Advantages of Three-Phase Drives:

(i) Output power is distributed by maintaining balanced

condition. Therefore, input lines have balanced currents.
(ii) The number of cycles, pulses is more, the output voltage
has less fluctuations.
(iii) Harmonic content is reduced.
(iv) The ripples are less, hence the filter required is small size
and rating.
(v) Load performance is better.

Three-Phase Drives for Separately Excited DC

motor:

i) Three-Phase half-wave converter drives

ii) Three-Phase semi- converter drives
iii) Three-Phase full-wave converter drives
iv) Three-Phase dual-converter drives

Three-Phase semi- converter drives:

• These are used upto power rating of 100 kW motors.
• This drive operates in a single quadrant.
• It uses three SCRs (Thyristors) and three diodes.
• The input is a balanced three-phase AC supply
(labelled as VRN, VYN, and VBN).
• The output is connected to a DC load (resistive,
inductive, or motor load).
Conduction of SCR and Diodes:-
• Step 1 (Firing at Phase R Positive): When the voltage of
phase VRN is positive and reaches the firing angle α SCR T1 is
triggered. It starts conducting, allowing current to flow

through the load.

• Step 2 (Diode Conduction in Other Phases): When T1
conducts, the return current flows through the diode D1
connected to the phase with the most negative potential.
• Step 3 (Next Phase Firing): As the next phase (e.g., VYN)
becomes more positive than VRN, the SCR corresponding to
that phase (SCR T2) is triggered. It conducts and takes over
from T1, supplying the load current. The diode D2
corresponding to the most negative phase continues
conducting.
• Step 4 (Repeating Cycle): This process repeats for each
phase in sequence (R, Y, B). Each SCR conducts for 120°,
while each diode conducts for the rest of the half-cycle.
Three-Phase full-wave converter drives:
• These are used upto power rating of 1500 kW motors.
• This drive operates in two quadrants.
• The three-phase full converter consists of six thyristors
(SCRs) arranged in a bridge configuration.
• The converter is fed by a three-phase AC supply.
• The output of the converter is a controlled DC voltage, and
the amount of DC voltage is controlled by adjusting the firing
angles of the thyristors.
Conduction and Current Flow
The firing angle α is the delay from the point where the input AC voltage
naturally crosses zero.
The triggering of thyristors is controlled by applying a pulse at their gate
terminals.
Thyristors T1 and T6 conduct first, forming the initial conduction path.

1. Step-1 (Phase A and Phase B are active):

o Thyristors T1 (upper) and T6 (lower) conduct.
o The positive half of the voltage from Phase A is applied
to the load, and the current flows back through Phase
B.
2. Step-2 (Phase A and Phase C are active):
o Thyristors T1 and T2 now conduct.
o The positive half of the voltage from Phase A continues,
but the current now returns via Phase C.

3. Step-3 (Phase B and Phase C are active):

o Thyristors T3 (upper) and T2 conduct.
o The positive half of the voltage from Phase B is applied,
and current flows back through Phase C.
4. Step-4 (Phase B and Phase A are active):
o Thyristors T3 and T4 now conduct.
o The positive half of the voltage from Phase B continues,
and the current flows back through Phase A.
5. Step-5 (Phase C and Phase A are active):
o Thyristors T5 (upper) and T4 conduct.
 o The positive half of the voltage from Phase C is applied,
and the current flows back through Phase A.
6. Step-6 (Phase C and Phase B are active):
o Thyristors T5 and T6 conduct.
o The positive half of the voltage from Phase C continues,
and the current flows back through Phase B.
• This cycle repeats continuously, switching between the
different thyristors and creating a DC output.
Three-Phase Dual Converter Drives:
• A 3-phase dual converter consists of two converters.
• The system can operate in all four quadrants.
• Either converter 1 supplies armature voltage Va, or converter
2 supplies −Va
• Used for motors with ratings up to 1,500 kW.

Operation of Converter 1 (Motoring Mode)

• Positive Motoring (1st Quadrant Operation):
o When converter 1 operates alone, it delivers positive
voltage Va to the armature.
o The armature voltage for converter 1 is given by:

o The motor runs in the forward direction. The current

and voltage are both positive, corresponding to the 1st
quadrant (forward motoring).
o The firing angle (αa1) is kept between 0 and 90 degrees
for normal forward motoring.
 • Forward Braking (2nd Quadrant Operation):
o If the firing angle of converter 1 is increased beyond 90
degrees (90∘<αa1≤180∘), the output voltage is still
positive, but the current reverses.
o This results in a braking effect where the motor is
decelerated, corresponding to the 2nd quadrant
(forward braking).

. Operation of Converter 2 (Reverse Operation)

• Reverse Motoring (3rd Quadrant Operation):
o Converter 2 operates to provide negative voltage −Va
to the armature.
o The armature voltage for converter 2 is given by:

o The firing angle for converter 2 is related to converter 1

by αa2=π−αa1
o This negative voltage causes the motor to run in the
reverse direction, where the current and voltage are
both negative (3rd quadrant or reverse motoring).
• Reverse Braking (4th Quadrant Operation):
o When the firing angle of converter 2 increases beyond
90 degrees (90∘<αa2≤180∘), the output voltage is
negative, but the current reverses.
o This results in braking the motor in the reverse
direction, corresponding to the 4th quadrant (reverse
braking).