Three-Phase Converters

In the previous chapter that dealt with the full-bridge converter, we introduced the concept of representing the converter output voltage as a vector, and subsequently created a vector diagram based on all the possible values that the vector can attain. This established a systematic procedure for analyzing a power converter—examine all possible conduction modes of the converter, determine the output voltage for each conduction mode and create a vector diagram using these voltage values. Though the full-bridge converter is fairly popular for several applications ranging from dc-dc power supplies to single-phase dc-ac converters, a vast number of industrial applications are multi-phase and require high power rating converters for which these full-bridge converters may not be suitable. In this chapter, we examine a basic three-phase converter that has the potential for high power applications.