Cycloconverter drive system for fault diagnosis study: Real time model, simulation and construction

This paper presents a study of a monitoring system for a cycloconverter, based on a real time reference model, for monitoring the electric behavior of a cycloconverter. For this purpose, a complete three-phase, 6-pulse cycloconverter system, operating from a 50 Hz input, was simulated and constructed. In addition, a real time reference model that works in parallel with the cycloconverter control was implemented. The main advantage of this system over the conventional fault diagnosis systems is the reduction number of required measured signals. The fault detection algorithm is based on a real-time error signal obtained between the real-time reference model output and the sensed cycloconverter output voltage. The fault detection method was implemented and tested on a laboratory scale prototype cycloconverter drive system.