos 20 200 3   sin  = 310.84V
 π 6
This example demonstrates that output voltage in a 6-pulse bridge converter employing 36
thyristors is double of that in a 3-pulse half-wave converter using 18 thyristors.
188 Advanced Power Electronics

3.10.84 1 .5
(b) Rms output current = − tan −1
2 + 1 .5
2 2 2

= 124.34 − 36.87º Amps

(c) Rms output power = (124.34)2 × 2 = 30920.88 W.
This example shows that output power handled by a 6-pulse bridge converter is four times
the power handled by a 3-phase converter.

UNSOLVED PROBLEMS
5.1 Mention the advantages of cycloconverter over an inverter.
5.2 What are the advantages and the disadvantages of cycloconverters?
5.3 Mention two applications of cycloconverters.
5.4 What is a cycloconverter? Give the merits and demerits of cycloconverters when compared
to converter-inverter combination.
5.5 Explain the operation of a single-phase to single-phase cycloconverter feeding R load.
5.6 Explain the operation of any one of the three-phase cycloconverters. Draw and explain
the trigger Circuit of the cycloconverter.
5.7 Explain the motor control using a cycloconverter.
5.8 Describe the principle of working of single-phase bridge type step down cycloconverter
feeding an RL load.
5.9 Explain the principle of working of a three-phse to single-phase cycloconverter.
5.10 Show that the fundamental rms value of per phase output voltage of a low frequency for
m  π 
an m puse cycloconverter is given by Vor = Vph   sin   . Hence express Vor in terms
 π  m
of voltage reducing factor, r.
5.11 A 3-phase to single-phase cycloconverter employs 3-phase positive and negative group
converters. Each converter is supplied from delta/star transformer with per phase turns
ratio of 2: 1. The supply voltage is 4000 V, 50 Hz. The RL load has R = 5Ω and at low
output frequency, ω0L = 2.5Ω. In order to account for communication overlap and thyristor
turn-off time, the firing angle in the inversion mode should not exceed 150º. Compute
(a) the value of the fundamental rms output voltage.
(b) rms output current and
(c) output power.
5.12 Explain the operation of a single-phase to single-phase step-up mid-point type cycloconverter
feeding R load.
5.13 Explain the operation of a single-phase to single-phase step-down mid-point type
cycloconverter feeding R load.
5.14 Explain the operation of a single-phase to single-phase step-up mid-point type cycloconverter
feeding R load.
5.15 Explain reduction of output harmonics in cycloconverter.
5.16 Explain three-phase bridge type cycloconverter with circuit diagrams.