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Vienna rectifier

Vienna rectifier is a engineering topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Vienna rectifier rather than just read about it. In short: The Vienna rectifier is a three-phase AC pulse-width modulation rectifier, invented in 1993 by Johann W. Kolar at TU Wien, a public research university in Vienna, Austria.

Vienna rectifier — main illustration
Vienna rectifier — illustration

Key takeaways

  • Vienna rectifier belongs to engineering; place it in that map before memorising details.
  • Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
  • Connect Vienna rectifier to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
  • Reproduce the core statement of Vienna rectifier from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Vienna rectifier is a three-phase AC pulse-width modulation rectifier, invented in 1993 by Johann W. Kolar at TU Wien, a public research university in Vienna, Austria.

Features

The Vienna rectifier provides the following features:

Three-phase three-level three-switch PWM rectifier with controlled output voltage Three-wire input, no connection to neutral Ohmic mains behaviour Boost system (continuous input current) Unidirectional power flow High power density Low conducted common-mode electro-magnetic interference (EMI) emissions Simple control to stabilize the neutral point potential Low complexity, low realization effort Low switching losses Reliable behaviour (guaranteeing ohmic mains behaviour) under heavily unbalanced mains voltages and in case of mains failure

Topology The Vienna rectifier is a unidirectional three-phase three-switch three-level pulse-width modulation (PWM) rectifier. It can be seen as a three-phase diode bridge with an integrated boost converter.

Applications

The Vienna rectifier is useful wherever six-switch converters are used for achieving sinusoidal mains current and controlled output voltage, when no energy feedback from the load into the mains is available. In practice, use of the Vienna rectifier is advantageous when space is at a sufficient premium to justify the additional hardware cost. These include:

Telecommunications power supplies. Uninterruptible power supplies. Input stages of AC-drive converter systems. Figure 2 shows the top and bottom views of an air-cooled 10 kW-Vienna rectifier (400 kHz PWM), with sinusoidal input current s and controlled output voltage. Dimensions are 250mm x 120mm x 40mm, resulting in a power density of 8.5 kW/dm3. The total weight of the converter is 2.1 kg

Current and voltage waveforms

Figure 3 shows the system behaviour, calculated using the power-electronics circuit simulator. Between the output voltage midpoint (0) and the mains midpoint (M) the common mode voltage u0M appears, as is characteristic in three-phase converter systems.

Current control and balance of the neutral point at the DC-side It is possible to separately control the input current shape in each branch of the diode bridge by inserting a bidirectional switch into the node, as shown in Figure 3. The switch Ta controls the current by controlling the magnetization of the inductor. When the bi-directional switch is turned on, the input voltage is applied across the inductor and the current in the inductor rises linearly. Turning off the switch causes the voltage across the inductor to reverse and the current to flow through the freewheeling diodes Da+ and Da-, decreasing linearly. By controlling the switch on-time, the topology is able to control the current in phase with the mains voltage, presenting a resistive load behavior (power-factor correction capability). To generate a sinusoidal power input which is in phase with the voltage

i _ D = G ⋆ u _ C ≈ G ⋆ u _ 1 {\displaystyle {\underline {i}}_{D}=G\star {\underline {u}}_{C}\approx G\star {\underline {u}}_{1}}

the average voltage space vector over a pulse-period must satisfy:

u _ D ⋆ = u _ − j ω 1 L 1 1 _ D {\displaystyle {\underline {u}}_{D}\star ={\underline {u}}-j\omega _{1}L_{1}{\underline {1}}_{D}}

For high switching frequencies or low inductivities we require ( L 1 {\displaystyle L1} ) u _ D ⋆ ≈ u _ 1 {\displaystyle {\underline {u}}_{D}\star \approx {\underline {u}}_{1}} . The available voltage space vectors required for the input voltage are defined by the switching states ( s a , s b , s c ) {\displaystyle (sa,sb,sc)} and the direction of the phase currents. For example, for i D a > 0 , i D b , i D c < 0 {\displaystyle iDa>0,iDb,iDc<0} , i.e. for the phase-range ϕ 1 = − 30 ∘ . . . + 30 ∘ {\displaystyle \phi _{1}=-30^{\circ }...+30^{\circ }} of the period( ϕ 1 {\displaystyle \phi _{1}} ) the phase of the input current space vector is i D ≈ i 1 {\displaystyle i_{D}\approx i_{1}} ). Fig. 4 shows the conduction states of the system, and from this we get the input space vectors shows in Fig. 5

See also Warsaw rectifier

References

Illustrations

Vienna rectifier: Fig. 1: Schematic of a Vienna rectifier
Fig. 1: Schematic of a Vienna rectifier
Vienna rectifier: Fig. 2: Top and bottom views of an air-cooled 10kW-Vienna rectifier (400kHz PWM)
Fig. 2: Top and bottom views of an air-cooled 10kW-Vienna rectifier (400kHz PWM)
Vienna rectifier: Fig 3:Time variation of voltage-phases ua, ub, uc of the current-phases ia, ib, ic.
From top to bottom: 1) mains voltages ua, ub, uc. 2) mains currents ia, ib, ic.  3) rectifier voltage at uDaM (see Fig. 1), which forms the input current. 4. Midpoint current of the output capacitors (i0 in Fig. 1).  5.  Voltage between mains midpoint M and the output voltage midpoint 0.  Note:  Inner mains inductance is not considered, and therefore the voltage across the filter capacitors is equal to the mains voltage.
Fig 3:Time variation of voltage-phases ua, ub, uc of the current-phases ia, ib, ic. From top to bottom: 1) mains voltages ua, ub, uc. 2) mains currents ia, ib, ic. 3) rectifier voltage at uDaM (see Fig. 1), which forms the input current. 4. Midpoint current of the output capacitors (i0 in Fig. 1). 5. Voltage between mains midpoint M and the output voltage midpoint 0. Note: Inner mains inductance is not considered, and therefore the voltage across the filter capacitors is equal to the mains voltage.
Vienna rectifier: Fig 5: Conduction states of the Vienna rectifier, for ia>0, ib,ic<0, valid in a 
  
    
      
        
          60
          
            o
          
        
      
    
    {\displaystyle 60^{o}}
  
 sector of the period T1
sa, sb, and sc characterise the switching state of the system. The arrows represent the physical direction and value of the current midpoint i0.
Fig 5: Conduction states of the Vienna rectifier, for ia>0, ib,ic<0, valid in a 60 o {\displaystyle 60^{o}} sector of the period T1 sa, sb, and sc characterise the switching state of the system. The arrows represent the physical direction and value of the current midpoint i0.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Vienna rectifier

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Vienna rectifier claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In engineering, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Vienna rectifier before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Vienna rectifier ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Vienna rectifier

In research
Vienna rectifier appears in engineering research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry
Engineering practice reuses Vienna rectifier in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom
Vienna rectifier is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 20th-century inventions, Electric power conversion, Electronic circuits, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life
Look for Vienna rectifier outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Vienna rectifier in 20 minutes

  1. Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
  2. Close the page and write down what Vienna rectifier means in your own words.
  3. Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
  4. Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
  5. Explain Vienna rectifier out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Vienna rectifier in simple terms?

The Vienna rectifier is a three-phase AC pulse-width modulation rectifier, invented in 1993 by Johann W. Kolar at TU Wien, a public research university in Vienna, Austria.

Why does Vienna rectifier matter?

Because it connects several engineering ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Vienna rectifier?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Vienna rectifier.

Tags

  • 20th-century inventions
  • Electric power conversion
  • Electronic circuits
  • Power electronics
  • Rectifiers

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