1

Electrical Drive System

Rectifier & Chopper-

Controlled DC Drives
EDS

Outline
Introduction
Rectifier
Chopper
References

EDS

Controlled rectifier fed dc drives

Use to get variable dc voltage from an ac source of fixed voltage.
Controlled rectifier fed dc drives also known as Ward-Leonard drives.

Types of Controlled Rectifier

Single phase fully controlled rectifier of a dc

separately excited motor.

Single phase fully controlled rectifier of a dc

separately excited motor.

T1 & T3 are
given gate
signal from

Single phase fully controlled rectifier of a dc

separately excited motor.

T2 & T4 are
given gate
signals from
+ 2

Single phase fully controlled rectifier of a dc

separately excited motor.

Current does not

flow continously
- Discontinous
conduction

Single phase fully controlled rectifier of a dc

separately excited motor.

Current flow
continously
- Continous
conduction

Power Electronic Converters

for DC Drives
Power electronics converters are used to obtain variable voltage
Highly efficient
Ideally lossless

Type of converter used is depending on voltage source :

AC voltage source Controlled Rectifiers
Fixed DC voltage source
DC-DC converters (switch mode converters)

EDS

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Continuous Conduction

Two quadrant operation

Example

Solution

DC DC Converter Fed Drives

To obtain variable DC voltage from fixed DC source
Self-commutated devices preferred (MOSFETs, IGBTs, GTOs) over
thyristors
Commutated by lower power control signal
Commutation circuit not needed
Can be switched at higher frequency for same rating

Improved motor performance (less ripple, no discontinuous currents, increased control

bandwidth)

Suitable for high performance applications

Regenerative braking possible up to very low speeds even when fed

from fixed DC voltage source
EDS

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DC DC Converter Fed Drives

- Step Down Class A Chopper

Motoring
Provides positive output
voltage and current
Average power flows from
source to load (motor)
Switch (S) operated
periodically with period T

Q2

Q1

Q3

Q4
Ia

Ra
Va
V

La

Ea
EDS

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DC DC Converter Fed Drives

- Step Down Class A Chopper

Ia

Motoring
S is ON (0 t ton)

Ra

Ia

Va
V

Ra
V

La

Va
Ea

La
Ea

dia
Raia + La
+ E =V
dt

Va = V
Ia flows to motor
|Ia| increases
EDS

Duty
Interval
( ia )
19

DC DC Converter Fed Drives

- Step Down Class A Chopper

Ia

Motoring

Ra

S if OFF (ton t T)
Ia

Va
V

Ra
Va
ID

La

Ea

La

Va = 0
Ia freewheels through
dia
diode DF
Raia + La
+ E = 0 |I | decreases
a
dt
Ea

EDS

Freewheeling
Interval
( ia )
20

DC DC Converter Fed
- Step Down Class A Chopper
Motoring

ton
where T = chopper period
Duty cycle
T
Under steady-state conditions:
Motor side: Va = Ra I a + E
Duty
Chopper side, average armature
Freewheeling
Interval
Interval
voltage:
( ia )
( ia )
Therefore,Va = V

Hence, average armature current:

V = Va = Ra I a + E
Ia =

V E
Ra

EDS

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DC DC Converter Fed Drives

- Step Up Class B Chopper
Regenerative Braking

Provides positive output voltage and

negative average output current
Average power flows from load (motor) to
source
Ia
D

Ra
Va

V
Switch (S)
operated
periodically
with period T

La

Ea
EDS

Q2

Q1

Q3

Q4

Possible for speed

above rated speed
and down to nearly
zero speed
Application:
Battery operated
vehicles
Regenerated
power stored in
battery

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DC DC Converter Fed Drives

- Step Up Class B Chopper
Regenerative Braking

S is ON (0 t ton)
Ia

Ra
S

Va
La
Ea

dia
Raia + La
=E
dt

Ia

Va = 0 (diode blocks V)
ia increases due to E V
(since E > Va)
Mechanical energy
converted to electrical
(i.e. generator)
Energy stored in La
Any remaining energy
dissipated in Ra and S

EDS

Ra
Va
S

La

Ea

Energy Storage
Interval
( ia )
23

DC DC Converter Fed Drives

- Step Up Class B Chopper
Regenerative Braking

S if OFF (ton t T)
Ia

Ra
V

Va
La
Ea

Ia

ia flows through
diode D and
V
source V
ia decreases in
negative direction
Energy stored in La
& energy supplied
by machine are fed
to the source

dia
Raia + La
+V = E
dt
EDS

Ra
Va
S

La

Ea

Duty
Interval
( ia )
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DC DC Converter Fed Drives

- Step Up Class B Chopper
Regenerative Braking

Negative because
Duty cycle = ton where T = chopper period
current flows from
T
motor to source
Under steady-state conditions
Generator side: Va = E Ra I a
Energy Storage
Duty
Interval
Chopper side, average armature
Interval
( i

)
a
voltage: V = (1 )V
( ia )
a
Therefore,

(1 )V = Va = E Ra I a

Hence, average armature current:

Ia =

E (1 )V
Ra

EDS

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DC DC Converter Fed Drives

- Two-quadrant Control
Combination of Class A & B choppers
Forward motoring Q1 - T1 and D2 (Class A)
Forward braking Q2 T2 and D1 (Class B)
+
T1

D1

Q2

Q1

Q3

Q4

always +ve always +ve

Ia can be +ve or ve
Do not fire both switches
together short circuit at
supply

Va
D2

Va

+
T2

No Speed
Reversal

EDS

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DC DC Converter Fed Drives

- Two-quadrant Control
Forward motoring Q1 - T1 and D2 (Class A)
T1 conducting: Va = V (ia )

D2 conducting: Va = 0 (ia )
+

+
T1

T1

D1

ia

V
T2

D2

ia

T2

Va

D2

Va
-

Average Va = 1V,
1 = (ton T1 / T ), 2 = 0
T1 chopping
ON & OFF

D1

Average
Va

T2 always
OFF
EDS

Ea

Average Va positive
Average Va made larger
than back emf Ea
Ia positive

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DC DC Converter Fed Drives

- Two-quadrant Control
Forward braking Q2 T2 and D1 (Class B)
D1 conducting: Va = V (ia )

T2 conducting: Va = 0 (ia )
+

+
T1

T1

D1

ia

V
T2

D2

ia

+
T2

Va

D2

Va
-

Average Va =(1 - 2)V,

1 = 0, 2 = (ton T2 / T )
T1 always
OFF

D1

Average
Va

T2 chopping
ON & OFF
EDS

Ea

Average Va positive
Average Va made smaller
than back emf Ea
Ia negative (motor acts as
generator)

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DC DC Converter Fed Drives

- Two-quadrant Control
For fast transition from motoring (Q1) to braking
(Q2) and vice versa, both T1 and T2 are controlled
simultaneously, i.e. within a period T:
T1 in ON and T2 is OFF between time 0 < t ton

If Ia is positive (Va > E), current flows from supply to motor via T1
If Ia is negative (E > Va), current flows from motor to supply via D1

T1 is OFF and T2 is ON between ton < t T

If Ia is positive, current circulates via D2
If Ia is negative, current circulates via T2

Duty ratio is given by: = ton T 1 where T = chopper period

T
Average armature voltage is: Average Va =V
EDS

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DC DC Converter Fed Drives

- Two-quadrant Control: Example

EDS

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Solution

DC DC Converter Fed Drives

- Four-quadrant Control
Operation in all four quadrants

Va and Ia can be controlled in magnitude and polarity

Power flow can be in either direction

Speed and torque can be reversed

T1

D1

ia

T4

D3

Q2

Q1

Q3

Q4

T3

+ Va -

D2

D4
EDS

T2

Note:
Polarity of Va and
direction of Ia
indicated are
assumed
positive.

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DC DC Converter Fed Drives

- Four-quadrant Control
When a switch is on (i.e. ON state) it may or may not
conduct current depending on the direction of ia
If a switch conducts current, it is in a conducting state
Converter has two legs (Leg A & Leg B)
Leg B
Both switches in each
leg, are alternately
+
D1
D3
T1
T3
switched
+ Va If T1 = ON, T4 = OFF
If T4 = ON, T1 = OFF

ia

Vdc
T4

D4

D2

T2

EDS

Leg A

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DC DC Converter Fed Drives

- Four-quadrant Control

Positive Current (Ia > 0)

Va = Vdc when T1 and T2 are ON

Current increases
Q1 operation

Va = 0 when current
freewheels through
T2 and D4
Current decreases

Va = -Vdc when D3 and D4

conducts current

+
T1

Current decreases
Energy returned to supply
Q4 operation
EDS

Q1

Q3

Q4

D1

D3

ia

Vdc
T4

Q2

+ Va -

D4

T3 and
T4 off

D2

T3

T2

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DC DC Converter Fed Drives

- Four-quadrant Control

Negative Current (Ia > 0)

Va = -Vdc when T3 and T4 are ON

Current increases in negative direction

Q3 operation

Va = 0 when current
freewheels through
T4 and D2

Current decreases

Va = Vdc when D1 and D2

conducts current
Current decreases
Energy returned to
supply
Q2 operation

T1

T4

EDS

Q1

Q3

Q4

D1

D3

ia

Vdc

Q2

+ Va -

D2

D4

T1 and
T2 off

T3

T2

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DC DC Converter Fed Drives

- Four-quadrant Control
For both positive and negative current, output voltage can
swing between:
Vdc and -Vdc
Vdc and 0

Four quadrant chopper has two legs, so it requires two

switching signals (one for each leg)
Depending on relationship between the two switching signals,
4-quadrant chopper has two switching schemes:
Bipolar switching
Unipolar switching

Switching scheme determines output voltage swing between

Vdc and -Vdc or Vdc and 0.
EDS

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DC DC Converter Fed Drives

Operation of DC motor drive depends on:
Direction of Ia (determined by torque, i.e. motoring or
braking)
Polarity of Va and Ea (determined by speed, i.e. forward or
reverse)
the duty cycle of the DC-DC Converter (either two-quadrant
or four-quadrant)

Open loop control is achieved by changing the duty

cycle manually as and when required

EDS

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References
Dr. Anisa Lecture Slides Handout, Uniten.
Dubey, G.K., Fundamentals of Electric Drives, 2nd ed., Alpha Science Int. Ltd., UK,
2001.
Krishnan, R., Electric Motor Drives: Modeling, Analysis and Control, Prentice-Hall,
New Jersey, 2001.

EDS

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