9/5/2011

1
Thyristor Commutation
Techniques
Commutation
Process of turning off a conducting thyristor.
Current Commutation
Voltage Commutation
Methods of Commutation
Natural Commutation
Forced Commutation
Natural Commutation
Occurs in AC circuits
~
T
+

v
o
v
s
R
| |
9/5/2011
2
et
et
et
et
Supply voltage v
s
Sinusoidal
Voltage across SCR
Load voltage v
o
Turn off
occurs here
0
0
t
t
2t
2t
3t
3t
o
t
c
Gate Pulse
t+o
o
t+o
Natural Commutation of Thyristors takes place
in
AC voltage controllers.
Phase controlled rectifiers.
Cyclo converters.
Forced Commutation
Applied to dc circuits
Commutation achieved by reverse biasing the
SCR or by reducing the SCR current below
holding current value.
Commutating elements such as inductance
and capacitance are used for commutation
purpose.
Methods of Forced Commutation
Self commutation.
Resonant pulse commutation.
Complementary commutation.
Impulse commutation.
External pulse commutation.
Load Commutation.
Line Commutation.
9/5/2011
3
Forced Commutation
is applied to
Choppers.
Inverters.
Self Commutation Or
Load Commutation Or
Class A Commutation
(Commutation By Resonating The Load)
Circuit is under damped by including suitable
values of L & C in series with load.
Oscillating current flows.
SCR is turned off when current is zero.
V
R
L
V (0)
c
C
T
i
Load
+ -
9/5/2011
4
Expression for Current
V
S
R
SL
1
CS
V
C
(0)
S
C
T
I(S)
+ + - -
Fig. shows a transformed network
( )
( )
( )
( )
( )
2
2
1
0
1
0
1
0
C
C
C
CS V V
S
I S
RC
V V
S
I S
R SL
CS
C
S S LC
V V
R
LC S S
L LC
(

=
+ +

=
+
(

=
(
+ +

+
(

( )
( )
( )
( ) ( )
2
2 2
2
0
1
0
1
2 2
C
C
V V
L
I S
R
S S
L LC
V V
L
I S
R R R
S S
L LC L L

=
+ +

=
| | | |
+ + +
| |
\ . \ .
( )
( ) ( )
( )
( ) ( )
2 2
2
2 2
2
0
1
2 2
Where,
0
1
, ,
2 2
C
C
V V
A
L
I S
S
R R
S
L LC L
V V
R R
A
L L LC L
o e
o e

= =
+ + (
| | | |
( + +
| |
\ . \ . (

| |
= = =
|
\ .
9/5/2011
5
( )
( )
( )
2
2
is called the natural frequency
Taking inverse Laplace transforms
sin
t
A
I S
S
A
i t e t
o
e
e
e
o e
e
e

=
+ +
=
( )
( )
( ) ( )
2
Expression for current
0
sin
Peak value of current
0
R
t
C
L
C
V V
i t e t
L
V V
L
e
e
e

=
Expression For Voltage Across
Capacitor At The Time Of Turn Off
V
R
L
V (0)
c
C
T
i
Load
+ -
( )
( )
( )
Applying KVL to figure
Substituting for i,
sin sin
c R L
c
t t
c
v t V v V
di
v t V iR L
dt
A d A
v t V R e t L e t
dt
o o
e e
e e

=
=
| |
=
|
\ .
9/5/2011
6
( ) ( )
( ) | |
( )
( )
sin cos sin
sin cos sin
sin cos sin
2
sin cos
2
t t t
c
t
c
t
c
t
c
A A
v t V R e t L e t e t
A
v t V e R t L t L t
A R
v t V e R t L t L t
L
A R
v t V e t L t
o o o
o
o
o
e e e o e
e e
e e e o e
e
e e e e
e
e e e
e

=
= +
(
= +
(

(
= +
(

( )
( ) ( )
( )
( ) ( )
Substituting for A,
0
sin cos
2
0
sin cos
2
SCR turns off when current goes to zero.
i.e., at
C
t
c
C
t
c
V V
R
v t V e t L t
L
V V
R
v t V e t t
L
t
o
o
e e e
e
e e e
e
e t

(
= +
(

(
= +
(

=
( )
( ) ( )
( )
( ) ( )
( ) ( )
2
Therefore at turn off
0
0 cos
0
0
C
c
c C
R
L
c C
V V
v t V e
v t V V V e
v t V V V e
o t
e
o t
e
t
e
e t
e

= +
(
= +

(
= +

( )
( )
2
For effective commutation
the circuit should be under damped.
1
That is
2
With R = 0, and the capacitor initially uncharged
that is 0 0
sin
Note:
C
R
L LC
V
V t
i t
L LC e
| |
<
|
\ .
=
=
9/5/2011
7
( )
1
But
sin sin
and capacitor voltage at turn off is equal to 2V
Fig. shows the waveforms for the above conditions.
Once the SCR turns off voltage across it is
negative voltage.
LC
V t C t
i t LC V
L L LC LC
e =
= =
Current i
Capacitor voltage
Gate pulse
Voltage across SCR
0 t t/2
et
et
et
et
V
V
2V
Conduction time of SCR
t
e
=
Problem
Calculate the conduction time of SCR and the
peak SCR current that flows in the circuit
employing series resonant commutation (self
commutation or class A commutation), if the
supply voltage is 300 V, C = 1F, L = 5 mH and
R
L
= 100 O. Assume that the circuit is initially
relaxed.
V=300V
R
L
L
1 F 100 O
5 mH
C
T
9/5/2011
8
2
2
3 6 3
1
2
1 100
5 10 1 10 2 5 10
10, 000 rad/sec
Since the circuit is initially relaxed, initial voltage
across capacitor is zero as also the initial current
through and the expre
L
R
LC L
L
e
e
e

| |
=
|
\ .
| |
=
|

\ .
=
ssion for current is i
( )
3
sin , where
2
peak value of current
300
6
10000 5 10
Conducting time of SCR = 0.314msec
10000
t
P
V R
i t e t
L L
V
L
I A
o
e o
e
e
t t
e

= =
=
= =

= =
Problem
Figure shows a self commutating circuit. The
inductance carries an initial current of 200 A
and the initial voltage across the capacitor is
V, the supply voltage. Determine the
conduction time of the SCR and the capacitor
voltage at turn off.
V
=100V
L
50 F
10 H
C
T
+

i(t)
I
O
V
C
(0)=V