The Twelve-Pulse Controlled Rectifier with Magnetically Coupled Reactors for Powering Marine Electrical Equipment

This paper proposes a 12-pulse controlled rectifier that has been developed for the systems and solutions that require DC power and are used on ships. One of its main features is the low value of the THD factor of the grid current. The ship's power system is isolated and of relatively low power, which causes the negative impact of high-power converters on the power quality parameters. This impact constitutes a greater problem than that observed in onshore networks. The proposed converter is characterized by better features than a typical 6-pulse rectifier. Moreover, a ship's load is always limited due to the cargo that can be shipped, therefore, the proposed rectifier using magnetically coupled reactors is an interesting solution that combines several functionalities. It allows DC voltage control and has a smaller weight and dimensions than a power electronics device with similar functionality but built with the use of a high-power transformer.