ELK 331E/331

Power Electronic Circuits/Güç Elektroniği Devreleri

AC Voltage Controllers

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mehmet Onur GÜLBAHÇE

AC Voltage Controllers
❑ Introduction

❑ The Single-phase AC Voltage Controller

❑ Three-phase AC Voltage Controller

❑ Induction Motor Speed Control

❑ Static VAR Control

❑ AC Cycloconverter

❑ Matrix Converter

❑ Summary

a
AC Voltage Controllers - Introduction
❑ Controls the voltage, current, and average power delivered to an ac load from an ac
source. The input voltage is ac, and the output is ac (although not sinusoidal), so the
circuit is classified as an ac-ac converter.

❑ Switches connect and disconnect the source and the load at regular intervals.

❑ Another type of control is integral-cycle control, whereby the source is connected and
disconnected for several cycles at a time.
AC Voltage Controllers - Introduction
❑ Light-dimmer circuits-Induction heating
AC Voltage Controllers - Introduction
❑ Tap Changers
AC Voltage Controllers - Introduction
❑ Tap Changers
AC Voltage Controllers - Introduction
❑ Speed Control of AC Motors
The Single-Phase AC Voltage Controller
The Single-Phase AC Voltage Controller
• This SCR connection is called antiparallel or inverse parallel because the SCRs carry current in
opposite directions.

• A triac is equivalent to the antiparallel SCRs. Other controlled switching devices can be used instead
of SCRs.

Figure 1 (a) Single-phase AC voltage controller with resistive load, (b) Waveforms
The Single-Phase AC Voltage Controller

❑ The principle of operation for a single-phase ac voltage controller using phase

control is quite similar to that of the controlled half-wave rectifier.

1. The SCRs cannot conduct simultaneously.

2. The load voltage is the same as the source voltage when either SCR is on.
The load voltage is zero when both SCRs are off.

3. The switch voltage is zero when either SCR is on and is equal to the
source voltage when neither is on.

4. The average current in the source and load is zero if the SCRs are on for
equal time intervals. The average current in each SCR is not zero because of
unidirectional SCR current.

5. The rms current in each SCR is times the rms load current if the SCRs
are on for equal time intervals.
The Single-Phase AC Voltage Controller
❑ S1 conducts if a gate signal is applied during the positive half-cycle. S1 conducts until the
current in it reaches zero.

❑ Where this circuit differs from the controlled half-wave rectifier is when the source is in
its negative half-cycle.

❑ A gate signal is applied to S2 during the negative half-cycle of the source, providing a
path for negative load current.

❑ If the gate signal for S2 is a half period later than that of S1, analysis for the negative
half-cycle is identical to that for the positive half, except for algebraic sign for the voltage
and current.
The Single-Phase AC Voltage Controller
❑ Single-phase controller with Resistive Load

Let the source voltage be :

AC Voltage Controllers
The Single-Phase AC Voltage Controller
❑ For α=0, the load voltage is a sinusoid that has the same rms value
as the source. Normalized rms load voltage is plotted as a function of in Fig. 2

Figure 2 Normalized RMS load voltage vs delay angle for a single-phase AC voltage controller with R-load
The Single-Phase AC Voltage Controller
❑ The power factor of the load:

The average source current is zero because of half-wave symmetry. The average SCR current
is:

Since each SCR carries one-half of the line current, the rms current in each SCR is:
The Single-Phase AC Voltage Controller
❑ Only odd harmonics exist in the line
current ---(half-wave symmetry).

❑ Normalized harmonic content of the line

currents vs. is shown in Fig. 3.

❑ Base current is source voltage divided by

resistance, which is the current for α=0.

Figure 3. Normalized harmonic content vs. delay angle;

Cn is the normalized amplitude.
EX:1
The single-phase ac voltage controller of Fig. 1 has a 120-V rms 60-Hz source. The load
resistance is 15Ω. Determine (a) the delay angle required to deliver 500 W to the load, (b) the
rms source current, (c) the rms and average currents in the SCRs, (d) the power factor, and (e)
the total harmonic distortion (THD) of the source current.
From Fig. 2 the delay angle required to obtain a normalized output of 86.6/120=0.72
is approximately 90°.
The Single-Phase AC Voltage Controller with RL Load

Figure 4 Single-phase ac voltage controller with an RL load and Typical waveforms.

The Single-Phase Controller with RL Load
❑ The solution for current in this equation is

The extinction angle β is the angle at which the current returns to zero, when ωt= β

The conduction angle ɣ is defined as

The Single-Phase Controller with RL Load
❑ In the interval between π and β when the source voltage is negative and the
load current is still positive, S2 cannot be turned on because it is not forward-
biased.

❑ The gate signal to S2 must be delayed at least until the current in S1 reaches
zero, at ωt=β. The delay angle is therefore at least β-π.
The Single-Phase Controller with RL Load

If α<θ, SCR is always conducting!!! (SOLID STATE RELAY)

The Single-Phase Controller with RL Load

❑ RMS load Current and power absorbed by load:

EX:
❑ For the single-phase voltage controller, the source is 120 V rms at 60 Hz, and
the load is a series RL combination with R=20Ω and L=50 mH. The delay
angle α is 90°. Determine:

(a) an expression for load current for the first half-period,

(b) the rms load current,
(c) rms SCR current,
(d) the average SCR current,
(e) the power delivered to the load, and
(f) the power factor.
Three-Phase Voltage Controller

❑ Y-Connected Resistive Load

The six SCRs are turned on in the sequence 1-2-3-4-5-6, at 60 intervals.
Gate signals are maintained throughout the possible conduction angle.
Three-Phase Voltage Controller

Load voltage for α=30°

Three-Phase Voltage Controller

Load voltage for α=30°

Load voltages and switch currents for a three-phase resistive load for α=30°;
Load voltage for α=75°
Three-Phase Voltage Controller

❑ The instantaneous phase voltages of the load depend on which SCRs are
conducting.

❑ At any given moment, three SCRs, two SCRs, or no SCRs may be conducting.

❑ The instantaneous load voltages are as follows:

When three SCRs are conducting: Line-to-neutral voltage.
When two SCRs are conducting: Half of the line-to-line voltage.
When no SCRs are conducting: Zero.
Three-Phase Voltage Controller

❑ When Three SCRs Are Conducting:

❑ All three phase voltages are connected to the source, corresponding to a

balanced three-phase source connected to a balanced three-phase load.

❑ The voltage across each phase of the load is the corresponding line-to-
neutral voltage.

❑ For example: If S1, S2, and S6 are conducting,

Three-Phase Voltage Controller

❑ When Two SCRs Are Conducting:

❑ The line-to-line voltage of the two conducting phases is equally divided

between the two load resistors connected to those phases.

❑ For example: If only S1 and S2 are conducting,

Three-Phase Voltage Controller
Three-Phase Voltage Controller
Three-Phase Voltage Controller
Three-Phase Voltage Controller

❑ Normalized output voltage vs. delay angle is

shown in Fig. 5-8.

❑ Harmonic currents in the load and line for

the 3-phase ac voltage controller are the
odd harmonics of order 6n±1, n=1, 2, 3, . . .
(that is, 5th, 7th,11th, 13th). . . .

❑ Harmonic filters may be required in some

applications to prevent harmonic currents
from propagating into the ac system.
Three-Phase Voltage Controller

❑ Y-Connected RL Load

✓ The load voltages for a three-phase voltage controller with an RL load are again
characterized by being a line-to-neutral voltage, one-half of a line-to-line
voltage, or zero.

✓ The analysis is much more difficult for an RL load than for a resistive load, and
simulation provides results that would be extremely difficult to obtain
analytically.
Three-Phase Voltage Controller
Delta-Connected Resistive Load
❑ The voltage across a load resistor is the
corresponding line-to-line voltage
when a SCR in the phase is on.

❑ The delay angle is referenced to the

zero crossing of the line-to-line voltage.

❑ SCRs are turned on in the sequence 1-

2-3-4-5-6. The line current in each
phase is the sum of two of the delta
currents:

❑ The relationship between rms line and delta currents depends on the conduction
angle of the SCRs.

❑ For small conduction angles, the delta currents do not overlap and the rms line
currents are
Three-Phase Voltage Controller

Three-phase ac voltage controller with

a delta-connected resistive load; (b) Current waveforms for α=130°; (c) Current waveforms for α=90°.

Use of the delta-connected three-phase voltage controller requires the load to be

broken to allow thyristors to be inserted in each phase, which is often not feasible.
Squirrel-Cage Induction Motor Speed Control: Key Points

1.Speed Control Mechanism:

1. Speed is controlled by varying the voltage and/or frequency applied to the motor.
2. AC voltage controllers can be used for speed control in specific applications.

2.Torque-Voltage Relationship:
1. The torque produced by an induction motor is proportional to the square of the
applied voltage.
2. Torque-speed characteristics determine the operating point.

3.Load and Speed Adjustment:

1. Speed is adjusted by matching the torque-speed curves of the motor and the load.
2. Suitable for loads like fans or pumps where torque is approximately proportional to
the square of speed.
Squirrel-Cage Induction Motor Speed Control: Key Points

✓ Energy efficiency is poor at low speeds due to high rotor losses from large
slip.

✓ This method is suitable for:

1. Small loads (e.g., single-phase fractional-horsepower motors).
2. Applications with short periods of low-speed operation.

Preferred Alternative:
Variable-frequency drives (inverter circuits) are generally more efficient and
preferred for better speed control.
Power Factor Correction Using AC Voltage Controllers: Key Points

1.Capacitor in Parallel with Inductive Loads:

1. Capacitors are commonly placed in parallel with inductive loads to improve the power
factor.
2. For a load with a constant reactive power (VAR) requirement, a fixed capacitor can
correct the power factor to unity.
2.Challenges with Varying VAR Requirements:
1. If the load's VAR requirement varies, a fixed capacitor causes the power factor to
fluctuate.
3.Dynamic Power Factor Control:
1. Using an AC voltage controller with the circuit shown in Fig. 12, unity power factor can
be maintained for varying VAR requirements.
2. The setup includes:
1. A fixed capacitor supplying constant reactive power.
2. A parallel inductor absorbing variable reactive power based on the delay angle of
the SCRs.
Power Factor Correction Using AC Voltage Controllers: Key Points
1. The SCRs control the reactive power absorbed by the inductor by adjusting the
delay angle.
2. The net reactive power supplied by the capacitor-inductor combination matches the
load’s reactive power needs.
3. As the load’s VAR requirement changes, the delay angle is adjusted to maintain a
unity power factor.
Static VAR Control: Key Points

1.SCR Placement in Inductor Branch:

1. SCRs are placed in the inductor branch instead of the capacitor branch because
switching capacitors with SCRs could lead to very high currents.

2.Advantages of Static VAR Control:

1. Rapid Adjustment: Can quickly adapt to changing load requirements.
2. Continuously Adjustable Reactive Power: Unlike capacitor banks that provide
discrete levels, static VAR control allows continuous adjustment of reactive power.

3.Applications:
1. Widely used in systems with rapidly varying reactive power demands, such as
electric arc furnaces.

4.Harmonic Filtering:
1. Filters are often required to eliminate harmonic currents produced by the switched
inductance.
Summary

• Voltage controllers use electronic switches to connect and disconnect a load to an ac

source at regular intervals.

• This type of circuit is classified as an ac-ac converter.

• Single-phase light-dimmer circuits, single-phase or three-phase induction motor control,

and static VAR control.

• The delay angle for the thyristors controls the time interval for the switch being on
and thereby controls the effective value of voltage at the load. The range of control
for load voltage is between full ac source voltage and zero.
Summary
• An ac voltage controller can be designed to function in either the fully on or fully
off mode. This application is used as a solid-state relay.

• The load and source current and voltage in ac voltage controller circuits may
contain significant harmonics. For equal delay angles in the positive and negative
half-cycles, the average source current is zero, and only odd harmonics exist.

• Three-phase voltage controllers can have Y- or ∆-connected loads.

• Simulation of single-phase or three-phase voltage controllers provides an efficient

analysis method.