Chapter 4 AC to AC Converters

Outline
4.1 AC voltage controllers
4.2 Other AC controllers
4.3 Thyristor cycloconverters
4.4 Matrix converters

4.1.1 Single-phase AC voltage controller

VT 1
VT2
u1

io

u1
O

uo

R uo
O
io

The phase shift range

(operation range of phase
delay angle):

O
u VT

t
t

Resistive load, quantitative analysis

RMS value of output voltage

Uo

2
1
1

2
U
sin

t
d

U
sin
2

1
1

2

(4-1)

RMS value of output current

Uo
R
RMS value of thyristor current
Io

IT

1
2

(4-2)

2U 1 sin t
U 1
sin 2
d t 1 (1
)

R
R
2

(4-3)

Power factor of the circuit

P UoIo Uo

S U1 I o U1

1

sin 2
2

(4-4)

Inductive (Inductor- resistor) load , operation principle

u1
VT 1
VT2

io

uG1
R

u1

uo

The phase shift range:

O
uG2
O
uo

O
io

uVT
O

t
t

Inductive load, quantitative analysis

Differential equation

d io
Rio 2U 1 sin t
dt
io t 0
(4-5)

180

140

Solution

/( )

2U 1
tg
io
sin( t ) sin( )e
Z

100

Considering io =0 when t= +
We have

sin( ) sin( )e

(4-6)

60
20
0

tg

(4-7)

20

60

100
/ ( )

140

180

4-3

The RMS value of output voltage, output current, and thyristor current can then be
calculated.

4.1.2 Three-phase AC voltage controller

Classification of three- phase circuits
ia VT1

u a VT
3
n

ub

Ua0'
ia

VT4
b

VT5

uc

ua

n'

VT6
c

Line- controlled connection

ub

ub

uc
c

Branch-controlled connection

ia

ua

uc

ub
uc

Y connection

ia

b
c

VT2

ua

a
b

Neutral-point controlled connection

3- phase 3- wire Y connection AC voltage controller

i a VT 1
ua
n

ub
uc

VT3
VT5

a
VT4
b

Ua0'

n'

VT6
c
VT 2

For a time instant, there are 2 possible conduction states:

Each phase has a thyristor conducting. Load voltages are the same as the source
voltages.
There are only 2 thyristors conducting, each from a phase. The load voltages of
the two conducting phases are half of the corresponding line to line voltage,
while the load voltage of the other phase is 0.

4.2 Other AC controllers

4.2.1 Integral cycle controlAC power controller

VT 1
VT2
u1

io

Conduction
uo angle =

2 U1

uo

R O
M

2
M

2N
M
u1

uo,io
3
M

4
M

Line period
Control period = M *Line period

= 2

Circuit topologies are the same as AC voltage controllers.

Only the control method is different.
Load voltage and current are both sinusoidal when thyristors are conducting.

Spectrum of the current inAC

power controller

0.6

There is NO
harmonics in the
ordinary sense.
There is harmonics
as to the control
frequency. As to the
line frequency, these
components become
fractional harmonics.

0.5
0.4

IO/I0m

0.3
0.2
0.1
2

8 10 12 14

Harmonic order as to
control frequency
0

Harmonic order as to
line frequency

4.2.2 Electronic AC switch

Circuit topologies are the same as AC voltage controllers. But the back- to- back
thyristors are just used like a switch to turn the equipment on or off.
ApplicationThyristor-switched capacitor (TSC)

TSC waveforms when the capacitor is switched in/out

uVT 1
uC

iC
VT1

us

VT2

us

uC
C

uVT 1

t
VT1

iC
VT2

t1

t
t2

The voltage across the thyristor must be nearly zero when switching in the
capacitor, and the current of the thyristor must be zero when switching
out the capacitor.

TSC with the electronic switch realized by a thyristor and an antiparallel diode

uVT
uC

iC
VT

us

VD

us

uC

uVT

VD

iC

VT

t 1 t2 t 3 t 4

The capacitor voltage will be always charged up to the peak of source

voltage.
The response to switching- out command could be a little slower
(maximum delay is one line-cycle).

4.2.3 Chopping controlAC chopper

AC chopper
Modes of operation

VD

i1

V
1

VD

VD

VD

3
3

u>0, io >0: V1 charging,

4-7V3 freewheeling
u>0, io <0: V4 charging, V2 freewheeling
u<0, io >0: V3 charging, V1 freewheeling
u<0, io <0: V2 charging, V4 freewheeling

4.3 Thyristor cycloconverters

4.3.1 Single- phase thyristor-cycloconverter
Circuit configuration and operation principle
P

N
Z

uo

a p=
2

Output
voltage

Average

ap=0

output voltage

ap=

2
t

Single- phase thyristor-cycloconverter

Modes of operation
uo

u o,io
O t1

uP

iP
uo

t2

t4

t3

t5

iN
uN

uo

uP

io

io

uN
t

uo

O
iP

P
N

O
iN

Rectifi

Inver

cation

sion

blocking

blocking
Rectifi

Inver

cation

sion

Typical waveforms

uo
O

io
O

t
1

3
2

6
5

Modulation methods for firing delay angle

Calculation method
For the rectifier circuit

u o U d0 cos

(4-15)

u2 u3 u4 u5 u6

u1
t

For the cycloconverter

ap3 ap4

output

uo U om sin o t

(4-16)

Equating (4- 15) and (4-16)

U om
cos
sin o t sin o t
U d0
therefore

(4-17)

cos 1 ( sin o t )

(4-18)

us2 us3 us4 us5 us6 us1

uo
t

Principle of cosine
wave-crossing method

Output voltage ratio

(Modulation factor)

150

Uom
120

(0 1)
Ud 0
/( )
90
60
30
0

3 2 t
2
2
Output voltage phase angle

The configuration with common input line

4.3.2 Three- phase thyristor-cyclo converter

4-24

The configuration with star-connected output

Typical waveforms

Output voltage

200 t/ms

Input current with

Single-phase output

Input current with

3-phase output

200 t/ms

200 t/ms

Input and output characteristics

The maximum output frequency and the harmonics in the output voltage
are the same as in single-phase circuit. Input power factor is a little
higher than single-phase circuit. Harmonics in the input current is a
little lower thanthe single- phase circuit due to the cancellation of
some harmonics among the 3 phases.
To improve the input power factor:
Use DC bias or 3k order component bias on each of the 3 output
phase voltages
Features and applications
Features:
Direct frequency conversionhigh efficiency
Bidirectional energy flow, easy to realize 4- quadrant operation
Very complicatedtoo many power semiconductor devices
Low output frequency
Low input power factor and bad input current waveform
Applications:
High power low speed AC motor drive

4.4 Matrix converter

Circuit configuration

input
b

S1

S1

S1

S2

S2

S2

S3

S3

S3

a)

u
S ij

v
output
w
b)

Usable input voltage

U1m

1 Um
2

Um

a)

3 U
1m
2

b)

a) Single-phase input b) Use 3 phase voltages

voltage
to construct output
voltage

c)

c) Use 3 line-line voltages

to construct output
voltage

Features

Direct frequency conversionhigh efficiency can realize good input and

output waveforms, low harmonics, and nearly unity displacement
factor
Bidirectional energy flow, easy to realize 4- quadrant operation
Output frequency is not limited by input frequency
No need for bulk capacitor (as compared to indirect frequency converter)
Very complicatedtoo many power semiconductor devices
Output voltage magnitude is a little lower as compared to indirect
frequency converter.