A microcomputer-controlled thyristor bridge rectifier experiment for undergraduate electric machinery laboratory

This paper describes the design and implementation of a 5 kW microcomputer-controlled thyristor bridge rectifier (TBR) that has been introduced in the undergraduate electric machinery laboratory at Montana State University. The unit is used in an independent experiment on the operation of the TBR and its control by a microcomputer, as well as for controlling the applied voltage to the armature of a DC motor for controlling its speed. Since the operation of the motor speed controller is based on control of the TBR, it was noticed that the addition of the TBR experiment will help students better understand its operation as well as the operation of the DC motor speed controller experiment. Experimental results are presented on the operation of the rectifier, and evaluation of the experiment is reported