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 u1
io
VT2
O t
u1 uo R uo
O t
io
The phase shift range
(operation range of phase O t
delay angle): u VT
0
O t
 Resistive load, quantitative analysis

RMS value of output voltage

Uo
1

2
U 1 sin t
2
d t U 1
1
2
sin 2


(4-1)

RMS value of output current

Uo
Io (4-2)
R
RMS value of thyristor current
2
1 2U 1 sin t U 1 sin 2
d t 1 (1 (4-3)
2
IT )
R R 2 2

Power factor of the circuit
P UoIo Uo 1
sin 2 (4-4)
S U1 I o U1 2
Inductive (Inductor- resistor) load , operation principle

u1
VT 1
O t
io uG1
VT2
O t
R uG2
u1 uo O t
L uo
O t
io
The phase shift range:
O
uVT t

O
t
Inductive load, quantitative analysis
Differential equation
d io
L Rio 2U 1 sin t 180

dt
140
io t 0 (4-5)
Solution 100

/( )
2U 1
t
tg
io sin( t ) sin( )e t 60
Z
(4-6) 20
Considering io =0 when t= +
0 20 60 100 140 180
We have / ( )

sin( ) sin( )e tg (4-7) 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 Ua0'
a
ia
u a VT a
3 VT4
b ua
n n'
ub b
VT5 VT6 n
c ub
uc c
VT2
uc
Y connection
Line- controlled connection

ua ia
a
ua ia a

b ub b
n n
ub

uc
uc c
c

Branch-controlled connection Neutral-point controlled connection

 3- phase 3- wire Y connection AC voltage controller
i a VT 1 Ua0'
a
ua
VT3 VT4
b
n n'
ub
VT5 VT6
c
uc
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 Conduction 2N
io uo angle = M
VT2 2 U1 2 uo,io u1
M
u1 uo R O 3 4
M t
M 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 0.5
harmonics in the 0.4
ordinary sense. IO/I0m 0.3
There is harmonics 0.2

as to the control 0.1

frequency. As to the 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
line frequency, these Harmonic order as to
control frequency
components become
0 1 2 3 4 5
fractional harmonics.
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)

U
 TSC waveforms when the capacitor is switched in/out

uVT 1 us
uC t
iC
VT1
uC t
C
us uVT 1
VT2 t
VT1
iC t
VT2
t1 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 anti-
parallel diode

uVT
us t
uC
iC uC
VT t
C uVT
us VD t
VD
iC VT t
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 1 V 1

i1

R
V 2 VD 2
V 3
VD 4
u 1 u o
VD V
3 4 L

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

Output Average
uo a p=
ap=0
2
voltage output voltage
ap=

2

t
 Single- phase thyristor-cycloconverter
Modes of operation

uo
u o,io io

O t1 t2 t3 t4 t5 t
uP uo

io t
iP iN O
uP uo uN uN

O uo t
iP
O t
iN
O t

P Rectifi Inver
blocking
cation sion
Rectifi Inver
N blocking
cation sion
Typical waveforms

uo

O
t

io

O t
1 3 4 6
2 5
 Modulation methods for firing delay angle
Calculation method
For the rectifier circuit

u2 u3 u4 u5 u6 u1
u o U d0 cos (4-15)

For the cycloconverter t

ap3 ap4
output
uo U om sin o t (4-16) us2 us3 us4 us5 us6 us1
uo
Equating (4- 15) and (4-16)
t
U om
cos sin o t sin o t
U d0 Principle of cosine
(4-17)
therefore
wave-crossing method
cos 1 ( sin o t ) (4-18)
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
200 t/ms

Input current with

3-phase output
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
a b c

u
S1 S1 S1
1 2 3 S ij
v
S2 S2 S2 output
1 2 3
w
S3 S3 S3
1 2 3
a) b)

Usable input voltage

U1m 3 U
1m
Um 1 Um 2
2

a) b) c)
a) Single-phase input b) Use 3 phase voltages c) Use 3 line-line voltages
voltage to construct output to construct output
voltage 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.