Chapter Outline

• List the difference types of thyristors

• Describe the two transistor model of
thyristors
• Thyristors commutation Techniques

Dr. Othman Hassan Assistant Prof. SIU

The whole thyristor family, therefore, includes the following devices:
 SCR (Silicon controlled rectifier, as the basic semiconductor material is silicon)
 Triac
 SCS (Silicon controlled switch)
 LASCR (Light activated silicon controlled rectifier)
 LASCS (Light activated silicon controlled switch)
 PUT (Programmable unijunction transistor)
 LAPUT (Light activated programmable unijunction transistor)
 DIAC
 SUS (Silicon unilateral switch) or CSCR (Complementary SCR)
 SBS (Silicon bilateral switch)

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Figure 3.1 shows the symbolic representations of the devices belonging to the thyristor family.

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Dr. Othman Hassan Assistant Prof. SIU
Dr. Othman Hassan Assistant Prof. SIU
Dr. Othman Hassan Assistant Prof. SIU
 For transistor Q1, the emitter current is the anode
current IA, and the collector current IC1 can be found
from Eq. (3.1):

 For transistor Q2, the collector current IC2 is

𝐼𝐶2 = 𝛼2 𝐼𝐾 + 𝐼𝐶𝐵𝑂2

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Dr. Othman Hassan Assistant Prof. SIU
 By combining IC1 and IC2, we get

 For a gating current of IG, IK = IA + IG and solving Eq.

(3.3) for IA gives

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Dr. Othman Hassan Assistant Prof. SIU
Dr. Othman Hassan Assistant Prof. SIU
 The current through capacitor Cj2 can be expressed as

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Dr. Othman Hassan Assistant Prof. SIU
Dr. Othman Hassan Assistant Prof. SIU
 Two types:
 1- Natural Commutation
 2- Forced Commutation

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 Apply for :
Controlled rectifiers, AC voltage control, Cyclo-
converter

Io
T1

Vs  Vm sin  t  Vo
R

Dr. Othman Hassan Assistant Prof. SIU

 V2

300
𝑉𝑚
𝑉𝑠
200

100

0 𝜋
2𝜋
-100

-200

-300

I1 V3

250

200
𝑉𝑜
150
𝑖𝑜
100

50
𝜋
0 2𝜋
-50

0 0.005 0.01 0.015 0.02 0.025 0.03 0.035 0.04

Time (s)

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Used for inverters, choppers and it divided
into:
 Self Commutation
 Impulse Commutation
 Resonant Pulse Commutation
 Complementary Commutation
 External Pulse Commutation
 Load Side Commutation
 Line Side Commutation

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 i

 

T1 VL L


Es

VC C

 

𝐶
𝑖(𝑡) = 𝐸𝑠 sin 𝜔𝑚 𝑡
𝐿

𝑣𝑐 (𝑡) = 𝐸𝑠 1 − cos𝜔𝑚 𝑡 𝜔𝑚 = 1 𝐿𝐶

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 I1

𝐶6 𝑖(𝑡)
𝐸𝑠
𝐿
4

2
𝜋
0

-2

V1

2𝐸𝑠 200

150 𝑣𝑐 (𝑡)

100

50

0
𝜋
0 0.01 0.02 0.03
𝑇 Time (s)

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Determine : the peak current through the thyristor and steady state
capacitor voltage.

T1 L


i 
VC Vo C



Dr. Othman Hassan Assistant Prof. SIU

Dr. Othman Hassan Assistant Prof. SIU
 In such type of commutation circuit , a main thyristor, a auxiliary thy ,and
an inductor is used.
Mode 1:
T1-ON , io flows through Battery →T1 →load Capacitor discharge dirn,
T1 →D →L, Capacitor charged with opp. Polarity, which is not allowed
due to diode.
C
iC  VS sin Ot  I P sin Ot
L
iT 1  iC  I O (due to initial condition)
iT 1  I O  I P SinOt  1 
 O  
 LC 

Ip= Peak capacitor voltage

toff
1 iLtoff , iL toff
VC  0 iL dt  C C
C VC
C
I P  VS
L
, I P  I m ax (throughT1 ) , VS
C
 I m ax , L  V 2
C
L I 2
m ax

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 Mode 2:
TA-ON, T1-off, C discharges through TA →T1, when this
current= iO →T1-off
At t=t1
TA-ON, VT1= -VS, iT1=0
Now load current will flow through, C →TA
VC charges through –Vs to Vs
This method is called voltage commutation, due to T1 turns
off due to reverse voltage application

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• Series LC circuit connected across
thyristor ‘T’.
• Initially ‘C’ is charged to ‘V’ volts
with plate ‘a’ as positive.
• Current in LC oscillates when SCR is
ON.
• ‘T’ turns off when capacitor
discharges through thyristor in a
direction opposite to IL
T1: main thyristor.
TA: Auxiliary thyristor.
iT1 : Current through thyristor.
iC : Capacitor current.

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 1
Mode 1:
 TA= OFF, T1= OFF
VC 
C  idt  VS CosOt
 Flow of current through C,
current ic starts flowing and C Mode 4:
charges up to VS.
Mode 2:  T= t2 + TA= OFF , Vc= - Vs
 TA = OFF, T1= ON at t=0 Flow of resonant current: C→L →D →T1
 iT1 = iO
 When 0<t<t1 As well as Ic increases which is opp. To

VC = VS T1, iT1=Io-Ic, begin to decrease.

iC = 0 When Ic- Io, iT1=0, means T1= off
i O = IO
iT1 = iO
Mode 3:
Mode 5:
TA = ON, T1= ON at t=t1
Current iC path : C→TA →L →C T1= OFF at t = t3

C Io flow through, C→L →D. Vc ↑ 0 → Vab

iC  VS Sint   I P SinOt
L
At t= t4 , Vc ↑0 → Vs

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 C
I o  VS Sino (t3  t2 ) ….(1)
L
1 1 Io
o  Sin ( ) ….(2)
(t3  t2 ) Ip

C ….(3)
I p  Vs Peak resonant current
L
Vab
tc  t4  t3  C ….(4) Circuit turn=off time
IO
Vab  Vs cos o (t3  t2 ) ….(5)

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 Complementary commutation

• One thy. Commutates another and vise-versa

Mode 1:
T1= ON , Load current dirn:
Battery →R1 →T1
Battery →R2 → C→ T1
Vc 
VS

Mode 2:
T2 = ON, Capr voltage appears as reverse bias
across T1, and turns it off.
Current dirn:
Battery →R1 → C→ T2
Battery →R2 → T2

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When T1=ON at t = 0

VS VS
I R1  I1  or Io  I R 2 
R1 R2
IT 1  i1  iC  VS ( R11  R12 )
VC changes from 0→VS
VS  ( t R2C )
iC  e
R2
( t
VC  VS (1  e R2C )
) So that VT1 =Vc(t)

When t= t+
VS
After transient condition, Vc =VT2= VS , iC=0, iT 1 
R1
When t= t1
T2=ON, Vc (across T1) reverse and T1=OFF, VT2=0

Dr. Othman Hassan Assistant Prof. SIU

 VT 1  VS , iC  
2VS
, IT 2  VS ( R21  R12 )
R1
• Applying KVL law:
1
R1iC 
C  iC dt  VS
• Laplace transformation:
1  I C ( S ) CVS  VS
R1 I C ( S )     
C S S  S
• After taking inverse transformation
2VS  ( t R1C )
iC (t )  e
R1
2VS  ( t R1C )
iC = opposite direction , So that iC (t )  e
R1
1
t  1  2VS ( t R1C )  
• Again, VC  VS  i C dt = VC  VS     e 
C 0  
C R1 
  t  
Vc  Vs 2e  2   1
RC
  
  Dr. Othman Hassan Assistant Prof. SIU
 VS ( R2  R1 )
iT 2 
1
VS 
2

iT 1 
R1

When T=t2 transient condition are over now

VT1=Vs, ic=0, Vc=-Vs, VT2=Vs/R2, iT1=0

When T=t3
T1= ON, T2= commutated
iT2=0, VT2 =-Vs, VT1 =0, ic=2Vs/R2 iT1= VS ( R21  R12 )

Turn of T2 at t1, capacitor voltage Vs suddenly appears as reverse biased across T1 to turn it
off.
Turn off time for T1 and T2

 (

tc1
VT 1  0  VS 1  2e R1C )

 
tC1  R1C ln(2)

tC 2  R2C ln(2)
Dr. Othman Hassan Assistant Prof. SIU
Dr. Othman Hassan Assistant Prof. SIU
•
•This Method of commutation used a pulse obtain from a source external to the main
circuit or obtain from a pulse forming network fed by an auxiliary voltage source.
• The pulse is used to apply a reverse bias and turn off the thyristor.
• Vaux Auxiliary voltage source
T1 T2 T3
• L, C Oscillatory circuit to general a pulse. L

• +
VS RL 2VAUX C VAUX


Dr. Othman Hassan Assistant Prof. SIU

Mode -1
 T1 T3– ON, VS – Used to supply the current through load.
 A current pulse flows having a peak value Vaux √C/L from V1 T3 L
C to charge up to 2VAUX
 When C is fully charged, Charging current tends to 0 , and T3 turns off.

Mode -1
 T2 ON ,
 Capacitor voltage appears as reverse bias across T1 and turns it off.
 Capacitor C discharge through load.

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• T1 is conducting & RL is connected across supply.
• T3 is fired & ‘C’ is charged to 2VAUX with upper plate
positive.
• T3 is self commutated.
• To turn off T1, T2 is fired.
• T2 ON results in a reverse voltage VS – 2VAUX
appearing across T1

Dr. Othman Hassan Assistant Prof. SIU