U Department of Electrical UI:EE424/NTU: PS/541-S: Power Electronic Circuits
I Engineering Session 13
An Overview of Current Sourced Converters
Brian K. Johnson
EE 424/PS 541-S
Spring 2002
Current Source Converters Page 1 Spring 2002
U Department of Electrical UI:EE424/NTU: PS/541-S: Power Electronic Circuits
I Engineering Session 13
Steady-State Current Source Converter Representation
Steady state equivalent circuit
I dc R
dc
V
dcr
Rectifier f (α ,Idc , |Vac |)
Have fast, direct control over α (firing delay angle)
Vdc = Vdo cosα (firing delay angle) where Vdo = const jVLLj
Some control of jVacj with tap changing transformer
DC current indirectly controlled by changing α
Current Source Converters Page 2 Spring 2002
U Department of Electrical UI:EE424/NTU: PS/541-S: Power Electronic Circuits
I Engineering Session 13
Basic Six-Pulse Converter
Called a line commutated, current source converter
Thyristors used as devices
Converter with stiff current source on dc side
Stiff voltage source on ac side (turns off thyristors)
Basic 6-pulse bridge:
Smoothing Reactor
Ls I
A dc
+
1 3 5
ean (t) Xc
-
+
-
-
- ebn (t) V -
dc
ecn (t) +
+ B 4 6 2
C
Transformer Inductance
Current Source Converters Page 3 Spring 2002
U Department of Electrical UI:EE424/NTU: PS/541-S: Power Electronic Circuits
I Engineering Session 13
Basic Six-Pulse Converter
Initially assume: 1) Ideal ac sources, 2) ideal switches,
3) Xc = 0, and 4) Ls ! ∞ source)
AC side of converter has an ideal voltage source, dc side of converter
has an ideal current source
Apply Kirchhoff’s Current Law:
i1 + i3 + i5 = Idc (one switch always closed)
i2 + i4 + i6 = Idc
Apply Kirchhoff’s Voltage Law:
ean + ebn + ecn = 0 (balanced 3 phase set)
Since Xc = 0, only one switch in (1,3,5) can be closed with a switch in
(2,4,6)
Current Source Converters Page 4 Spring 2002
U Department of Electrical UI:EE424/NTU: PS/541-S: Power Electronic Circuits
I Engineering Session 13
Basic Six-Pulse Converter (cont.)
Allowable combinations:
1 with (2 or 6) (4 shorts dc bus)
3 with (2 or 4)
5 with (4 or 6)
2 with (1 or 5)
4 with (1 or 3)
6 with (3 or 5)
Need to determine a switching sequence
Start from assumption of positive phase sequence
Current Source Converters Page 5 Spring 2002
U Department of Electrical UI:EE424/NTU: PS/541-S: Power Electronic Circuits
I Engineering Session 13
Basic Six-Pulse Converter (cont.)
Possible sequences:
Top three switches: 1-3-5-1 or 1-5-3-1
Bottom three switches: 4-6-2-4 or 4-2-6-4
Assume: Vdc = Vdc+ - V;
dc
Switch # Vdc + Switch # Vdc;
1 ean(t ) 4 ean(t )
3 ebn(t ) 6 ebn(t )
5 ecn(t ) 2 ecn(t )
Current Source Converters Page 6 Spring 2002
U Department of Electrical UI:EE424/NTU: PS/541-S: Power Electronic Circuits
I Engineering Session 13
Basic Six-Pulse Converter (cont.)
I dc
5 1 3 5
I dc
6 2 4
Phase currents:
Switch Combination + - V;
Vdc=Vdc dc
1-6 eab= ean - ebn = Vdc
1-2 eac= ean - ecn
Look at the line voltages:
3-2 ebc= ebn - ecn
3-4 eba= ebn - ean
5-4 eca= ecn - ean
5-6 ecb= ecn - ebn
p
3 2
If α = 0, then Vdc = π
jVLL j = 1:35jVLLj We define this as Vdo
Current Source Converters Page 7 Spring 2002
U Department of Electrical UI:EE424/NTU: PS/541-S: Power Electronic Circuits
I Engineering Session 13
Controlled Firing of Thyristors
Now add a firing delay (α) for the thyristors. Same delay for all 6
switches
10.00
6.00
2.00
Voltage (V)
-2.00
-6.00
-10.00
0.0 6.67 13.33 20.00 26.66 33.33
Time (mS)
Current Source Converters Page 8 Spring 2002
U Department of Electrical UI:EE424/NTU: PS/541-S: Power Electronic Circuits
I Engineering Session 13
Controlled Firing of Thyristors
R π6 +α p p
(θ) j;+α+α
π
Vdc = 3
π ; +α
π 2jVLL jcos(θ)dθ = 3 2
π jVLL jsin
6
π
6 6
p
3 2
Then Vdc = π jVLL jcosα
p
3 2
Define Vdo = π jVLL j
Therefore Vdc = Vdocosα
α = 0 ! diode bridge Vdc = Vdo
0 α < 90 ! rectifier Vdc > 0
α = 90 ! P =0 Vdc = 0
90 < α 180 ! inverter Vdc < 0
Current does not reverse
Current Source Converters Page 9 Spring 2002
U Department of Electrical UI:EE424/NTU: PS/541-S: Power Electronic Circuits
I Engineering Session 13
Commutation Overlap
Now add source inductance (Lc 6= 0)
Ls I
dc
1 3 5 +
Lc
+
V V -
dc r dc i
4 6 2
-
Current Source Converters Page 10 Spring 2002
U Department of Electrical UI:EE424/NTU: PS/541-S: Power Electronic Circuits
I Engineering Session 13
Current Transfer Between Switches
Current does not fall to zero immediately in ac side inductance
Temporarily create line to line short
Ls
1 3
Xc Xc
ean (t) ebn (t)
ecn (t) α µ
Xc I dc
1 3
2 Ls
0
Current Source Converters Page 11 Spring 2002
U Department of Electrical UI:EE424/NTU: PS/541-S: Power Electronic Circuits
I Engineering Session 13
Current Transfer Between Switches (cont.)
What happens if α gets to big (i.e. α ) 180)?
I dc
1 1
0 This is called a commutation failure
Thyristor 3 fails to turn on and thyristor 1 fails to turn off
This is more common if Lc is large, which is the case looking into a
“weaker” ac system
Normally corrects during next interval, although often have a second
failure when thyristor 5 turns on, “double commutation failure”
Current Source Converters Page 12 Spring 2002
U Department of Electrical UI:EE424/NTU: PS/541-S: Power Electronic Circuits
I Engineering Session 13
Output Voltage During Commutation
+ = e - L di1
Switch 1 contribution: Vdc1 an c dt
+ = e - L di3
Switch 3 contribution: Vdc3 bn c dt
During overlap we see the average between + +
+ +V + Vdc1&Vdc3
+=
So Vdc
Vdc1 dc3
=e +
an ebn
- Lc di1
+ didt 3
2 2 2 dt
di1 +di3
i1 + i3 = Idc, so dt =0
di1 +di3
But since its a linear network: dt
= di1
dt
+ di3
dt
=0
+ ; e = ean+ebn ; e = eac+ebc
So: Vdc = Vdc cn 2 cn 2
Current Source Converters Page 13 Spring 2002
U Department of Electrical UI:EE424/NTU: PS/541-S: Power Electronic Circuits
I Engineering Session 13
Average DC Voltage with Overlap
p p p
Recall: Vdo = 3 π 2 jVLL j = 3 π 6 jVφj = 3 π 3 jEmj
where Em is peak line to neutral voltage
Then we find:
Z α+µ Z α+ π p
3 3 π
Vdc = Emcosθdθ + 3jEmjcos(θ ; )dθ
3
π α 2 α +µ 6
p
Leading to: Vdc = 3 3
2π Em cosα + cos(α + µ)]
Or Vdc = V2do cosα + cos(α + µ)]
Current Source Converters Page 14 Spring 2002
U Department of Electrical UI:EE424/NTU: PS/541-S: Power Electronic Circuits
I Engineering Session 13
Average DC Current
Start out with Lc = 0 and α = 0 for now
Fundamental Current Component
120
210 330 360
0 30 150 180
Firing delay simply adds a phase shift to the current (always lagging),
and cosα = cosφ
E E
an an
30
90
I
a
Ia
Fundamental Component
Z π Z π p
2 2 2 2 3
i1pk = iacos(θ)dθ = Idc cos(θ)dθ =
3
Idc
π ;2π π ;π
3
π
p
jI1RMSj = 6
π Idc
Current Source Converters Page 15 Spring 2002
U Department of Electrical UI:EE424/NTU: PS/541-S: Power Electronic Circuits
I Engineering Session 13
Average DC Current
p
Then i1(t ) = 2 (ωt ; α)
3
π Idc cos
Also: P = 3I1RMSVPcosφ p = VdcIdc
So: 3I1RMSVPcosφ = π VPcosαIdc
3 6
p
So: jIa1RMSj = π6 Idc as expected
p
During overlap: Idc = Ic = 2ωL 3E
= 2Xe m
c
LL
c
i3(t ) = Ic(cosα ; cosωt ) with α ωt α + µ
where ωt = α + µ at the end of the commutation interval
So average current is: Idc = Ic(cosα ; cos(α + µ))
p q
Also: Ic = 2ωL3E
= 32 jVX j = pjV2Xj
m
c
p
c
LL
c
Current Source Converters Page 16 Spring 2002
U Department of Electrical UI:EE424/NTU: PS/541-S: Power Electronic Circuits
I Engineering Session 13
Average DC Circuit Equations
We have the following equations:
Vdo
Vdc = cosα + cos(α + µ)]
2
Idc = Ic(cosα ; cos(α + µ))
p
3 2
Vdo = jVLLj
π
Ic = p
jVLLj
= πV do
6Xc
2Xc
Substitute for the cos(α + µ) in the Vdc equation
Then Vdc = Vdocosα ; V2Idoc Idc
Where V2Idoc = 2V = π3 Xc = Rc (called the commutating “resistance”)
do
πVdo
6Xc
So Vdc = Vdocosα ; IdcRc
Current Source Converters Page 17 Spring 2002
U Department of Electrical UI:EE424/NTU: PS/541-S: Power Electronic Circuits
I Engineering Session 13
Average DC circuit
Rc represents a current dependent voltage drop due to overlap
Rc does not represent any energy dissipation!
So using Vdc = Vdocosα ; IdcRc we get:
R line
Rc
Rc
Vdocos α
Vdocos α
RECTIFIER INVERTER
Current Source Converters Page 18 Spring 2002
U Department of Electrical UI:EE424/NTU: PS/541-S: Power Electronic Circuits
I Engineering Session 13
Inverter Operation
α + µ + γ = π Covers positive half cycle of voltage
γ is defined as the extinction angle
γo is minimum extinction angle for proper turn-off
Typical values: 15 ! 20
So α + µ 180 ; γo gives limits for control settings
Replace α with 180 ; µ ; γ in averaged equations
* note: cos(180 ; θ) = ;cos(θ)
Current Source Converters Page 19 Spring 2002
U Department of Electrical UI:EE424/NTU: PS/541-S: Power Electronic Circuits
I Engineering Session 13
Inverter Operation (cont.)
Generate equations in terms on γ instead of α
Vdc = V2do cosα + cos(α + µ)]
Vdc = V2do cos(180 ; µ ; γ)+ cos(180 ; γ)]
Vdc = ;V2do cos(γ + µ)+ cos(γ)]
Idc = Ic(cosα ; cos(α + µ))
Idc = Ic(cosγ ; cos(γ + µ))
Sign reversal in voltage equation expected for inverter
Current Source Converters Page 20 Spring 2002
U Department of Electrical UI:EE424/NTU: PS/541-S: Power Electronic Circuits
I Engineering Session 13
Effect of Overlap on Power Transfer
Pac = 3I1RMSVpcosφ
h i p h i
Pdc = Idc Vdo cosα+cos (α+µ) = cosα+cos(α+µ)
3 6V
2 Idc π p 2
p
I1RMS = Idc π
6
Then cosφ = cosα+cos
2
(α+µ) = Vdc
Vdo
Note: overlap equations change if µ > 60, covered in
Kimbark, Direct Current Transmission: Volume I. Wiley, 1971.
Current Source Converters Page 21 Spring 2002
U Department of Electrical UI:EE424/NTU: PS/541-S: Power Electronic Circuits
I Engineering Session 13
Per Unit Equation
Xc = ωLc where X 0 ! 12 ; 20%
ZB = VIBB
2
Xc = ZBX 0 = = 3V3V I X 0, this is MVA
2
VBφ 0 Bφ V LLB
IB X Bφ B 3φB
Xc = MVABLB3φ X 0
V2
Need to use true RMS current
q R 2π q
IRMS = = Idc 23
1 3 2
π o Idc dθ
So MVAB3φ = 3IRMSVφ = π3Vdo
R
IdcB
Current Source Converters Page 22 Spring 2002
U Department of Electrical UI:EE424/NTU: PS/541-S: Power Electronic Circuits
I Engineering Session 13
Per Unit Equation (cont.)
p
Then Xc = X0 with Vdo =
2
VBL 3 2
MVAB3φ
V
π BL
Then ZB = 6I
πVdo
dcB
Then from Vdc = Vdocosα ; Idc π3 Xc we get
Vdc = Vdocosα ; Idc π3 (ZBX 0)
0 dc
Vdc = Vdocosα ; Vdo X2 IIdcB
Leading to a “per unit” expression: VVdo
dc
= cosα ; X20 Idc0
Current Source Converters Page 23 Spring 2002
