AN5369 Application Note
AN5369
Selection Of SCRs For Parallel Operation
Application Note
Replaces September 2000 version AN5369-2.0
AN5369-2.1 July 2002
Selection of Thyristors (and Diodes) for Parallel Operation
with non-reactor/resistor sharing.
It is assumed here that all the variation in Forward Voltage Drop
between the thyristors is due to variation in the slope resistance
and that the knee voltage V0 is the same for both thyristors.
When thyristors are intended to be used in parallel without the
use of reactors or resistors to force current sharing then the
thyristors must be chosen in such a way that they will share the
current in relation to their forward voltage drop at the operating
current.
SCR2 is assumed to be the data book limit case device and V0,
rt2 are the figures printed in the data book.
Now V2 = V0 + I1.rt2 for SCR2
and V2 = V0 + I2.rt1 for SCR1
i.e. I1.rt2 = I2.rt1
This Application Note gives a simple way of doing this from the
data presented in the device data sheet, based on a number of
simplifying assumptions. The problems of differing turn-on
performance, finger voltage etc. have not been considered here
but are addressed in Application Note AN4999 “Turn-on
Performance of Thyristors in Parallel”. The treatise below is
presented in terms of the fully turned on phase of a thyristor
conduction cycle. The methodology can equally be applied to
rectifier diodes in parallel.
or
rt1 = I1.rt2/I2 ..............................................................(1)
At the current I1 we have:
V1 = V0 + I1.rt1
V2 = V0 + I1.rt2
V2 -V1 = I1.(rt2-rt1)
Dynex Semiconductor will append a 4 digit selection number to
the device type to specify your particular sharing criteria.
Substituting for rt1 from (1) we have
V2 -V1 = I1.(rt2 - I1.rt2/I2)
Consider the case of two thyristors in parallel with voltage V2
across them. In this situation the total current is divided between
the two SCRs such that SCR1 is carrying I2 and SCR2 is carrying
I1. At the current I1 SCR1 has a forward voltage drop of V1.
i.e. ∆V = I1.rt2.(1 -I1/I2).......................................................(2)
SCR1 (V0, rT1)
SCR2 (V0, rT2)
I2
I1
V0
V1
V2
Instantaneous forward volt drop - (V)
Fig. 1 Total current is divided between the two SCRs
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