Practice Problems

(1) A fully controlled ac to dc converter bridge (consisting of 4 thyristors) is fed from 240
volts, 50 Hz input supply. The load at the converter output is a 10 ohm resistor in series
with a very large inductor. Calculate the following for firing delay angle of 30 degrees:-
average load current, supply power factor (mention separately the distortion power
factor, displacement power factor and total power factor), average and rms current
through a thyristor, the peak reverse and forward forward voltage across a thyristor.
Also, draw load voltage waveform and voltage waveform across a thyristor for one full
supply cycle.
The bridge converter with four
thyristors is drawn here. VS is input ac
supply with terminals ‘a’ and ‘b’. Load
consists of resistance RL with large
filter inductor. Due to large filter
inductor load current may be assumed
to be constant (even though load
voltage may have ripple). Thyristors 1
and 4 are triggered at firing delay angle
(alpha= 30 deg) during positive half
cycle of Vab and thyristors 2 and 3
triggered symmetrically during negative half cycle of supply. Since the load current is
continuous, each pair of diagonal thyristors conduct for 180 degrees after they are
triggered on. For the given case, thyristors 1 & 4 conduct from 30 degree to 210 degree.
Similary thyristors 2 & 3 conduct from 210 degree to 390 degree and the cycle repeats.
The figure below shows the steady state waveforms of :- source voltages (Vab & Vba),
load voltage (VPN), source current (IS). Source carries load current itself, in positive
direction when thyristors 1 and 4 conduct and in negative direction when 2 and 4
conduct. (positive current sense has been taken when current leaves terminal ‘a’ and
enters terminal ‘b’). Since load current is constant (large inductance on load side
ensures negligible ripple in load current), the source current is square wave.

Now, average (dc) load voltage = (2Vm /π)* cos (30) = 0.9 * VS (rms) * Cos (30), Vm
is peak magnitude of supply voltage, rms magnitude is given to be 240 volts.
Hence, load voltage = 0.9*240*0.866 = 187 volts. Average (or, dc value) of load
current = 187 volt/10 ohm = 18.7 A.

Supply power factor = (real power fed from supply / apparent power fed by supply).
As discussed in lecture class, only fundamental component of source current
contributes to real power. The rms magnitude of fundamental source current = 0.9*
18.7 A = 16.84A (this current lags the supply voltage waveform by firing angle). Hence
real power = 240*16.84*0.866 = 3499 watt.
Apparent power = product of rms supply voltage and rms supply current. For square
shaped source current, rms magnitude = 18.7 A.
Apparent power = 240*18.7 = 4488 VA.
Supply power factor = 3499/4488 = (16.84/18.7)*Cos 300 = 0.78 = 0.9 * 0.866, where
0.9 is distortion power factor which is ratio of rms magnitude of fundamental source
 current and rms magnitude of total (square shaped) source current. The factor 0.866 is
the displacement power factor (cosine of displacement angle between source voltge and
fundamental source current, source voltage is assumed to be pure sinusoid).

Each thyristor carries load current for 180 degrees in a cycle. Hence average current
through thyristor = 0.5 * 18.7 A = 9.35 A. RMS current through each thyristor = (√2)
* 9.35 A = 13.2 A (please note that load current is constant and thyristor current is
rectangular with 50% conduction time).

Peak reverse voltage across a thyristor in this case = Vm itself = 240*1.414 = 339V.
Peak forward voltage for firing angle =30 deg. = Vm Sin (30) = 0.5*339 = 169.7 V.
Remember that when thyristors 1 and 4 conduct, Vba voltage gets applied across (anode
to cathode) thyristors 2 and 4. Similarly Vab voltage appears across 1 & 4 when
thyristors 2 & 3 conduct. Based on this statement can you draw voltage across a
thyristor ? Voltage across conducting thyristor may be taken as zero.

(2) Now, for converter described in some body connects a freewheeling diode across load.
Think carefully and re-answer the questions asked in (2).
When a freewheeling diode is connected across load, the negative portion of the load gets
clamped to zero (Why?). As soon as load voltage becomes slightly negative freewheeling
diode (FWD) is forward biased and load current is taken by FWD. Conduction of FWD makes
load voltage zero and thyristors turn-off as current through thyristors fall to zero.
You should be able to draw the load voltage waveform (simply make the negative portion in
load voltage waveform of Q2 zero). The expression for average load voltage can be found by
simple integration (result = (Vm /π)*(1+ Cos 300)). Find the new value of load current (load
current is still constant due to large series inductor on load side). What will be the average and
rms current through thyristors and rms current through supply? Now, thyristors conduct for
150 degrees only and supply current is rectangular (but not square), supply current is positive
for 150 degrees and negative current for 150 degrees in each cycle. Harmonic analysis of
rectangular current should not be difficult (however, harmonic analysis and power factor
calculation for non-square rectangular current is not part of mid-sem’s syllabus, other portions
may be asked).

(3) A fully controlled ac to dc converter is fed from 240 volts (rms), 50 Hz supply and is
used for feeding a dc motor load. DC motor load may be considered as R-L-E type
consisting of a 1 ohm resistor in series with a very large inductor and a back emf
(opposing the load current) of 100 volts. What should be the firing angle for thyristors
to get a load current of 20 amperes. (i) Draw the circuit diagram and show (on a common
time axis) the load voltage, load current and supply current waveforms. (ii) Calculate
supply power factor. Clearly mention displacement and distortion components of
supply power factor.

Note: Effect of very large inductor will be to make the ripple current in load current negligibly
small.

As per above problem, the average load voltage of converter should be = 100 V + I*R drop =
120 V = (2 Vm / π) Cosα = 0.9 * V (rms) Cosα , calculate firing angle ‘α’. Rest of the problem
is similar to (Q1).

(Q4) A diode bridge rectifier circuit (consisting of four diodes) is used to rectify an ac
source of 220 volts (rms) and 50 Hz frequency. The output of diode bridge feeds a
pure resistance of 40 ohms. (i) How much power is delivered to resistive load ?
The resistive load gets full wave rectified voltage whose rms magnitude is same as rms of
source voltage. Thus power delivered to resistive load = (2202/40) watt = 1210 W
(ii) next, a very large inductance is put in series with 40 ohm resistance. What amount of
power is delivered to 40 ohm resistance now?
After putting large series inductor, load current becomes constant and resistor gets the dc
value of full wave rectified voltage. RMS of dc = dc magnitude itself; volt. across resistor =
0.9*220 = 198 V. Power delivered = 1982 / 40 = 980.1 W
(Q5) Consider the three-phase fully controlled ac to dc converter shown in figure. The input to
converter is three-phase balanced ideal ac source. Supply phase sequence is A,B,C. The template for
phase and line voltages are shown (their time origins may be different, also magnitudes have
different scales). Consider steady state operation and answer the following for thyristor firing angles
= 45 degrees. Assume constant load current of 16 amperes. (write answers in the space provided):-
 (i) Which thyristors conduct between 1200 <ωt <1500 of line voltage template ? T6 and
T1
(ii) During first cycle 00 <ωt <3600 of line voltage template, what is the conduction interval
of T4? 00 <ωt < 450 and 2850 <ωt < 3600
(iii) Peak reverse voltage across thyristors (as % of peak phase voltage): 173.2%
(iv) RMS magnitude of phase current = 13.1 amp.
(v) rms magnitude of fundamental component of phase current = 12.47 amp.
(vi) Distortion power factor = 0.955
(vii) Displacement power factor = Cos (450/2) = 0.924

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