
10.2
Rectification: Conversion of AC to DC
527
from which the firing-delay angle corresponding to a given value of dc voltage can
be seen to be
O~d ~ COS-1 (Tg Vdc /
2V0 (10.14)
From Eq. 10.13 we see that the dc voltage applied to the load can vary from 2 V0/zr
to
-2Vo/rc.
This is a rather surprising result in that it is hard to understand how a
rectifier bridge can supply negative voltage. However, in this case, it is necessary to
recognize that this result applies to an inductive load which maintains positive current
flow through the SCRs in spite of the reversal of polarity of the source voltage. If
the load were purely resistive, the current through the conducting SCRs would go
to zero as the source-voltage reversed polarity, and they would simply turn OFF; no
load current would flow until the next pair of SCRs is turned ON.
Figure 10.33c shows the source voltage and current waveforms for the phase-
controlled SCR-bridge. We see that the square-wave source current is out of phase
with the source voltage. Its fundamental-harmonic is given by
(4)
is,1 (t) = -- Idc sin (o)t -- Old) (10.15)
7r
and thus the real power supplied to the load is given by
2
P = Vdcldc = -- VoIdc
COSOld
(10.16)
7f
and the reactive power supplied is
2
Q -- -- VoIdc sinotd (10.17)
Under steady-state operation at a load current Iac, Vac - Idc R and the steady-state
rC ldc R
firing-delay angle can be found from Eq. 10.14 to be Ctss - cos-1
(~).
Under this
condition, the real power simply supplies the losses in the resistor and hence P - IEc R.
It may seem strange to be supplying reactive power to a "dc" load. However, careful
analysis will show that this reactive power supplies the energy associated with the
small but finite ripple current through the inductor.
If the delay angle is suddenly reduced (Otd < ass), the dc voltage applied to
the load will increase (see Eq. 10.13) as will the power supplied to the load (see
Eq. 10.16). As a result,
Idc
will begin to increase and the increased power will increase
the energy storage in the inductor. Similarly, if the delay time is suddenly increased
(td > too), Vdc will decrease (it may even go negative) and the power into the load
will decrease, corresponding to a decrease in/de and a decrease in the energy storage
in the inductor.
Note that if Otd > Jr/2, Vdc will be negative, a condition which will continue until
/de reaches zero at which time the SCR bridge will turn OFE Under this condition,
the real power P will also be negative. Under this condition, power is being supplied
from the load to the source and the system is said to be
regenerating.