Three Phase Rectifiers

Uncontrolled Rectifiers
Semi Controlled/Half Controlled Rectifiers
Fully Controlled Rectifiers

E n g r. A q i b N o o r
L e c t u r e r, E E
N a t i o n a l U n i v e r s i t y FA S T K a r a c h i
Three Phase Uncontrolled Half-wave Rectifiers

 Three phase half wave diode rectifier uses three diodes.

 It conducts for the positive half cycle of the all three phases and resultant output
voltage is pulsating DC voltage.
 It uses a three phase transformer, the neutral of transformer’s secondary is connected
to ‘-’ of DC load.
 Load receives pulsating DC voltage.
 For each one-third of the cycle, each diode
conducts.
 At the instant, when one diode out of three is
conducting, the other two are left inactive, at that
instant their cathodes becomes positive with
respect to the anodes. This process repeats for each
of the three diodes.
 The input and the output wave forms for the circuit
above is shown.
 Vo will have a peak value between the peak of
alternating voltages per phase Vs and half of this
value at 1/2 Vs.
 DC output voltage of three phase half wave
rectifier is given below.
 The arrangement shown above is practiced only if 3 phase supply is available.
 Like in single phase circuits, there is not a single point at which the rectified voltage will
drop to zero, even without a smoothing arrangement.
 The voltage ripples are also small when compared to single phase circuits and the
frequency of ac supply is three times more when compared with the former.
 RMS value of load current of three phase half wave rectifier is given below;
Three Phase Uncontrolled Full-wave Rectifiers

 A three phase full wave rectifier can

also be called a six half wave rectifier.
 The diodes D1 to D6 will conduct only
for 1/6th of the period, with a period of
π/3.
 The fluctuation of dc voltage is less in
a three phase circuit.
 The variation lies between the
maximum alternating voltage and
86.6% of that.
 The average value being 0.955 times
the maximum value.
 Six diodes are used for the making of this full
wave rectifier. As so, it may pose some problems
and may also be advantageous in some cases.
 If we need a smoother output, the use of six
diodes may be seen as an advantage. But the use
of six diodes complicates the circuit and each
diode operates for a shorter cycle.
 Since no more than six are used, the circuit is
cost effective, as long as it is compared with the
comparative increase in the output of the
rectifier.
 The current flows only through one phase of the
transformer secondaries and primaries at a
particular instant.
 There will be a line- to-line current flow with the
transformer primary which is being connected in
delta connection.
 When the primaries are in star connection, two of
three phases are virtually open circuited at every
instant.
 Thus for a three phase full wave rectifier, star
connection is not practical.
 T 1 1

Vdc 
1
 f (t )dt    2   2

 2   8 
6 6
T
0 m Is   0 I m cos td (t ) 
2 2
  
0 2 2

Vrms
2
3V cos td ( t )  2
2 6    
Vdc 
2  3Vm cos td (t )  6  1
0 1
2  1 2   2
6 3 9 3 I s  I m    sin 
6  
2

3 3 Vrms     Vm   6 2
Vdc 

Vm  1.654Vm  2 4  I s  0.7804 I m
Vrms  1.6554Vm
Average Output Voltage RMS Output Voltage Transformer Secondary Currents
Three Phase Semi Controlled Rectifiers
 Three phase semi converter uses three SCRs T1,
T3 & T5 and three diodes D2, D4 & D6
 R,Y,B are phase voltages with respect to ‘N’.
 In the circuit shown, when any device conducts,
line voltage is applied across load.
 Each phase & line voltage is sine wave with the
frequency of 50 Hz.
 With purely resistive load current will be in phase
with load voltage.
 Depending on value of firing angle, circuit can
operate in two different modes.
 For α ≤ 60 the output voltage is continuous so
called continuous mode of operation.
 For α > 60 for some duration of time no device
conducts so called discontinuous mode of
operation.
Three Phase Semi Controlled Rectifiers
 T1 is triggered at α = 30.
 SCR T1 and D6 conduct and line voltage RY is
applied to the load from (π/6 + α) to π/2.
 At π/2, D2 is more positive so conducts. Therefore,
line voltage RB is applied to load. This continues.
 Vo(avg) = (3√3Vm)/2π(1+cosα).
 TVa (Vc) = 30°
 DVc (Vb) = 90°
 TVb (Va) = 150°
 DVa (Vc) = 210°
 TVc (Vb) = 270°
 DVb (Va) = 330°
 Output current waveform

Waveforms at different firing angles of thyristors

 For α > 60°
𝟕π/𝟔
 Vavg = 3/2π π Vac d(ωt)
+α
𝟔

 Vavg = 3√3 Vm / 2π (1+cosα)  Vab = √3Vm sin(ωt + π/6).

 Vrms = √3 Vm [3/4π (π−α + 1/2sin 2α)]𝟏/𝟐.
 Vbc = √3Vm sin(ωt - π/2).
 For α < 60°  Vca = √3Vm sin(ωt + 5π/6).
 Vavg = 3√3 Vm / 2π (1+cosα)
𝟏/𝟐
 Vrms = √3 Vm [3/4π (2π/3 +√3 cos²α)] .

Three phase semi converter cannot operate as a line commutated inverter because the output
voltage cannot become negative.
Three Phase Fully Controlled Half-wave Rectifiers
 Three phase transformer is used in this rectifier and
secondary of transformer is star connected.
 Three thyristors T1, T2 and T3 are triggered by firing pulses
at regular intervals of 120° in each cycle.
 T1 continues to conduct until the next thyristor T2 is turned
π π
ON at any angle in the interval 5 < ωt < 3 .
6 2

 When T2 starts conducting load current is transferred from

T1 to T2, and same process proceeds with T3 and the cycle
goes on.
 When one SCR is conducting, other two cannot conduct.
π
 Firing angle ‘α’ is in the range of 0 to 5 .
6

 Output voltage and currents become discontinuous for α >

π
for resistive loads.
6
Three phase half wave fully controlled rectifier with R load

Figure (a) shows circuit schematic & figure (b) shows input/output waveforms for R load
Calculations / Formulas

The output voltage Vo for 0 ≤ α ≥ π/6

5𝜋
3𝑉𝑚 6 +𝛼
Vo = 𝜋 sin 𝜔𝑡 𝑑(𝜔𝑡)
2𝜋 +𝛼
6

3√3𝑉𝑚
Vo = cosα
2𝜋

Where Vm is the maximum input phase voltage. Here the voltage & current are
continuous.
The output voltage Vo for π/6 < α < 5π/6
3𝑉𝑚 𝜋
Vo = 𝜋 sin 𝜔𝑡 𝑑(𝜔𝑡)
2𝜋 𝛼+ 6
3𝑉𝑚 𝜋
Vo = [1 + cos (α + )
2𝜋 6
Here the voltage and current are discontinuous.
Three phase half wave fully controlled rectifier with RL load

Figure (a) shows circuit schematic & figure (b) shows input/output waveforms for RL load
Calculations / Formulas

 If the load circuit inductance is large, the load current can be assumed to be
continuous.
 The expression for output voltage for continuous conduction is;

Here Vm is the maximum value of phase voltage.

Three Phase Fully Controlled Full-wave Rectifiers

 In this arrangement, one of the top thyristors group T1,T3 or T5 whose anode voltage is
positive, conducts and simultaneously one of the SCR in the bottom group T2, T4 or T6
whose cathode voltage is negative.
 Type of commutation used in these converters is line or source commutation, that is;
when a thyristor is turned on, this incoming thyristor turns off the conducting thyristor
of its own group.
 Firing frequency is six times the line frequency, i.e. thyristors are triggered at 60°
intervals. There are six output pulses each of 60° duration. Thus called as six pulse
converter.
 The conduction pattern of SCRs is expressed through six modes, each mode lasting for
60°. The sequence of operation is shown in table.
 At any given time, two thyristors one each from two
different limbs conduct to deliver to the load a of
line voltage as output voltage.
 Each SCR conducts for a period of 120°, and each
mode lasts for 60°.
 Turn-on of one thyristor leads to turn-off another
thyristor.
Three phase full wave fully controlled rectifier with R load
 It is observed from the output voltage
waveform that the voltage segments
corresponding to Vab, Vac, Vbc, Vba, Vca
and Vcb appear in succession as output
voltage for the given sequence of triggering.
 This converter supplies R load and the
output waveforms are shown.
 The load current may be continuous or
discontinuous depending on the load
parameters and the firing angle.
 For the resistive load, the load current is
continuous only when firing angle is less
than π/3.
 If firing angle is in between π/3 and 2π/3,
then load current is discontinuous because
the outgoing thyristor extinguishes before
the incoming thyristor is triggered.
 Output voltage for continuous load current is given by;
3𝑉𝑚
Vo = cosα
𝜋

Output voltage for discontinuous load current is given by;

3𝑉𝑚
Vo = [1 + cosα (α+π/3)] for π/3 < α < 2π/3
𝜋
Where Vm is the maximum value of line voltage
Three phase full wave fully controlled rectifier with RL load

 Here, it is assumed that the inductance is

so large that the load current is
continuous.
 Thyristors are triggered at an angle
measured from reference point and are
line commutated.
 Output waveforms are shown.
 The load current is continuous only
when firing angle is less than π/3 and
become discontinuous if firing angle is
in between π/3 and 2π/3.
 The expression for output voltage of the
converter in continuous conduction
mode is;
𝟑𝑽𝒎
Vo = cosα
𝝅
Formulas / Calculations
The output voltage expression can be written as;
2𝜋
3 3 +𝛼
Vo = 𝜋 𝑉𝑚 sin 𝜔𝑡 𝑑(𝜔𝑡)
𝜋 +𝛼
3
3𝑉𝑚 2𝜋 𝜋
=- [cos ( + 𝛼) – cos ( + 𝛼)]
𝜋 3 3
3𝑉𝑚
= cos 𝛼
𝜋
The source current for phase A flows for 120° for every 180°. Therefore, if output current is
assumed to be constant Io, then rms value of source current will be;
2𝜋 1
Irms = 𝐼𝑜 2 ×
3 𝜋
2
= Io
3
Each SCR conducts for 120° for every 360°. There rms current in thyristor will be;
2𝜋 1
ITH = 𝐼𝑜 2 ×
3 2𝜋
1
= Io
3
𝐼˳
The average value of output current will be =
3
Difference of Output Voltage according to type of Rectification
Uses of Three Phase Rectifiers

 Three phase converters provide higher average output voltage.

 Frequency of ripples on output voltage is higher compared with that of single
phase converter.
 Thus the filtering requirements for smoothing out load current & load
voltage are simpler.
 For these reasons, three phase converters are extensively used in high power
variable speed drivers.