EEE 4227: Power Electronics

Single Phase Controlled Rectifiers

Contents

• Introduction to rectifiers
• Classification of rectifiers
• Principle of phase controlled converter
operation
• Single phase half wave converter
• Single phase semi converter
• Single phase full converter
• Harmonic Distortions

2
Introduction

3
Introduction
APPLICATIONS OF RECTIFIERS
• DC motor control in steel mills, paper and textile mills employing dc motor drives.
• AC fed traction system using dc traction motor.
• Electro-chemical and electro-metallurgical processes.
• Magnet power supplies.
• Reactor controls.
• Portable hand tool drives.
• Variable speed industrial drives.
• Battery charges.
• High voltage DC transmission.
• Uninterruptible power supply systems (UPS).

4
Classification of Rectifiers

5
Classification of Rectifiers

6
PRINCIPLE OF PHASE-CONTROLLED CONVERTER OPERATION

Half wave converter

with a resistive load

7
PRINCIPLE OF PHASE-CONTROLLED CONVERTER OPERATION

8
PRINCIPLE OF PHASE-CONTROLLED CONVERTER OPERATION

reverses, Half wave converter with inductive load

9
PRINCIPLE OF PHASE-CONTROLLED CONVERTER OPERATION
Half wave converter
with inductive load

regain their blocking states.

10
PRINCIPLE OF PHASE-CONTROLLED CONVERTER OPERATION

FF=Vrms/Vdc

11
PRINCIPLE OF PHASE-CONTROLLED CONVERTER OPERATION

12
Single Phase Semi-Converter
The circuit arrangement of a single-phase
semi-converter is shown below with
a highly inductive load. The load current is
assumed continuous.

13
Single Phase Semi-Converter

14
Single Phase Semi-Converter

15
Single Phase Semi-Converter

16
Single Phase Semi-Converter

17
Single Phase Semi-Converter

18
 Single phase full wave full converter

Single Phase Full-Converter

The circuit arrangement of a single-phase full
converter is shown below with a highly
inductive load.

19
Single Phase Full-Converter

During the period from α to π, the input During the period from π to π+α, the input
voltage, v, and input current, I, are voltage, v, is negative and the input current is
positive; and the power flows from the positive; and there will be reverse power flow
supply to the load. The converter is said from the load to the supply. The converter is
to be operated in rectification mode. operated in inversion mode. 20
Single Phase Full-Converter

21
Single Phase Full-Converter

22
Single Phase Full-Converter

23
Single Phase Full-Converter

24
Single Phase Full-Converter

25
Harmonic Distortions

Harmonics are currents or voltage with

frequencies that are integer multiples of the
fundamental power frequency. Individual
harmonic frequency will vary in amplitude and
phase angle, depending on the harmonic
source.
Total harmonic distortion is the contribution of
all the harmonic frequency current to the
fundamental.

26
Harmonic Distortions
Causes:
 Harmonics are created by a non-linear loads that draw a current in abrupt pulses
rather than a smooth sinusoidal manner.
 Electronics switching power supplies/converters.
 Harmonics are created by increased use of non-linear devices such as uninterruptible
power supplies (UPS) systems, solid state variable speed motor drives, rectifiers and
personal computers.
 Variable speed drives are usually referred to by the number of rectifiers in the system.
 Harmonic resonance occurs when the capacitor reactance and the system reactance
are equal.
 All electronic loads generate positive & negative sequence harmonic currents, single
phase electronic loads connected phase neutral in a 3 phase 4wires distribution system,
also generate zero sequence harmonic currents
 Appliances: – TV set, air conditioners, washing machines, microwave ovens and
vacuum cleaners. – Fax machines, photocopies, printers and so on.

27
Harmonic Distortions
Causes:
Linear Loads
• Linear loads occur when the impedance is constant; then the current is proportional to
or the same as the voltage.
• A linear element in a power system is a component in which the current is
proportional to the voltage.
• Typical linear loads are incandescent lights and motors, heaters.

28
Harmonic Distortions
Causes:
Non-Linear Loads
•Non linear loads occur when the impedance is not constant; then the current is not
proportion or the same as the voltage.
• The current drawn by non-linear loads is not sinusoidal but is periodic, meaning that the
current wave looks the same from cycle to cycle.
• Non-linear loads are low impedance so they use as much as three times the peak
current as a resistive load.
•Typical non-linear loads are electronic switch power supplies, DC/AC drive and induction
furnace/arc furnace.

29
Harmonic Distortions
Causes:
•Since 1965, the introduction of low cost, high efficiency semiconductor devices has increased
the use of electronic( static) power converters throughout industry in the form of variable speed
drives for all type of machinery.

• After the 1973 oil embargo and associated rapid increase in energy costs, it has been
economical and essential to utilize electronic power converters on large systems, as well as to
apply power improvement capacitors to minimize the increased cost of energy. These have also
generated significant harmonics in power systems.

• In 1980, harmonics were recognized as a major technical issue in the USA. Since then, the
national electrical code (NEC) has addressed the requirements for equipment and system
performance under influence of harmonics for applications in highly non-linear load
installations.

30
Harmonic Distortions
Causes: INPUT CURRENT OF DIFFERENT
NOLINEAR LOADS

TYPE OF TYPICAL WAREFORM THD%

NONLINEAR LOAD

1.0

1-φ 0.5 80%

Uncontrolled (high 3rd
Current
0.0

Rectifier component)
-0.5

10 20 30 40
0
-1.0
Time (mS)

1.0
2nd, 3rd, 4th ,......
1-φ 0.5
harmonic
Current

Semicontrolled 0.0 components

Rectifier Bridge -0.5
10 20 30 40
0
-1.0
Time (mS)

1.0

6 –Pulse Rectifier 0.5

with output voltage 80%

Current

0.0
filtering and without
-0.5
input reactor filter 10 20 30 40 5, 7, 11, ……….
-1.0 0
Time (mS)

JUNE 2002 IEEE PESC-02 31

Harmonic Distortions
INPUT CURRENT OF DIFFERENT
Causes NOLINEAR LOADS

1.0
6 - Pulse Rectifier
0.5
with output voltage 40%

Current
filtering and with 3% 0.0 5, 7, 11, ………..
reactor filter or with -0.5
continues output 0
10 20 30 40

current -1.0
Time (mS)

1.0

6 - Pulse Rectifier 0.5

with large output 0.0 Current 28%

inductor -0.5 5, 7, 11, ………..
0 10 20 30 40
-1.0 Time (mS)

1.0

0.5

12 - Pulse Rectifier 15%

Current

0.0

-0.5
11, 13, ………..
0 10 20 30 40
-1.0 Time (mS)

JUNE 2002 IEEE PESC-02 32

Harmonic Distortions
RECENT CURRENT MEASUREMENTS TAKEN IN AN
Causes : INDUSTRIAL PLANT WITH 600 KVA, 20 KV/400 V
DISTRIBUTION TRANFORMER

Current waveform and its respective spectrum

at the secondary of the distribution transformer
( i.e. at the service entrance)

33
Harmonic Distortions
Voltage and current profiles in a
Causes :
commercial building

JUNE 2002 IEEE PESC-02 34

Harmonic Distortions
Problems:
When a voltage and/or current waveform is distorted, it causes abnormal operating
conditions in a power system such as:
• Voltage Harmonics can cause additional heating in induction/synchronous
motors/generators and hence reduces lifetime.

• Voltage Harmonics with high peak values can weaken insulation in cables, windings,
and capacitors.
• Current Harmonics in motor windings can create Electromagnetic Interference (EMI).
• Current Harmonics flowing through cables can cause higher heating over and above
the heating that is created from the fundamental component.
• Current Harmonics flowing through a transformer can cause higher heating over and
above the heating that is created by the fundamental component.
• Current Harmonics flowing through circuit breakers and switch-gear can increase their
heating losses and may result into false tripping of circuit breakers and protective
relays.
• Resonant currents which are created by current harmonics and the different filtering
topologies of the power system can cause capacitor failures and/or fuse failures in the
35
capacitor or other electrical equipment.
Harmonic Distortions
Problems:
How do you know if you have a harmonic problem?

•Frequent tripping of circuit breakers & fuse blowing

• Capacitor failures
• Overloading of transformer neutrals
• Telephone interference
• Severe lamp flicker
• Excessive equipment heating. – Increased heating is the result of increased copper and
iron losses due to the increased frequencies present.
• Electrical interference: – interference may take the form of loss of data, communication
interference. Many electronic devices count on regular sinusoidal voltage waves for
detection of peaks and/or zero crossing used in timing circuits.
• Over voltage – An over voltage is a voltage above the normal rated or maximum
operating voltage of a device or circuit. Harmonic over voltages are caused by local circuit
resonant condition that can overstress equipment insulation. One most common form is
the tuning of a circuit due to the addition of a capacitor.

36
Harmonic Distortions
Solutions:
 To improve system performance and provide the best possible environment for the non-
linear loads, a designer’s options have been limited to over-sizing distribution transformer
and ‘shared’ neutral conductors.

 Harmonics can be reduced by limiting the non-linear load to 30% of the maximum
transformer’s capacity. However, with power factor correction capacitors installed, resonating
conditions can occur that could potentially limit the percentage of non-linear loads to 15% of
transformer’s capacity.

 Line reactors: more commonly used for size and cost, the line reactor is the best solution
for harmonics reduction when compared to an isolation transformer. AC drives that use diode
bridge rectifier front ends are best suited for line reactors. Line reactors (commonly referred
to as inductors) are available in standard impedance ranges from 1.5%, 3%, 5% and 7.5%.

 Harmonics trap filters: used in applications with a high non-linear ratio to system to
eliminate harmonic currents. Filters are tuned to a specific harmonic such as the 5th, 7th,
11th , ect. In addition, harmonic trap filters provide true distortion power factor correction.
Filters can be designed for several non-linear loads or for and individual.
37
 Appendix

Basics of Fourier Series

38
Basics of Fourier Series

39
Basics of Fourier Series

40
Basics of Fourier Series

41
Basics of Fourier Series

42
Questions?
Confusions!

43