Chapter 3- CYCLOCONVERTERS

PE-II (2160902)

Prepared BY
Asst Prof. Sai Pranahita
(EE,SSIT)
 CYCLOCONVERTER
Cycloconverter is a device which converts input power
at one frequency to output power at different frequency
with one-stage conversion.
Two Types:-
Step-down Cycloconverter: output frequency is
lower than the supply frequency.
Step-up Cycloconverter :output frequency is higher
than the supply frequency.
The input to the Cycloconverter can be single-phase or
three-phase .
Use of Cycloconverter:
To provide variable frequency power from a fixed input
frequency power (as in ac motor speed control).
To provide fixed frequency power from a variable input
frequency power (as in aircraft or shipboard power
 Principle of Cycloconverter Operation

Single-phase, Step-up, Mid-point

Cycloconverter:
P1, P2 are for +ve group & N1, N2 are for ve group.
SCRs P1 & N2 are forward biased for t=0 to .
SCRs P2 & N1 are forward biased for t= to 2.
At t1 P1 is force commutated and N2 is turned on, at t2
N2 is force commutated and P1 is turned on and so on
Output frequency f0=6fs(input frequency).
 Single-phase, Step-up, Bridge-type
Cycloconverter:
P1-P4 for +ve group; N1-N4 for ve group.
During +ve half cycle of supply voltage P1,P2 & N1,N2
are forward biased.
P1,P2 are turned on together at t=0; at t1 pair
P1,P2 are force commutated and forward biased pair
N1,N2 is turned on.
At t2 N1,N2 are force commutated and P1,P2 are
turned on and so on...
 Single-phase, Step-down, Mid-point
Cycloconverter:
Discontinuous load Current(R-L LOAD)
SCR P1 is triggered at t=. (N2 is not triggered) With this load current starts
building up; load current becomes 0 at t=> but less than (+).
SCR P1 is thus naturally commutated at t= which is already reverse biased
after .
After half cycle P2 is forward biased and it is triggered at t=+, load current is
again +ve from A to O and builds up from zero.
At t=+, load current decays to 0 and P2 is naturally commutated.
After four +ve half cycles of load voltage & load current, SCR N2 is triggered at
t=4+.
As N2 is forward biased , it starts conducting but load current direction reversed.
Output frequency, f0=(input frequency)/4
 Single-phase, Step-down, Mid-point
Cycloconverter:

Continuous load Current

SCR P1 is triggered at t=. With this load current starts building up.
At t=, P1 is reversed biased. As load current is continuous, P1 is
not turned off at t=.
When P2 is triggered in sequence at +, a reverse voltage appears
across P1, it is therefore turned off by natural commutation.
When P1 is commutated, load current has built up to a value RR.
With the turning on of P2 at (+), output voltage is again +ve as it
was with P1 on.
 Three Phase Half Wave
Cycloconverters:
Three-phase to Single-phase Cycloconverter
Two three-phase full-wave (six-pulse) bridge converters
(rectifier) connected back to back, with six thyristors
for each bridge, are used.
 Progressive change in firing angle=reduction
factor in frequency*120 degree

reduction factor in frequency = (output frequency/

input frequency)
For allowing bidirectional flow of current, two half
wave converters should be connected anti-parallel
Positive Converter acts as a rectifier when output voltage
is positive.
It acts as an inverter when the output voltage is negative

The positive (P) converter conducts, when the current is in the positive half of the
cycle, whereas the negative one conducts with the current flowing in the negative
half. But, in this case, i.e. circulating current mode of operation of the cyclo-
converter, both the converters would conduct at a time, with an inter-group reactor
(IGR) between the positive and negative groups
CYCLO-CONVERTER, USING TWO THREE-PHASE HALF-
WAVE CONVERTERS
 THREE-PHASE TO THREE-PHASE
CYCLOCONVERTERS
Two three-phase half-wave (three-pulse) converters connected back to back for
each phase, with three thyristor for each bridge, are needed here.