Single-Phase Drives for Controlling DC

Motors

The single phase ac is converted into dc by a controlled rectifier or

converter and the dc is supplied to the dc motor. By varying the
firing angle the voltage applied to the motor can be varied and thus
the speed of the motor can be controlled.
Single phase drives can be further classified as: 1. Single Phase
Half-Wave Converter Drives 2. Single Phase Semi-Converter
Drives 3. Single Phase Full-Converter Drives 4. Single Phase Dual
Converter Drives.

1. Single Phase Half-Wave Converter Drives:

Figure 3.3 (a) shows a single phase half-wave converter for

controlling a separately excited dc motor. It needs a single thyristor
and a freewheeling diode (DFW). Freewheeling diode, also
sometimes known as bypass diode or commutating diode is used to
improve the wave-shape of load current and power factor.
Freewheeling diode is connected across the motor terminals to
allow for dissipation of energy stored in the motor inductance and to
provide for continuity of motor current when the thyristors are
blocked. It also provides protection against transient over-voltages.
Separate converters are employed for the armature and field
circuits. It is desirable that the supply to the field winding is
provided through a semi-converter or full converter. If half-wave
converter is used for supply to field circuit, the high ripple content in
the field circuit would cause increase in the iron losses of the
machine. It is one quadrant drive, as illustrated in Fig. 3.3 (b).

Because of inductance of the field and armature, the thyristor would

not turn off at ωt = π. Therefore it is desirable to have freewheeling
diode (DFW), as shown.
Average value of voltage applied across armature is given by-

Where, αa is the firing angle of converter in the armature circuit.

In this circuit the motor current is always discontinuous, resulting in
poor performance. This type of drive is used only for small dc
motors of rating up to 500 W or so.

2. Single Phase Semi-Converter Drives:

Figure 3.4 (a) shows the circuit of a semi-converter feeding a

separately excited dc motor. Both armature and field circuits are
supplied from single phase ac supply through semi-converters.
Because of inductance in the armature and field circuits,
freewheeling diodes are required in both the circuits.
The voltages applied to the armature and fields are:

where αa and αf are the firing angles of converters in the armature

and field circuits respectively.
This is also a one quadrant drive [Fig. 3.4 (b)] which provides
voltage and current of one polarity at dc terminals. It, therefore,
does not provide for regenerative braking, i.e., power flow from dc
motor to the ac supply. Where regeneration is not required, this
converter is used for reasons of economy. This drive is used for
motors up to 15 kW rating.
Typical steady-state voltage and current waveforms are illustrated
in Fig. 3.5. The thyristor TH1 is fired at angle αa while TH2 at angle
π + αa with respect to supply voltage v and process is repeated
continuously.
Under steady conditions, as thyristor TH1 is fired (ωt = αa), TH] and
diode D2 conduct and the motor gets supply, i.e., va. At ωt = π, va
tends to become negative as the input voltage reverses in polarity.
This makes freewheeling diode to become forward biased and
armature current flowing through TH2D1 is transferred to DFW for
the freewheeling period π < ωt < π + αa providing for continuity of
the armature current during this period when the motor remains
disconnected from the supply. At ωt = π + αa, the thyristor TH2 is
fired and TH2D, conduct, causing to become reverse biased, and
therefore, open circuited. The motor is once again connected
positively to the supply for the next period of π + αa < ωt < 2π. This
process repeats continuously.
Different voltage and current waveforms of a separately excited dc
motor supplied through a semi-converter are illustrated in Fig. 3.5.
Though the voltage across motor terminals [Fig. 3.5 (c)] contains
harmonics over and above a steady dc value, it is rightly assumed
here that the motor does not respond to these harmonics and thus
runs at constant speed of n rps and has constant induced back emf
eb. As TH1 fires at ωt = αa, the motor current is given as

assuming Ra negligibly small up to the point P illustrated in Fig. 3.5

(a) ; v > eb so that the motor current increases. So does the motor
back emf eb. During this period, apart from energy being delivered
to the load, energy is also being stored in the motor armature
inductance La. Beyond the point P, voltage v becomes lesser than
induced back emf eb and the motor current starts to drop. This also
implies the reversal of voltage across motor armature inductance
which now feeds energy into the system. During the freewheeling
period (π < ωt < π + αa), the diode continues to be forward biased
by the reversal of the inductive voltage.
During this period a part of the energy stored in armature
inductance is consumed in supplying the mechanical load. The
motor current, speed, and emf, therefore, all decrease. This
process then repeats over the next period (π + αa < ωt < 2π + αa)
through TH2D1, and later through DFW. The current drawn from the
supply shown in Fig. 3.5 (d) is that part of the armature current
which flows over the periods (αa, π), (π + αa, 2π), when the motor
is connected to the supply. It is not necessary to employ the
freewheeling diode. In its absence at ωt = π, diode D1 becomes
forward biased so that freewheeling occurs through TH1D1 till TH2
is fired. At ωt = 2π freewheeling occurs through TH2D2 and so on.
Discontinuous Armature Current:
The armature current becomes discontinuous for large values of
the firing angle, high speed and low values of torque. Discontinuous
armature current results in deterioration of motor performance. The
ratio of peak to average and rms to average value of armature
current increases. Thus it is desirable to operate the motor in the
continuous current mode. This can be achieved by using an
external armature circuit choke, which reduces the rate of decay of
current during the freewheeling operation.
The voltage and current waveforms for semi-converter with
discontinuous current are illustrated in Fig. 3.6. The motor is
connected to the supply through TH1 and D2 for the period αa < ωt
< π. Beyond π, the motor is shorted through the freewheeling diode
DFW. The armature current falls to zero at angle β (extinction angle)
< π + αa i.e., before the thyristor TH2 is fired, thereby making the
armature current discontinuous.
During αa to π, the conduction period through TH1 and D2, the
motor terminal voltage is the same as the input voltage. During n to
P, the motor terminal voltage is zero, motor terminals being shorted
by the freewheeling diode DFW. From β to π + αa, the motor coasts
and, therefore, its terminal voltage is the same as its induced emf. It
should be noted here that the fundamental of the current drawn
from the mains lags behind the voltage by an angle φ, (< αa).
Torque-Speed Characteristics:
The emf induced in armature conductors of a motor, known as back
emf, is given by-
Eb = ke φN …(3.5)
where Ke is emf constant and is equal to PZ/60A.
In a separately excited dc motor, the field winding is excited from a
separate source. So voltage applied to the armature is given by-
Va = Eb + laRa …(3.6)
where Ia is armature current in amperes and Ra is the armature
resistance in ohms.
Thus, from Eqs. (3.5) and (3.6), we have-
Back emf, Eb = V – Ia Ra = ke N φ

Since field is excited separately, field current If and flux φ are

constant. Moreover voltage drop in armature, IaRa is negligible. So
motor speed N is constant if voltage applied to the armature is
constant, and speed varies directly in proportion to the applied
voltage i.e., N ∝ Va.
Electromagnetic torque developed in a dc motor is given by-
The first term of RHS of Eq. (3.12) represents the theoretical speed
and the second term represents the speed drop due to voltage drop
in armature circuit.
The theoretical no-load speed can be controlled by varying the
firing angle αa.

3. Single Phase Full-Converter Drives:

The circuit diagram is illustrated in Fig. 3.7 (a). A full-converter

needs four thyristors but no freewheeling diode. Full converters are
employed for both the armature and field supply. As illustrated in
Fig. 3.7 (b), two quadrant operation is possible. The converter in
the armature circuit provides + Va or – Va thus allowing operation in
first and fourth quadrants.

Current remains unidirectional because of the unidirectional

thyristors. When operating in the fourth quadrant regenerative
braking is possible and motor feeds back energy to the source. If αa
and αf are the firing angles for the converters used in the armature
and field circuits, the armature voltage Va and field voltage Vf are
given as-

This drive is also employed for motors of rating up to 15 kW.

The voltage and current waveforms are illustrated in Fig. 3.8;
armature current ia being assumed to be almost constant. During
the time interval αa < ωt < π + αa, thyristors TH1 and TH3 conduct
and connect the motor to supply. At π + αa, thyristors TH2 and TH4
are triggered. Immediately the supply voltage appears in reverse
bias across thyristors TH1 and TH3 and turns them off. This is
natural or line commutation. The motor current is transferred from
thyristors TH1 and TH3 to thyristors TH1 and TH4.
During the time interval αa to π energy is supplied to the motor
(both v and i are positive and, therefore, are va and ia). But during
time interval π to π + αa, some of the motor energy is fed back to
the supply (v and i and so the va and ia being of opposite polarity).
The noteworthy point is that the fundamental of the current drawn
from the supply mains lags behind the applied voltage by angle ɸ1
= αa.
The voltage and current waveforms for αa > 90° are illustrated in
Fig. 3.9. The average motor terminal voltage is now negative. On
reversing of the motor terminals, it will operate as a generator
supplying power back to the ac supply. This is the inversion
operation of the converter and is employed in regenerative braking
of the motor. The noteworthy point here is that during the
conduction period of either TH1 TH3 or TH2 TH4 as the supply
voltage becomes negative, the armature current begins to drop,
causing the inductance polarity to reverse and thus conducting
thyristors continue to be forward biased.

From Eqs. (3.11) and (3.13) we have-

In the case of discontinuous current, the average voltage at motor

terminals depends upon the extinction angle β which itself depends
on the average motor speed N, average armature current la and
firing angle αa. We need not to go in its analytical treatment.
4. Single Phase Dual Converter Drives:

The circuit diagram is illustrated in Fig. 3.10 (a). In this drive, the
armature is supplied from two full converters while the field is
supplied from another full converter. Converter 1 provides operation
in the first and fourth quadrants while converter 2 provides
operation in second and third quadrants. Thus it is a four quadrant
drive and allows all four modes of operation, i.e., forward motoring,
forward regenerative braking, reverse motoring and reverse
regenerative braking. When converter 1 is operating, a positive
voltage Va is applied to the armature. When converter 2 is
operating a negative voltage -Va is applied to the armature. It is
employed for motors of rating up to 15 kW. If αa1 is the firing angle
of converter 1, the armature voltage Va is given as-

The firing angle αa2 of converter 2 will be equal to (π – αa1) and

when converter 2 is operating, armature voltage is given as-

The voltage applied to the field is given as-

where αf is the firing angel of converter supplying the field.