Power Electronics

Presented By:
S.V.Sailaja
Assistant Professor
E.E.E
GIET Engineering
College

Lecture Details:
Thyristor Devices
Unit I
EEE, III/I.
 Power Semiconductor
Switches

Power Diodes Power Thyristor

2 layer Transistors s
device Device 3 layer Device 4 layer

 Thyristor devices can convert and control large amounts of

power in AC or DC systems while using very low power for
 control.
Thyristor family includes
1 Silicon controlled switch (SCR)
2 Gate-turnoff thyristor (GTO) 3- Triac
4 Diac
5 Silicon controlled switch (SCS) 6- Mos-controlled switch
2
(MCT)
 INTRODUCTION
 SCR is most popular of thyristor family due to its
Fast switching action , small size and high voltage and
current ratings.
 It is commonly used in power electronic applications.

 SCR has 3 terminals (gate provides

control)
 SCR is turned on by applying +ve gate a
sign when anode is +ve with repect l
to cathode.
 SCR is turned off by interrupting
anode current.
PNPN structure Symbo
l
3
 TWO TRANSISTOR MODEL OF SCR

 Gate requires small positive pulse for short duration to turn

SCR on. Once the device is on, the gate signal serves no
useful purpose and can be removed.
4
SCR CHARACTERISTIC CURVE

5
IDEAL CHARACTERISTIC OF SCR

6
 SCR RATINGS
(a) SCR Current
Ratings
1- Maximum Repetitive RMS current Rating
 Average on-state current is the maximum average current value that
can be carried by the SCR in its on state.
 RMS value of nonsinusoidal waveform is simplified by approximating
it by rectangular waveform.
 This approximation give higher RMS value, but leaves slight safety
factor.

7
Average value of pulse
is

 Form factor is

8
 Knowing the form factor for given waveform, RMS
current can be obtained from

I =fo(IAVE)
RMS

Maximum repetitive RMS current is given

by

I =fo(IT(AVE))
T(RMS)

 Conduction angle verses

Conduction angleformForm
factorfactor (fo)
(θ)
20° 5.0
40° 3.5
60° 2.7
80° 2.3
100° 2.0
120° 1.8
140° 1.6
9
160° 1.4
 CONDUCTION ANGLE

 Duration for which SCR is on. It is measured

as shown

1
0
2- Surge Current Rating
Peak anode current that SCR can handle for brief
duration.

3 Latching current
Minimum anode current that must flow through the SCR in
order for it to stay on initially after gate signal is removed.

4 Holding Current
Minimum value of anode current, required to maintain SCR
in conducting state.

1
1
 (B) SCR VOLTAGE RATINGS

1 Peak repetitive forward blocking voltage

Maximum instantaneous voltage that SCR can block in
forward direction.
2 Peak Repetitive Reverse Voltage
Maximum instantaneous voltage that SCR can withstand,
without breakdown, in reverse direction.
3 Non-repetitive peak reverse voltage
Maximum transient reverse voltage that SCR can
withstand.

1
2
 (C) SCR RATE-OF-CHANGE RATINGS

1 (di/dt rating)
Critical rate of rise of on-state current. It is the rate at which anode current
increases and must be less than rate at which conduction area increases.
To prevent damage to SCR by high di/dt value, small inductance is added in
series with device. Vaue of required inductance is
L>= Vp
(di/dt)max

2 dv/dt rating
Maximum rise time of a voltage pulse that can be applied to the SCR in the off
state without causing it to fire. Unscheduled firing due to high value of dv/dt
can be prevented by using RC snubber circuit.

1
3
 (D) GATE PARAMETERS
1 Maximum Gate Peak Inverse Voltage
Maximum value of negative DC voltage that can be applied without damaging
the gate- cathode junction.

2 Maximum Gate Trigger Current

Maximum DC gate current allowed to turn on the device.

3 Maximum gate trigger voltage

DC voltage necessary to produce maximum gate trigger current.

4 Maximum Gate Power Dissipation

Maximum instantaneous product of gate current and gate voltage that can exist
during forward-bias.

5 Minimum gate trigger voltage

Minimum DC gate-to-cathode voltage required to trigger the SCR.

6-Minimum gate trigger current 1

Minimum DC gate current necessary to turn SCR 4
on.
Series and Parallel

SCR
Connections

1
5
SCRs are connected in series and parallel to
extend voltage and current
ratings.
For high-voltage, high-current applications,
series- parallel combinations of SCRs
are used.

1
6
 SCRS IN SERIES
Unequal distribution of voltage across two series
SCRs.

 Two SCRs do not share the same supply voltage.

Maximum voltage that SCRs can block is V1+V2, not
2VBO. 1
7
 Resistance
equalization

 Voltage
equalization

1
8
 RC equalization for SCRs connected in
series.

1
9
 SCRS IN PARALLEL
Unequal current sharing between two SCRs is
shown:

Total rated current of parallel connection is I1+I2, not

2I2.

2
0
 With unmatched SCRs, equal current sharing is achieved
by adding low value resistor or inductor in series with
each SCR, as shown below.

 Value of resistance R is obtained

from:
R=V1-V2
2
I2-I1 1
 Current sharing in SCRs with parallel reactors
Equalization using resistors is inefficient
due to
 Extra power loss
 Noncompansation for unequal SCR turn-on and turn-off
 times. Damage due to overloading

SCRs with center-tapped reactors is shown

below.

2
2
SCR Gate-Triggering

Circuits

2
3
 Triggering circuits provide firing signal to
turn on the SCR at precisely the correct
time.circuits must have following properties
 Firing

1. Produce gate signal of suitable magnitude and

sufficiently short rise time.
2. Produce gate signal of adequate duration.
3. Provide accurate firing control over the required range.
4. Ensure that triggering does not occur from false signals
or noise
5. In AC applications, ensure that the gate signal is applied
when the SCR is forward-biased
6. In three-phase circuits, provide gate pulses that are 120°
apart
with respect to the reference point
7. Ensure simultaneous triggering of SCRs connected in
2
series or in parallel. 4
 TYPES OF GATE FIRING SIGNALS

1. DC signals
2. Pulse
signals
3. AC signals

2
5
(A) DC GATING SIGNAL FROM
SEPARATE SOURCE

2
6
DC GATING SIGNALS FROM SAME
SOURCE

2
7
DISADVANTAGE OF DC GATING
SIGNALS

1. Constant DC gate signal causes gate power

dissipation

1. DC gate signals are not used for firing SCRs

in AC applications, because presence of
positive gate signal during negative half
cycle would increase the reverse anode
current and possibly destroy the device.

2
8
 (2) PULSE SIGNALS

1. Instead of continuous DC signal, single

pulse or train of pulses is generated.
2. It provides precise control of point at which
SCR is fired.
3. It provides electrical isolation between SCR
and gate-trigger circuit.

2
9
 SCR TRIGGER CIRCUITS USING UJT
OSCILLATOR
 Circuit A

3
0
CIRCUIT B

3
1
SCR TRIGGER CIRCUIT USING DIAC

3
2
SCR TRIGGER CIRCUIT USING
OPTOCOUPLER

3
3
(C) AC SIGNALS

Resistive phase RC phase

control control
3
4
TRIGGERING SCRS IN SERIES AND
IN PARALLEL

3
5
SCR Turnoff
(Commutation)
Circuit
s

3
6
 What is Commutation?
The process of turning off an SCR is
called commutation.

It is achieved by
1. Reducing anode current below holding
current
2. Make anode negative with respect to
cathode

 Types of commutation are:

1. Natural or line commutation
3
2. Forced commutation 7
SCR TURNOFF METHODS
1. Diverting the anode current to an alternate path

1. Shorting the SCR from anode to cathode

1. Applying a reverse voltage (by making the cathode

positive with respect to the anode) across the SCR

1. Forcing the anode current to zero for a brief period

1. Opening the external path from its anode supply

voltage

3
6. Momentarily reducing supply voltage to 8
zero
(1) CAPACITOR COMMUTATION

SCR turnoff circuit using a transistor

switch

3
9
SCR turnoff circuit using commutation
capacitor

Value of capacitance is determined

by:
C>= tOFF
0.693RL 4
0
(2) COMMUTATION BY EXTERNAL
SOURCE

4
1
(3) COMMUTATION BY RESONANCE
Series resonant turnoff
circuit

4
2
 Parallel resonant turnoff circuit

4
3
(4) AC LINE COMMUTATION

4
4
Other members of

Thyristor
Family

4
5
 OTHER TYPES OF
THYRISTORS

1. Silicon Controlled Switch (SCS)

1. Gate Turnoff Thyristor (GTO)

1. DIAC

1. TRIAC

1. MOS-Controlled Thyristor
(MCT)
4
6
1.
SCS

Structur Symbo Equivalent circuit for

e l SCS

4
7
(2)
GTO

Structur Symbo GTO Ideal VI

e l characteristic
cs
4
8
(3)
DIAC

Structur Symbo VI characteristics of

e l diac

4
9
(4)
TRIAC

Structur Symbo SCR equivalent

e l circuit

5
0
TRIAC VI CHARACTERISTICS

5
1
(5)
MCT

Symbol equivalent MCT VI

circuit characteristics

5
2
 ASSIGNMENT#
1
1. Does gate current has any effect on
forward- breakover voltage? Justify the
statement “Higher the gate current, lower
is the forward breakover voltage.”
2. Discribe briefly following members of
thyristor family.
 Programmable Unijunction Transistor (PUT) Silicon
 Unilateral Switch (SUS)
 Static Induction Thyristor (SITH) Light Activated
 Thyristor (LASCR)

5
3