CHAPTER 8

Additional Problems

Solved Problems

8.1 A current commutated chopper is fed from a d.c. source of 236 V. Its commutating components
are L = 20 mH and C = 50 mF. If the load current of 200 A is assumed constant during the
commutation process, compute the following:
(i) turn-off time of main thyristor.
(ii) total commutation interval.
(iii) turn-off time of auxiliary thyristor.
Sol. (i) Peak commutating current is given by
50
ICP = Edc c / L \ 230 = 363.66 A
20
I cp 363.66
\ x= = = 1.82.
Io 200

\ Turn-off time, tq = [p 2sin1(1/1.82)] 20 50 10-12

= 62.52 usec
I 200
(ii) q1 = sin1 o = sin1
I
cp 363.66

= 33.365.
Total commutation interval is given by
5p sin 2 q1/2
2 - q1 Lc + 2 C ES .
Io

5p 33.365 p 1 - cos 33.365

\ 2 - 1000 10-6 + 50 10-6 230
180 200
= 229.95 106 + 9.48 106
= 239.43 usec.
(iii) Turn-off time of auxiliary thyristor is given by
(p q1) Lc
 Solution Manual 2

p - 33.365 6
180 1000 10 = 80.93 usec.

8.2 A type a chopper operating at 2 kHz from a 100 V d.c. source as a load time constant of 6 ms
and load resistance of 10 W. Find the mean load current and the magnitude of current ripple for a
mean load voltage of 50 V, Also, compute the minimum and maximum values of load current.
L
Sol. Load time constant, = 6 103 s.
R
R = 10 W.
\ L = 6 103 10 = 60 mH.
1
Chopping period, T = 1/f = 1000 = 0.5 ms.
2000
Average or mean load voltage, E0 = a Es.
50
\ a= = 0.5
1000
Ton = 0.5 05 = 0.25 ms.
\ Toff = 0.25 ms.
As chopping period T = 0.5 ms is much less than the load time constant = 6 ms, the current
variation from minimum current Iomin to Iomax (maximum current), must be taken as linear.
\ During Ton period,
Iomax - Iomin
Es Eo = L
Ton

\ (Iomax Iomin) =
( Es - Eo ) Ton
L
Eo Es
= - 1 Ton.
L Eo
Eo 1
= - 1 Ton
L a

Eo T
= - 1 Ton
L Ton
Eo
\ Iomax Iomin = Toff = DI, current ripple.
L
\ Magnitude of ripple current,
Eo
DI = Iomax Iomin = . Toff.
L
50
= 0.25 103 = 0.21 A.
60 10-3
Iomax + Iomin
Mean load current, Io =
2
3 Power Electronics

Eo 50
= = = 5 A.
R 10
Maximum value of load current Iomax is given by
DI E
Iomax = Io + = Io + o . Toff
2 2L
50 0.25 10-3
= 5+
2 60 10-3
= 5.104 A.
Minimum value of load current
DI
Iomin = Io = 5 0.104 = 4.896 A.
2
8.3 For a type-A chopper feeding an RLE load, show that the maximum value of rms current rating
E 3/ 2
s E
for free wheeling diode is given by 0.39 1 - . Consider load current to be ripple
R Es

free.
Sol. Average load current for chopper with RLE load is given by
Eo - E a Es - E
Io = =
R R
During period Toff, current flows through freewheeling diode. Therefore, rms value of
freewheeling diode current, when Io is ripple free is given by
1/ 2
Toff T - Ton a Es - E
Iof = Io .
t t R
1
=
R
(a Es . - E ) ( 1-a ) (i)

1
= a 1 - a Es - 1 - a E
R
1 2
= a - a 3 Es - 1 - a E
R
This current will have maximum value when

d I Df
=
(2
1 1 2a - 3a Es 1 E
+
)
= 0.
da R 2 a 2
- a 3 2 1-a

or
(2a - 3a ) E =
2

s
E
2
a -a 3 1 - a.

or
(2a - 3a )
2
1-a
=
-E
a 1-a Es .
 Solution Manual 4

E E
or 3a 2 = or a = 1/3 2 +
Es Es

Substituting this value of a in Eq. (i), we get maximum value of rms current rating IDfm of
freewheeling diode as,
1/ 2
1 1 E 1 E
If Dm = 2 + Es - E 1 - 2 +
R 3 Es 3 Es
1/ 2
1 1 2 Es + E 2E + E
= Es - E 1 - s
R 3 Es 3 Es
1/ 2
1 2 Es + E - 3 E 3 Es - 2 Es - E
=
R 3 3 Es
1/ 2
1 2 Es - 2 E Es - E 1 3 3/ 2 1
= 3E = Es - E
R 3 s R 2 3 Es
3/ 2
1 2 Es . Es E
= 1 -
R 3 3 Es . Es
3/ 2
2 Es E
= 1 -
3 3 R E s

3/ 2
E E
= 0.39 s 1 -
R Es
8.4 A current commutated chopper is operating on a 150 V d.c. supply. The maximum load current
is 50 A. The turn-off time of main SCR is 15 msec. If the value of the commutating L is 10 mH
and C = 4.4 mF., find out if it is possible commutate the main SCR. If not, calculate the values of
L and C to commutate the main SCR successfully.
Sol. For current commutated chopper,

L=
(
3Edc Loff + Dt )
4p tom
\ Circuit turn-off time tq = (toff + Dt)
L 4p I om
=
3 Edc

10 10-6 4p 50
= = 13.96 msec.
3 150
\ Circuit turn-off time tq < toff.
\ This commutation circuit cannot commutate the main SCR successfully. In order to have
successful commutation,
tq = 2 toff = 2 15 = 30 ms.
5 Power Electronics

3 150 30 10-6
\ L= = 21.48 mH.
4 p 50
3 Iom tq 3 50 30 10-6
and, C= =
p Edc p 150
C = 9.54 mF
For successful commutating, L = 21.48 mH and
C = 9.54 mF.
8.5 A voltage commutated chopper is operating with an input d.c. voltage of 100 V. Commutating
components are L = 15 mH and C = 4.7 mF. Determine:-
(i) Minimum duty cycle of the chopper.
(ii) Peak capacitor current
(iii) Peak current through the device if the load current is 28 A and operating frequency is
400 Hz
p Lc
Sol. (i) Minimum duty cycle, Dmin =
T
1/ 2
= p (
Lc f = p 15 10-6 4.7 10-6 ) 400

= 1%.
(ii) Peak capacitor current
Icpeak = Edc c/L

= 100 4.7 /15 = 55.97 A.

(iii) Peak thyristor current
= Iom + Icpeak = 28 + 55.97 = 83.97 A
8.6 A parallel capacitor type A chopper operates at 600 Hz from a 72 V battery and feeds to a load
of 10 A. If the turn-off time of main SCR is 45 ms and that of auxiliary SCR is 60 ms. Determine
the values of commutating components. Assume a 100% safety margin for turn-off times of
main and auxiliary SCRs.

Sol. (i) Capacitor C=

(
I om toff + Dt )
Edc

10 90 10-6
= = 12.5 mF.
72

Edc 72
(ii) L C 12.5 10-6
I om 10
0.65 mH.
0.01 T 2 Edc
(iii) L T = 1/600 = 1.66 ms.
p 2 C.
 Solution Manual 6

\ L
(
0.01 1.66 10-3 ) 72
2 -6
p 12.5 10
\ L 16.21 mH.
(iv) The time for which SCR2 remains reverse biased is approximately half of the time (t1 t0).
But (t1 t0) = p Lmin C.

\ (t1 t0) = p 0.65 10-3 12.5 10-6

= 282.74 ms.
282.74
\ Time for which SCR2 is reverse-biased =
2
= 141.37 ms.
This is larger than 2 60 = 120 ms.
\ The value of commutating components calculated in (i), (ii), and (iii) can ensure successful
commutation of the SCRs.