Multipulse Transformer

Anandarup Das
Asst. Professor
Room-402A, Department of Electrical Engineering, IIT Delhi.
anandarup@ee.iitd.ac.in
Content
• Six pulse Rectifier concept
• 12 pulse Star-Delta transformer
• Zig-Zag Transformer
• Extended Delta transformer

ANANDARUP DAS, INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, DELHI, INDIA 33

Six pulse rectifier
• Many multilevel converters require DC at the input. How can we get DC
from an input AC supply?
• Six pulse rectifiers have been a popular choice for converting AC to DC for a
long time. Both thyristors and diodes are used.
• Six pulse rectifiers can be used for a wide range of voltages and power.

ANANDARUP DAS, INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, DELHI, INDIA 34

Six Pulse Rectifier
Output Voltage

• Ripple in output voltage is approximately 14%

Input Current

ANANDARUP DAS, INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, DELHI, INDIA 35

Input current
• The input current waveform is non sinusoidal.
• This leads to poor power quality at the input
like input current harmonics, poor power
factor etc.
• Some standards like IEEE 519 or IEC standard
61000 put a limit on the maximum amount of
harmonics that can be injected into the
supply.

ANANDARUP DAS, INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, DELHI, INDIA 36

Fourier Series analysis of Quasi Square Wave
𝜔𝑡

• The periodic waveform can be written as, 𝑓(𝑡) = 𝑎0 + 𝑎𝑛 cos(𝑛 𝜔𝑡) + 𝑏𝑛 sin(𝑛 𝜔𝑡) where a0 =0.
• The waveform has odd symmetry (i.e. 𝑓(𝜔𝑡) = −𝑓(−𝜔𝑡)), thus 𝑎𝑛 = 0.
• It also has half wave symmetry (i.e. 𝑓(𝜔𝑡 + 𝜋) = −𝑓(𝜔𝑡)), thus only odd terms in bn is present.
4 𝜋−𝛼 4𝐼
• Hence, 𝑏𝑛 = ‫ 𝐼 𝛼׬‬sin(𝑛 𝜃)𝑑𝜃 = cos(𝑛 𝛼), n=odd.
2𝜋 𝑛𝜋
• Therefore,
4𝐼
𝑓(𝑡) = 𝑛𝜋 cos(𝑛 𝛼) sin 𝑛 𝜔𝑡, n=odd

ANANDARUP DAS, INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, DELHI, INDIA 37

 Harmonics Spectrum of Input current
𝑖𝑎
• The input current waveform is written as,
4𝑖𝑑 𝑛𝜋
𝑓(𝑡) = cos sin 𝑛 𝜔𝑡
𝑛𝜋 6
• Harmonics presented are at 5,7,11,13,17,19… in
general 6𝑛 ± 1 harmonics are present.
• In the line current, low order harmonics have high
magnitude. Therefore the line current THD is
higher.
• The THD of line current can be reduced by using
multipulse transformer.

ANANDARUP DAS, INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, DELHI, INDIA 38

Input Distortion factor
• The effect of harmonics can be quantified by DF and THD.
• Distortion factor (DF) of input current is defined as the ratio of the rms
value of the fundamental component to the total rms amplitude.
𝐼1_𝑟𝑚𝑠
• 𝐷𝐹 =
𝐼𝑟𝑚𝑠

ANANDARUP DAS, INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, DELHI, INDIA 39

THD (Total Harmonic Distortion)
• THD is the ratio of the rms values of all the harmonic components of a
signal to the rms value of the fundamental.

𝐼ℎ 2 𝐼22 +𝐼32 +𝐼42 +⋯+𝐼𝑛2

ℎ=𝑛
• THD of current can be given as, THD = σℎ=2 =
𝐼1 𝐼1
• Another expression of THD can be obtained as,
𝐼22 +𝐼32 +𝐼42 +⋯+𝐼𝑛2 2
𝐼𝑟𝑚𝑠 1
• 1+ 𝑇𝐻𝐷2 =1 + = =
𝐼12 𝐼12 𝐷𝐹 2

ANANDARUP DAS, INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, DELHI, INDIA 40

Input Displacement factor
• Displacement factor (DPF) of input current is defined as the cosine of the
angle between the fundamental component of the AC input current and
the corresponding line-neutral voltage.
• We can write
• 𝑃𝑖𝑛 = 𝑉1 𝐼1 (𝐷𝑃𝐹)

ANANDARUP DAS, INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, DELHI, INDIA 41

Input Power factor
• Input power factor is defined as the ratio of the total input power to the
total rms volt-amperes.
𝑃𝑖𝑛
• Thus, 𝑃𝐹 =
𝑉𝑟𝑚𝑠 𝐼𝑟𝑚𝑠
• Assuming that the input voltage is purely sinusoidal,
𝑃𝑖𝑛 𝐷𝐹
• 𝑃𝐹 = = (𝐷𝑃𝐹)(𝐷𝐹)
𝑉1 𝐼1

• We therefore see that harmonics affect the input current quality as well as
the input power factor.

ANANDARUP DAS, INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, DELHI, INDIA 42

Advantage of multipulse rectifier
Main advantages of a multipulse (more than 6) rectifier are
• It reduces the input current harmonic distortion.
• Output DC voltage ripple of the rectifier gets reduced.

• In this course, we will focus more on the first advantage.

ANANDARUP DAS, INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, DELHI, INDIA 43

 Star-Delta 12 pulse transformer

Output Voltage

• There are two secondaries of the transformer, one in star another in delta. The two
rectifiers are series connected.
• Now we get 12 pulses in the rectifier output voltage. Ripple in output voltage is
approximately 4%.

ANANDARUP DAS, INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, DELHI, INDIA 3

 Star-Delta 12 pulse transformer

Output Voltage

• What is the effect on the input current distortion?

ANANDARUP DAS, INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, DELHI, INDIA 4

 Star-Delta 12 pulse transformer
Output current of delta transformer is given as
Input current of transformer is given as
𝑖𝑎𝑑 = 𝑖𝑎′ − 𝑖𝑐′ (1)
𝑖𝐴 = 𝑖𝑎𝑠 + 3𝑖𝑎′ ′
𝑖𝑏𝑑 = 𝑖𝑏 − 𝑖𝑎 ′ (2)
𝑖𝐵 = 𝑖𝑏𝑠 + 3𝑖𝑏′ ′
𝑖𝑐𝑑 = 𝑖𝑐′ − 𝑖𝑏 (3)
𝑖𝐶 = 𝑖𝑐𝑠 + 3𝑖𝑐′ Subtracting (2) from (1)
𝑖𝑎𝑑 − 𝑖𝑏𝑑 = 2𝑖𝑎′ − 𝑖𝑏′ − 𝑖𝑐′ (4)
How to calculate 𝑖𝑎′ , 𝑖𝑏′ and 𝑖𝑐′ ?
For balanced three phase system
𝑖𝑎′ + 𝑖𝑏′ + 𝑖𝑐′ =0 (5)
substituting (5) in to (4)
𝑖𝑎𝑑 − 𝑖𝑏𝑑 = 3𝑖𝑎′
(𝑖𝑎𝑑 − 𝑖𝑏𝑑 )
𝑖𝑎′ =
3
similarly
(𝑖𝑏𝑑 − 𝑖𝑐𝑑 )
𝑖𝑏′ =
3
(𝑖𝑐𝑑 − 𝑖𝑎𝑑 )
𝑖𝑐′ =
3
ANANDARUP DAS, INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, DELHI, INDIA 5
 Star-Delta 12 pulse transformer

Input current of transformer is given as 𝑖𝐴 = 𝑖𝑎𝑠 + 3𝑖𝑎′

𝑖𝐵 = 𝑖𝑏𝑠 + 3𝑖𝑏′
𝑖 = 𝑖 + 3𝑖 ′
Where 𝐶 𝑐𝑠 𝑐

(𝑖𝑎𝑑 − 𝑖𝑏𝑑 )
𝑖𝑎′ =
3
(𝑖𝑏𝑑 − 𝑖𝑐𝑑 )
𝑖𝑏′ =
3
′
(𝑖𝑐𝑑 − 𝑖𝑎𝑑 )
𝑖𝑐 =
3 ANANDARUP DAS, INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, DELHI, INDIA 6
Fourier series of input current

• The input current waveform

can be split into 3 parts.

4𝑖𝑑
= 𝑓1 (𝑡) = sin 𝑛 𝜔𝑡
3𝑛𝜋

4𝑖𝑑 𝑛𝜋
= 𝑓2 (𝑡) = cos sin 𝑛 𝜔𝑡
𝑛𝜋 6

4𝑖𝑑 𝑛𝜋
= 𝑓3 (𝑡) = cos sin 𝑛 𝜔𝑡
3𝑛𝜋 3

ANANDARUP DAS, INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, DELHI, INDIA 7

Fourier series of input current
f(𝑡) = 𝑓1 (𝑡) + 𝑓2 (𝑡) + 𝑓3 (𝑡)
• 12 pulse rectifier substantially reduces
4𝑖𝑑 1 𝑛𝜋 1 𝑛𝜋
harmonics in the input current. Harmonics
𝑓(𝑡) = + cos + cos sin 𝑛 𝜔𝑡
𝑛𝜋 3 6 3 3 present in input current are at 11,13,23,25…
in general 12𝑛 ± 1 harmonics are present.
4 3𝑖𝑑 • The harmonic cancellation in the input
For n=1 𝑓(𝑡) = 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜔𝑡
𝜋 current occurs due to the cancellation of
For n=5 𝑓(𝑡) = 0 corresponding harmonic flux in the
For n=7 𝑓(𝑡) = 0 transformer core.
4 3𝑖𝑑
For n=11 𝑓(𝑡) = 𝑠𝑖𝑛11𝜔𝑡
11𝜋

ANANDARUP DAS, INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, DELHI, INDIA 8

Harmonics in Input current

ANANDARUP DAS, INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, DELHI, INDIA 9

Zigzag transformer
• How can the harmonics be further improved?
• We can use 18 pulse, 24 pulse or 48 pulse transformers.
• For getting higher pulse numbers, we use zigzag transformer or extended
delta transformer.

ANANDARUP DAS, INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, DELHI, INDIA 10

Cascaded H-bridge Multilevel converter with Multi-
Winding Transformer

ANANDARUP DAS, INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, DELHI, INDIA 11

Zigzag Transformer

• How do we construct a zigzag transformer?

• The secondary phase windings are split into 2 parts having k1:k2 ratio.
• Subsequently they are interconnected.

ANANDARUP DAS, INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, DELHI, INDIA 12

Zigzag Transformer

According to the required phase shift, k1 and k2 can be calculated

as
𝑘1 𝑘2 𝑉𝐴
𝜋 = 𝜋 =
sin 3 − 𝜃 sin 3 2𝜋
sin 3
ANANDARUP DAS, INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, DELHI, INDIA 13
Actual connection

ANANDARUP DAS, INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, DELHI, INDIA 14

Relationship of phase shift
• For n pulse transformer, the phase shift required in the secondary output of
360𝑜 .
the zigzag transformer is calculated by For example, for a 24 pulse
𝑛
zigzag transformer, the phase shift required is 150.
𝑛
• Number of rectifier to be used is .
6

ANANDARUP DAS, INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, DELHI, INDIA 15

24 pulse zigzag transformer
For 24 pulse transformer,
the phase shift is calculated
as
360𝑜
= 15o
24

ANANDARUP DAS, INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, DELHI, INDIA 16

 30 pulse zigzag transformer
For 30 pulse transformer, the
phase shift is calculated as
360𝑜
= 12o
30

ANANDARUP DAS, INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, DELHI, INDIA 17

Extended Delta connection

• Another possibility is the use of an extended delta connection.

• The secondary phase windings are split into 2 parts having k1:k2 ratio.
• Subsequently they are interconnected.

ANANDARUP DAS, INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, DELHI, INDIA 18

Extended Delta connection

According to required Phase shift, k1 and k2 can be calculated as

𝑘1 + 𝑘2 𝑘1 𝑉𝐵𝐶
𝜋 = =
sin −𝜃 sin 𝜃 sin 2𝜋
3 3

ANANDARUP DAS, INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, DELHI, INDIA 19

Cascaded H-bridge Multilevel converter with Multi-
Winding Transformer

ANANDARUP DAS, INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, DELHI, INDIA 20