Pulse Tripling Circuit and Twelve Pulse Rectifier Combination for Sinusoidal Input Current

In this paper, a novel pulse tripling circuit (PTC) is suggested, to upgrade a polygon autotransformer 12-pulse rectifier (12-PR) to a 36-pulse rectifier (36-PR) with a low power rating. The kVA rating of the proposed PTC is lower compared to the conventional one (about 1.57% of load power). Simulation and experimental test results show that the total harmonic distortion (THD) of the input current of the suggested 36-PR is less than 3%, which meets the IEEE 519 requirements. Also, it is shown that in comparison with other multi-pulse rectifiers (MPR), it is cost-effective, its power factor is near unity and its rating is about 24% of the load rating. Therefore, the proposed 36-PR can be considered as a practical solution for industrial applications.