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
R
u 1 u o
i
o
VT
1
VT
2
u
O
u
1
u
o
i
o
VT
e
t
O
e
t
O
e
t
O
e
t
The phase shift range
(operation range of phase
delay angle):
0

Resistive load, quantitative analysis

RMS value of output voltage


RMS value of output current


RMS value of thyristor current


Power factor of the circuit


( ) ( )
t
o t
o
t
e e
t
t
o

+ = =
}
2 sin
2
1
d sin 2
1
1
2
1 o
U t t U U
(4-1)

(4-2)
R
U
I
o
o
=

(4-3)
( ) )
2
2 sin
1 (
2
1 sin 2
2
1
1
2
1
t
o
t
o
e
e
t
t
o
+ =
|
|
.
|

\
|
=
}
R
U
t d
R
t U
I
T

(4-4)
t
o t
o
t

+ = = = = 2 sin
2
1
1
o
o 1
o o
U
U
I U
I U
S
P
Inductive (Inductor- resistor) load , operation principle
R
L
u
1
u
o
i
o
VT
1
VT
2
O
u
1
u o
i o
u
VT
O
O
e
t
O
u G1
u
G2
O
O
e
t
e
t
e
t
e
t
e
t
The phase shift range:


Inductive load, quantitative analysis
Differential equation











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

0
sin 2
d
d
o
1 o
o
=
= +
=o e
e
t
i
t U Ri
t
i
L
0 20 100 60 140 180
20
100
4-3
60
u

/
(

)
180
140
o /()

=

9
0

7
5

6
0

4
5

3
0

1
5

(4-5)
Solution

u o e o o e

e o
+ s s
(
(

=

t e t
Z
U
i
t
tg 1
o
) sin( ) sin(
2
(4-6)
Considering io =0 when t= +
We have

u
o u o
t g
) sin( ) sin(

= + e
(4-7)
4.1.2 Three-phase AC voltage controller
Classification of three- phase circuits

n
a
c
n '
a
b
c
Y connection

Line- controlled connection

a
b
c
Branch-controlled connection

b
Neutral-point controlled connection
a
b
c
u
a
u
b
u
c
i
a
U a0'
n
u
a
u
b
u
c
i
a
n
u
a
u
b
u
c
i a
n
u
a
u
b
u
c
i
a
VT
1
VT
3
VT 4
VT
5
VT 6
VT
2
3- phase 3- wire Y connection AC voltage controller







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.

n
n '
a
b
c
u
a
u
b
u
c
i
a
U
a0' VT
1
VT
3
VT
4
VT
5
VT
6
VT
2
4.2 Other AC controllers
4.2.1 Integral cycle controlAC power controller









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.

R
u 1 u o
i
o
VT
1
VT
2
t
M
Line period

Control period

= M *Line period

= 2 t
4
t
M
O
Conduction
angle

=
2
t
N
M
3
t
M
2
t
M
u o
u
1
u
o
, i
o
e
t
U
1
2
Spectrum of the current inAC
power controller



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 12 14
Harmonic order as to
control frequency

Harmonic order as to
line frequency

2 4 6 10 8
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0 5 1 2 3 4
IO/I0m
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)

I
U
TSC waveforms when the capacitor is switched in/out









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.


u
s
i
C
u C
C
VT
1
VT
2
t
t
t
t
u
s
i C
u C
VT 1
VT 2
t 1 t 2
u VT
1
u VT
1
TSC with the electronic switch realized by a thyristor and an anti-
parallel diode








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).

t
t
t
t
u
s
i C
u
VT
u
C
C
VT
VD
u
s
i C
u
VT
u
C
VT
VD
t
1 t 2 t 3 t 4
4.2.3 Chopping controlAC chopper
AC chopper
Modes of operation
R
L
4-7
u
1
i
1
u
o
V
1
V
2
VD
1
VD
2
V
3
V
4
VD
4
VD
3
u>0, io >0: V1 charging, V3 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
et
o
uo
ap=
2

Output
voltage

ap=0
Average
output voltage

ap=
2

Single- phase thyristor-cycloconverter
Modes of operation

t
t
t
t
t
O
O
O
O
O
u
o
, i
o
u
o
i
o
t
1
t
2
t
3
t
4
t
5
u
o
u
P
u
N
u o
i
P
i
N
u P
u N
u
o
i
o
i
N
i
P
blocking
P
N
Rectifi
cation

Inver
sion
blocking
Rectifi
cation

Inver
sion

Typical waveforms


1
O
O
2
3
4
5
6
u
o
i
o
e t
e t
Modulation methods for firing delay angle
Calculation method
For the rectifier circuit
t
t
o cos
d0 o
U u =
t U u
o om o
sine =
t t
U
U
o o
d0
om
sin sin cos e e o = =
) sin ( cos
o
1
t e o

=
(4-15)
For the cycloconverter
output

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


therefore


(4-17)
(4-18)
Principle of cosine
wave-crossing method

u2 u3 u4 u5 u6 u1
ap3 ap4
uo
us2
us3 us4 us5 us6 us1

Output voltage ratio
(Modulation factor)

) 1 0 (
0
s s =
d
om
U
U
t
2
2
t
t eo
t
3
t
2
0
30
60
90
120
150

Output voltage phase angle
o
/ ( )
=0
=0.1
0.2
0.3
0.8
0.9
1.0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.8
0.9
1.0





4.3.2 Three- phase thyristor-cyclo converter

The configuration with common input line

4-24
The configuration with star-connected output


Typical waveforms

200 t / ms
Output voltage

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
output
a) b)
a b c
u
v
w
S 1
1
S 1
2
S 1
3
S 2
1
S 2
2
S 2
3
S 3
1
S 3
2
S 3
3
S
ij
Usable input 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.